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Empire Road: The Best of Matumbi (EMI, 2001) Reggae Books Reggae Posters Reggae Concert Reggae Album Great Britain has produced several great roots bands -- Steel Pulse, Aswad, Misty In Roots, and Black Slate among them (you can even include UB40's early work in there) -- but one of the earliest and most influential is also one of the least known in the US and one whose music is frustratingly difficult to find. That group is Matumbi, whose greatest claim to fame on this side of the Atlantic is as a launch pad for the career of producer/dub master Dennis Bovell, who played lead guitar in the band. They formed in 1972 in London at a time when roots in Jamaica itself was just entering its prime and reggae in England was more defined by the soft, soulful UK lovers rock sound. Over the next decade, Matumbi would release roots whose quality rivaled anything coming out of Jamaica, but which was still tempered with a pop and soul sensibility that helped spread the popularity of the genre across Britain, opening doors for the next generation of reggae acts. Empire Road collects tracks from three of the four albums the band released late in their career for EMI: 1978's Seven Seals, 1979's Point of View, and 1981's Matumbi (by the time Testify came out in 1982, the magic had been lost, I suppose). Thus, their earlier UK hits, such as "Brother Louie," "Man in Me," and "After Tonight," are not included here (there's another Best of Matumbi album that focuses on this older material). However, these omissions don't mean that this collection is lacking. On the contrary, it's packed with excellent tunes, from the swaying classic "Bluebeat & Ska" (which is oddly neither bluebeat nor ska -- which are really the same thing, actually) to the placid "Music in the Air" to the funky "Hook Deh" to the righteous anthems "Guide Us Jah" and "Rock," plus the gorgeous lovers rock tracks (they are British, after all) "Ordinary Man," "Malfunction," and "Straight to My Head." The latter track in particular displays Matumbi's knack for creating a soulful, funky flair that transcends beyond the reggae genre -- somewhat similar to Third World's early work in the '70s. However, while they do have a sound that can cross over, they also remain grounded, maintaining a propulsive, reggae-specific drum and bass that will easily satisfy even the most jaded reggae purist. Unfortunately (and as an indicator of popular taste), one of the group's most successful tunes, "Point of View," is also the most pop-inclined, a sugary doo-wop/big band mess. The rest of Empire Road luckily doesn't approach this disaster; in fact, tracks like "Blackman" and the Nyabinghi drumming hymn "War" are rather anti-pop, cultural works. This album uncovers some magnificent, hard-to-find gems that have been out of reach from too many reggae fans for far too long. |
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