Dennis Brown - Love Has Found Its Way '1982

Tracks list

Just what were Dennis Brown and Joe Gibbs thinking on Love Has Found Its Way?
Had the two totally lost the plot? The answer is a sad and simple no, sad
because with the failure of Brown's Foul Play album -- his first for A&M and the
record that was meant to make him an international star -- it's evident that the
singer and his producer had given up any hopes of reaching the mainstream. So
instead, at the label's urging, they turned their attention to the U.S. R&B
market. But who better to sell coal to Newcastle than Brown, one of Jamaica's
premier vocalists, whose emotive delivery seemed perfect for the U.S. soul
chart? And there's no faulting his performance here. Soulful, romantic, and
glowing with sincerity, Brown's work across this entire set is phenomenal. The
music is equally flawless, laid down by a stellar roster of the island's elite.
These men were so versatile that they had no difficulty in creating the sound
and style that Gibbs and Lindo, who also acted as co-producer and arranger,
demanded. Certainly, all concerned hit the right note with the title track, a
rich romantic number that beautifully blends reggae beats with a lush soul
style. Released as a single, "Love Has Found Its Way" was directed to number 42
on the Black Singles chart (as it was then called). "Why Baby Why" worked its
magic in a similar vein, and a cover of Burt Bacharach's "Any Day Now" was just
as glorious, a perfect hybrid of reggae beats and lush synths. "I Couldn't Stand
Losing You" took romance into rootsier territory, while "Get High on Your Love"
jumped into fields of pure funkdom. Back then, it was de rigueur for Jamaican
artists to split albums between a pop or lovers side and a cultural flip. And
although the themes were not segregated by side, the rest of the songs on the
set on Love Has Found Its Way move blithely into cultural waters: the state of
the world of "Handwriting on the Wall," the sufferers-themed "Weep & Moan" and
"Blood, Sweet & Tears," and the searching for a better way of living on "Halfway
Up, Halfway Down." However, in keeping with the label's marketing aims, even
these songs were arranged with an Afro-American audience in mind, albeit within
a rootsier or more stoutly reggae milieu. "Weep" was downright chirpy,
resurrecting a breezy rocksteady rhythm and giving it a chic reggae garb,
"Blood"'s high-stepping rhythm beautifully encompasses a jazzy tinge, while
"Handwriting," released as a single in the U.K., combines strong reggae riffing
with urban soul. "Get Up" was obviously inspired by the Wailers' classic "Get
Up, Stand Up," a celebration of Brown's own Rastafarian faith and of his Twelve
Tribes of Israel sect. A&M could pat themselves on the back, for, like the
single, the full-length had no trouble finding its way up the soul chart,
finally stopping just outside the Top 35. The only clouds on the horizon was the
scathing response the set received from Brown's core reggae fans outside the
island and the label's desire for not just more of the same, but an even
"blacker" sound.

Tracklist:
1 01. Dennis Brown - Love Has Found Its Way (04:30)
1 02. Dennis Brown - Get High On Your Love (05:06)
1 03. Dennis Brown - Handwriting On The Wall (03:50)
1 04. Dennis Brown - Weep & Moan (04:04)
1 05. Dennis Brown - Blood, Sweat And Tears (03:35)
1 06. Dennis Brown - Halfway Up, Halfway Down (04:31)
1 07. Dennis Brown - Any Day Now (04:10)
1 08. Dennis Brown - I Couldn't Stand Losing You (04:05)
1 09. Dennis Brown - Why Baby Why (03:29)
1 10. Dennis Brown - Get Up (03:57)

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