Dance Wicked (Heartbeat, 1997)

*GUEST REVIEW*
After leaving Black Uhuru, Michael Rose released several albums -- some of which are quite all right, some of which are bad, and some of which are horrible. Dance Wicked is probably his best stuff.  He teamed up with Mafia and Fluxy to recreate Uhuru's sound, and they‘ve done it very well.  Starting with a remake of his own classic "Happiness" (very similar to the original, just with small dancehall edge), this album is filled with all the ingredients that made his Uhuru songs so famous.  Rose's distinctive vocal decorates tuff songs like "Dreadlocks," "Reality," "See and Blind," "Mind Made Up," and the magnificent title track.  While actually not as good as his Uhuru classics, this album is very close.

- Aja

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African Roots (M Records, 2005)

*GUEST REVIEW*
Though he never lost that distinctively mighty vocal style, Michael Rose's post-Black Uhuru albums have been rather on the spotty side. Up to now he's seemed to err more toward pleasing the dancehall/hip-hop massive with programmed riddims, skittish arrangements and tempos that didn't allow his thick, elastic voice to wrap around a song the way it should. Given that, perhaps the title of Rose's latest can be seen as something of a mission statement; African Roots is truly his rootsiest album yet. Like the recent Ranking Joe release for the same label (the two utilize some of the same backing tracks), this one was produced and mixed by dubmaster Ryan Moore, who takes a foundational approach of constructing smoky, slightly murky grooves that skank along unhurried, dropping in bits of echoey instrumentation among the prominent drums and bass and, most importantly, giving Rose's ominous but playful vocals the sort of framing they need. With songs that uplift Mother Africa and lash out against the wicked, Rose conjures up the same sort of cultural stance and razor-sharp edge that marked his early work for Niney the Observer as well as the initial stages of Black Uhuru. In addition to Moore's multi-instrumental backdrops, such noted players as Chinna Smith, Scully Sims, Style Scott, and Dean Fraser chip in, enriching the sound with their musical muscle. Rose's best album to date? I'd vote yes.

- Tom Orr

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Warrior (M Records, 2006)

*GUEST REVIEW*
Michael Rose is definitely on a roll. I pegged his previous release African Roots as his best, but Warrior tops it (if only marginally). It's certainly the closest Rose has come has come tocapturing the sound of his Black Uhuru days. That may or may not have been his intention, but given the presence of such Uhuru-era players as Sly Dunbar and Daryl Thompson and the prominence of female backing vocals on a few tracks (beautifully rendered by Rochelle Bradshaw), the comparisons are hard to ignore. Similarly, the riddims are reminiscentof a time when reggae was hardening up a bit inna "rockers" stylee while keeping that necessary pulse. Warrior isn't nostalgia, though. It's Rose continuing to grow and develop even as he retains many of the strengths that make him one of reggae's most distinctive artists. He's toned down his vocal eccentricities noticeably without losing the combination of ominous and playful tones that's served him so well for so long. His convictions regarding spiritual matters ("Zion"), self-assuredness ("Solid Ground," "Them a Look") and his own brand of militancy ("Warrior") are delivered in a commanding, clear-headed voice of reason that very nearly epitomizes what modern roots is (or at least ought to be) all about. So, is there anything wrong with this disc? Well, apart from the fact that the last track runs 12 minutes but only has four minutes worth of song, not really. This is Rose's second full-length album for producer/mixer/multi--instrumentalist Ryan Moore's M Records, and the affiliation continues to be a perfect fit. Great songs, clean but edgy sound, varied arrangements, top-flight musicians, and a singer in peak form; Warrior has all that and more going for it.

- Tom Orr