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Humanity (Orange Street, 2001 [orig. released 1979]) Lincoln Thompson, AKA Prince Lincoln, is one of those artists who should've been more successful than than he was (like Fred Locks, Prince Alla, Delroy Washington, Ras Karbi, etc.). And you need no other reason for these "shouldas" than to listen to his legendary 1979 debut Humanity, finally available on CD some 20-plus years later. With only 7 tracks, Humanity is short but oh, so sweet. What first struck me about Prince Lincoln's sound is his vocals -- they undulate in a charismatic falsetto that reminds me a bit of the invigorating style of Fred Locks' Black Star Liner. (This may be because Cedric Myton of the Congos was a founding member of Lincoln's group and, though uncredited, contributed to Humanity's sound.) Musically and lyrically, he is somewhat similar to Jimmy Cliff's '70s work -- light, R&B-infused roots with a social, not militant, message. "Mr. Kissinger," in particular, smacks of Cliff's sound, while "Old Time Friends" and "Unconventional People" have groovy '70s soul arrangements, and "San Salvador," despite a serious message, maintains a bouncy dance-ability. The most recognizable tune here, however, is the title cut, a mellow, lover-edged call for increased peace, love, and tolerance (Lloyd Brown performed a tribute to the song on Reggae Hits Volume 29.). Granted, 7 songs isn't much, but Humanity is strong from beginning to end. Perhaps because of the brevity of the album, Orange Street decided to add another CD, Liberated Dub, containing "a rare dub excursion," and precious little info on what exactly it is. Presumably, the music is from Prince Lincoln and his backing band, the Royal Rasses. In any event, the dubs are surprisingly tame, particularly bland in comparison to the vivacious Humanity. Humanity: Liberated Dub: |
| Track Listing CD 1: 1. San Salvador [Disco Style] 2. They Know Not Jah 3. Old Time Friends [Disco Style] 4. Unconventional People 5. Humanity (Love The Way It Should Be) 6. Mr Kissinger 7. Kingston 11 CD 2: 1. Moonlight City 2. Baktu 3. Waterhouse 4. Marverly 5. Riverton City 6. Cockburn Pen 7. Bell Rock 8. Whitewing Walk 9. Tower Hill 10. Central Village |
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True Experience (Orange Street, 2001 [orig. released 1980])
Although it's generally considered inferior to the more popular Humanity, Prince Lincoln's follow-up album Experience is every bit as good, in my opinion. The welcome release of True Experience gathers together not only the Experience album, but its dub version, Harder-Na-Rass. This set doesn't contain the more well-known hits like "Humanity," "San Salvador," and "Kingston 11" that are found on Humanity, but the material is just as solid, and there are more songs (not hard to do, since Humanity had only 7), which should please fans to no end. Supported as usual by the Royal Rasses -- who at various times included singers like Cedric Myton of the Congos, Devon Russell, and Jennifer Lara, and backed by musicians like Leroy "Horsemouth" Wallace, Earl "Wire" Lindo, Ernest Ranglin, Headley Bennett, and Tommy McCook -- the sound of True Experience follows in the same vein as the vibrant, soulful, eclectic Humanity. Despite the support of the Royal Rasses, the driving force here is still Prince Lincoln, who wrote, arranged, produced, and played guitar on this album (and oh, by the way, he sings too). Despite some early minor hits, Prince Lincoln never received the level of success that he deserved, due likely in no small part to his image as a crossover artist. While I understand that some reggae purists might be a bit put off by his inclusion of funk, R&B, rock, and folk elements -- and other listeners might not appreciate the upbeat, up-tempo, "happy" sound (accentuated by his high-pitched, vibrating vocals) -- but I find True Experience undeniably appealing. A few tracks, like "Thanksgiving" and "True Experience," have a more a more standard, laid-back roots reggae rhythm, but most of this album is exuberant, propulsive, and toe-tapping, which may actually disguise the fact that the messages put forth are serious, spiritual, and socially conscious. Listening to songs like "Walk in Jah Light," "Babylon Is Falling," and "Slave Driver," you might get caught up in the happy-go-lucky sound, but looking at the titles, it's evident that there's a message behind the music.
Experience: 
Harder-Na-Rass:
True Experience: 
| Track Listing CD 1: (Experience) 1. Nobody Here But Me 2. Blessed Are the Meek 3. Slave Driver 4. Jah Love 5. Babylon Is Falling 6. True Experience 7. For Once in My Life 8. Walk in Jah Light 9. Jungle Fever 10. Thanksgiving (While Your Living) CD 2: (Harder-Na-Rass) 1. Interstellar Over Dub 2. Second Sight 3. Nebular Dub 4. Time Wharp 5. Universally Dubbed 6. Terrestial Dub 7. Gravitational Echoes 8. Dub Vortex 9. Regenerated Dub 10. Cosmic Silence |
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