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Positively Reggae: An All Family Musical Celebration (Sony, 1994) Looking at the cover, I don't know what possessed me to buy this album, but I actually don't regret it. The description "An All Family Musical Celebration" may conjure up images of Teletubbies with dreadlocks, but artists like Mega Banton, Ricky General, Bounti Killa (or Bounty Killer), Shabba Ranks, Patra, and Mad Cobra should eliminate any such thoughts. In fact, the only song that has a corny "family" sound is, not surprisingly, Worl-A-Girl's "Back to School." Most of the rest contain solid, hardcore dancehall rhythms, headed by Shabba Ranks' "Mothers & Fathers," which uses the raw riddim used in his hit "Original Woman." Patra's "Free di Youth," little Vicious' "Respect," and Bounti Killa's "Go to School" feature similarly hard beats that will not disappoint dancehall fans. The most pleasant surprise, though, is Bob Marley's son Damian "Junior Gong" Marley's "School Controversy," in which he adeptly handles a medley of tunes over a fun, frenzied rhythm. If the term "all family" still bothers you, think of it as what it really is: conscious, positive dancehall without slackness or gun lyrics. |
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