U-Roy - Dread In A Babylon '1975; 1989

Tracks list

       Even without the music, this album would still leap off the racks; its
photo of U Roy exhaling a mushroom cloud of marijuana smoke from his
ever-available pipe ranks among the all-time greatest covers, regardless of
genre. However, U Roy doesn't have any trouble coming across as a distinctive
presence; his scattershot repertoire of barks, chants, and screams is as
critical or more important as the deft, unobtrusive backing woven behind him. U
Roy imposes his own willful style, regardless of setting. Sometimes he pulls off
a positively poppy veneer on tracks like "Runaway Girl" or "Silver Bird"; other
times, he extemporizes slightly ahead of the beat on "Natty Don't Fear" or "The
Great Psalms." His lyrics run the gamut of Rastafarian concerns, from facing
adversity ("Dreadlocks Dread") to female troubles ("I Can't Love Another") and
royalist run-ins ("Chalice in the Palace"). The uncredited musicians stay out of
the way (although they get their own album-closing instrumental, "Trench Town
Rock"). This album ranks among the '70s dub masterpieces, even if the odd
lyrical clinker keeps it from perfection; "Runaway Girl"'s glistening skank
can't paper over its sexism (which suggests the girl in question "may be
nice/but you're not that smart"). Even so, sometimes an artist only needs
charisma to get across, and U Roy handily wins on that score. ~ Ralph Heibutzki

Tracklist:
1 01. U-Roy - Runaway Girl (1990 Digital Remaster) (03:47)
1 02. U-Roy - Chalice In The Palace (1990 Digital Remaster) (03:29)
1 03. U-Roy - I Can't Love Another (1990 Digital Remaster) (03:23)
1 04. U-Roy - Dreadlocks Dread (1990 Digital Remaster) (02:47)
1 05. U-Roy - The Great Psalms (1990 Digital Remaster) (02:49)
1 06. U-Roy - Natty Don't Fear (1990 Digital Remaster) (02:29)
1 07. U-Roy - African Message (1990 Digital Remaster) (02:43)
1 08. U-Roy - Silver Bird (1990 Digital Remaster) (03:12)
1 09. U-Roy - Listen To The Teacher (1990 Digital Remaster) (02:39)
1 10. U-Roy - Trench Town Rock (1990 Digital Remaster) (02:48) 

Related artists