Messenger Man (Blood and Fire, 2005)

*GUEST REVIEW*
Though he will be forever associated with "Armagideon Time," one of reggae's most familiar anthems (including being among several reggae tunes notably covered by the Clash), there's more to Willi Williams than that classic. Leave it to the venerable Blood and Fire label to remind us of some of the other vital music Williams laid down. By 1980, Williams was dividing his time between Toronto and his native Jamaica, where he'd enjoyed some success as a singer and producer for over a decade.  Messenger Man, recorded in both places he called home, was his first full-length album. A rough, jangly sound that perfectly suits Williams' dry, understated vocals is present throughout, aptly framing roots-heavy offerings like "Slave," "Zion Town," and "No Hiding Place." Williams retained a close musical friendship with legendary keyboardist Jackie Mittoo (another part time denizen of Canada), who had a hand in the "rootical angle" (to quote the liner notes) Williams wanted for the album. Such an angle is keenly felt, with Mittoo joining such other notables as bassist Fully Fullwood, guitarists Bingy Bunny and Tony Chin and drummer Santa Davis in crafting the sharply bubbling grooves that the messages are delivered over. These arrangements cry out to be heard dubwise, and as luck would have it, this reissue includes a full plate of corresponding dubs. To complete the picture, the riddim and melody of Williams' most famous song are revisited on "Rocking Universally (Armagideon Style)." No reggae fan worth their salt should be without this disc.

- Tom Orr