Color Barrier (Makasound, 2005)

It's truly astounding how France's Makasound label can continue to uncover such tremendous, buried, classic material.  From the Black Roots to Winston McAnuff to the Mighty Threes, the company has an uncanny knack for unearthing long-forgotten (or barely ever known) gems that are every bit as good as any major hits from reggae's Golden Age.  Now you can add Leroy Brown's Color Barrier to that list.  You may not know Brown's name, but he was a vital member (singer and guitarist) of two influential rock steady acts, the Emotions and the Hippy Boys (along with Max Romeo, Carlton and Aston Barrett, and members of the Gaylads), and a protege of the legendary Alton Ellis.  Brown released the album Color Barrier in 1976 (co-produced by Robbie Shakespeare of Sly & Robbie fame), but perhaps because he'd by that time emigrated to Canada, it never gained the exposure it deserved.  This re-release contains 8 of the 9 tracks from the original album, plus an additional 7 tunes of equal quality.  From top to bottom, this album is without reproach.  Vocally, Brown displays marvelous range, from a sultry Glen Washington-like lovers gravel on "Gone Gone" to the mournful roots wail of "What a Fire" to the fiery snarl of "Metro Pigs" to the airy, neo-hippy lilt of "Don't Give Up" -- and always charged with emotion.  Lyrically, Brown challenges listeners with tales that conjure vivid imagery like the racial protests of "Metro Pigs," the frustration of a city block aflame while a fire station sits across the street in "What a Fire," and the Ku Klux Klan "clowns wrapped in sheets" in "Mind How You Walk."  And musically, roots fans can't hope for much more than the rich, classic late '70s sound here, crowned with a sense of dubby experimentation on tracks like "Gone Gone" and the extended version of "Color Barrier."  Leroy Brown's Color Barrier is wicked, wonderful, and well overdue for worldwide exposure.  Check it out at makasound.com.