Wow… the triumphant comeback of the indomitable King Culture. Super-heavy, Radics-style, wrecking-ball rhythm; proper singing; tough dub. The mixing of the harmony singing is magical.
‘Close your eyes. What do you hear? Do you hear your own heartbeat? Do you hear the grasshopper which is at your feet?’ ‘Old man, how is it that you hear these things?’ ‘Young man, how is it that you do not?’
Musical Kung Fu care of Clive Hunt at the Black Ark.
‘Man must vank these money men / Who pay I and I to fight I bredrens / Just because I’m in hunger / Them hold I with them dunza / Penetrate man with them dunza… Oh, there shall be lightning and thunder / For the heathens who take advantage of sufferer / To gain their vanity of power / They shall reach their final hour / They will be cut off forever, yeah.’
Stunning, high-octane, steppers do-over of Yabby You’s Jesus Dread.
His masterwork, from 1975. Great songs — a tough mix of mysticism, politics and philosophy — with Robbie Lyn from the Sound Dimension, Geoffrey Chung gently testing the reggae envelope, Clive Hunt from Wackies, a sprinkling of Black Ark, masterful drumming by Horsemouth… and PM’s compelling voice.
By themselves on the first record; for the second, joined by Evan Parker and Byron Wallen, harpist Tori Handsley and tabla player Sarathy Korwar, and drummer Yussef Dayes. Both sessions were recorded completely live, straight to tape, consolidating the ‘incandescent immediacy’ of the playing. The duo’s ‘soulful tenor sax sermons plus earthily funky drumming, fusing jazz, hip-hop and grime… winningly mix dark, classic Coltrane raptures, infectious hook-rooted rockers and Sonny Rollins-like calypsos. The larger group sets up thrilling rhythm textures merged from Parker’s seamless soprano lines and a chatter of snare drums and tablas; there are atmospheric guitar-like harp figures, and dramatically spontaneous two-tenor tussles’ (The Guardian).
‘CD of the year so far’ (London Jazz News).