Evidence of My Antiquity

I'm getting old! At the ripe old age of 28 (feeling like I'm going on 78), I now, unfortunately, have replaced my once youthful zeal, with some old assed jaded views. I now routinely find myself going through my catalogues, finding albums which previously meant so very little to me, which now strike me as remarkable, upon further review. These are albums which, in the past, I've based: Calling them "unremarkable", "disappointing and not worth the wait" and downright "boring as hell". Well, now I'm here to admit my mistakes. Thus, I submit, for your approval, albums that have grown on me to a LARGE degree over the years and stand, as yet more GLARING declarations of my oldassedness.

{note 1: Albums aren't listed in any particular order}

{note 2: There is another condition of this list, but I don't remember what it was}

Midnite - Nemozian Rasta [I Grade Records, 2001]

In respect to some of the other pieces you’ll find you on this list, Nemozian Rasta is slightly older and my ‘awakening’ to it occurred only a few years ago now, but there was a time that I found this one to be ABSOLUTELY USELESS! I would have been nineteen or twenty when it was released and although by that point I had already discovered Midnite and I think I probably would have heard something from them already which I had enjoyed but Nemozian Rasta was far from it. These days, however, it is “it”. The rather dark yet jovial album has risen to the cream of Midnite’s proverbial crop in my opinion and now reigns supreme as my favourite Midnite album of all time. Period.

Sizzla - Burning Up [RAS, 1995]

What??? A Sizzla album on this list??? Yep. Admittedly, Sizzla’s debut album, Burning Up, didn’t have very far to grow on me, especially when compared to many of the other titles you’ll find here, although what little room for ‘improvement’ it may have had, it has certainly taken care of that bit. The album finds a version of Sizzla clearly still within his developmental stage and simply not as ‘good’ as he would later become and I believe the first time I heard this album was after I had actually heard quite a bit more of his work, years later, which would have made me even more critical in looking at it. Nowadays, however, things are different as, although I would rated (and probably still would) it as a four, I have no doubt that some very linguistically gifted fan (like yours truly) could make the case that Burning Up is actually a five star album, indeed.

Hugh Mundell - Blackman’s Foundation [Shanachie, 1978]

This album has somewhat ‘haunted’ me for awhile now. I have purchased Hugh Mundell’s Blackman’s Foundation on approximately SIX different occasions and it wasn’t until 2004 or so that I really began to give it any type of attention (and I’ve bought it twice since then, at least). After years of ‘lending’ it out to friends and flat out losing it I’ve finally managed to dig in and find out what all the fuss was about. It’s an album that you just kind of feel like you should have and for good reason and while the rest of the world continue to forget Hugh Mundell’s name, Blackman’s Foundation reserves room on my players more and more each year.

Mykal Somer - Element Of Surprise [Somer Music Group, 2003]

By far the most unusual entrant on this list is St. Kitts born Mykal Somer’s Element Of Surprise album which only qualifies for participation here because it, more or less, sat unopened in a closet for a few years before I even gave it as much as a cursory listen. Mykal Somer is an absolutely DAZZLING singer and one whose rather curious level of refinement may make one think that he’s a man well into his 50’s or at least 40’s and not still relatively young in the business. And Element Of Surprise is a very strong showcase of that talent throughout and it has to make you wonder exactly just what in the hell may be hiding in my closet today. Surprise indeed.

Ras Attitude - Holding Firm [Zion High Productions, 2005]

As one of three signature albums which inspired me for the existence of this list (the other two are next), Ras Attitude’s Holding Firm has PERSONALLY done things for me definitely. The album once not only struck me as quite boring when I first got it, but it also was quite the disappointment as I had been VERY much so looking forward to anything which would be labeled ‘the new Ras Attitude’. I found the vibes to be too slow and not dynamic and just not very interesting. About a couple of years down the line and things changed GREATLY and I suddenly started hearing vibes and tones which I didn’t previously and experiencing the wonderful colours in the vibes which were missing. I’ve certainly heard better Ras Attitude albums since, but I may never find one again which strikes so close to home as the JOURNEY which was Holding Firm.

Batch - Jah Guidance [Carrion Brookes Production, 2005]

(Not so) Surprisingly with Ras Attitude comes Batch and the very same year. I’m having a difficult time remembering how it went but I THINK I received Jah Guidance before we picked up Holding Firm and just simply thought it was terribly boring and it spent the better part of two years or so shelved before I decided to give it another spin for some reason or another. I’m almost sad because if I found in 2005 what I found later, then I would have spent the time telling any and everyone who would possibly listen to me about the album’s OBVIOUS brilliance. Tune after tune, Batch’s DEEP vibes get more and more powerful throughout on Jah Guidance to the point where, despite the fact that from any type of objective point of view, Blackman’s Foundation is probably the ‘best’ album on this list, Jah Guidance is CLEARLY my personal favourite.

Warrior King - Hold The Faith [VP Records, 2005]

I didn’t even notice that this one was also from the same year. Warrior King SO impressed me on his debut album, 2002’s SHINING Virtuous Woman, which was chockfull of hits after hits and then came Hold The Faith which. . . Just wasn’t. The album, again, struck me as quite boring and particularly so in his case as I had definitely had my eye on the King as, in a line then with young artists such as Turbulence, Jah Mason and several others, struck me as one of the most talented in the bunch. I still don’t think he’s necessarily fulfilled on the promise he once showed (he still does have much time and with two albums apparently loaded and ready to go, he’s ready to make a big attempt to do just that), but I WAS COMPLETELY WRONG about Hold The Faith. No. It wasn’t as strong of an album as Virtuous Woman, but it wasn’t disappointing at all either. Hold The Faith was a more laid back and HEAVY type of vibes and when you combine that with Warrior King’s almost ever-jovial inherent vibes, what you got was DEFINITELY quite interesting and one of the best albums of that year. My bad!

The Music of Peter Broggs

Make no mistake about it, I’ve always kind of been a fan of Peter Broggs’. When I was a youth, although I, of course, couldn’t really appreciate his music, I thought he was COOL. He looked like several members of my family (my Mother’s brothers) and he just had this vibe about him which was very nice. Now, as an old ass man, I still think Peter Broggs is cool, but now, thankfully, I have the ears and the tastes to appreciate his life’s work. Tune after tune and album after album, Peter Broggs impresses, firstly, as undeniably one of the best WRITERS Reggae music has EVER seen altogether. Apart from that is the voice which many people question, but to me is one which was MADE for Roots Reggae. And again is the mere presence. The figure that he casts is one which leaves NO DOUBT about what the man’s purpose is: He was sent to sing the finest music in the world. Mission Accomplished Peter Broggs.