10/02/2009

Darker Than Blue: Soul from Jamdown 1973-1980 (2001)

«Arriving months before this Blood & Fire compilation was a similar release from Soul Jazz Records. Studio One Soul was just that, a collection of 18 covers of American soul tunes by the famous Jamaican label's finest '60s and '70s artists. Darker Than Blue however, has a distinct advantage over its predecessor. As it is not tied to the output of any one particular label, it manages to come up with a selection that's broader in scope and more diverse in sound. Bassist Boris Gardiner's band, with the help of organ maestro Leslie Butler, gets the proceedings off to a superb start with "Ghetto Funk," one of two originals that bookend the set. A series of gems follow. Carl Bradney turns out a suitably heavy version of War's "Slipping into Darkness," Al Brown adds a touching reading of Bobby Bland's "Ain't No Love in the Heart of the City," and Freddie McGregor performs a wake-up call to the silent majority via George Jackson on "Get Involved." Though Sly Johnson's "Is It Because I'm Black?" can also be found on Studio One Soul, there's plenty of room for another version, particularly when the artist in question is Ken Boothe. Stripping away the horns that appeared on the original U.K. pressing, this mix reveals the rhythm in all its glory, letting it churn between Boothe's exceptional verses. Following a series of love songs, Darker Than Blue delivers another series of excellent reality themes. Among them are the Curtis Mayfield song that titles the set (performed by Lloyd Charmers) and Timmy Thomas' "Why Can't We Live Together?," presented in discomix form by Tinga Stewart and the Revolutionaries. The finest in Jamaican reggae meets the finest in American soul – the combination is superb.» (AMG)

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13 comments:

DJ Radu said...

http://sharebee.com/64c82bee

Joe said...

This is one of the greatest compilations in the history of compilations

avocado kid said...

I agree with joe!

dugg said...

Really looking forward to hearing these versions- thanks so much for making it possible!
dugg

Simon666 said...

yep this is a great comp

Anonymous said...

what a great music!

Anonymous said...

Totally agree - great selection of tracks on this album

Anonymous said...

Amazing, unbelieveable!!!

Thank you so much, my friend!!!

GR

fyn scarlet reed said...

This is incredible. Thank you.

Mr Lucky Doubles said...

I have this CD, but want to let people know if you like it (and I bet you will), check out some other records from this label - Blood & Fire. It's an incredible reggae reissue label with consistently good music, design and liner notes.

Support 'em!

Gabination said...

Thank you! very Good

Gabination said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
edlorado said...

thank you!