Junior Kelly
Okay so, we’re almost exactly a month out from the expected release date of Junior Kelly’s increasingly anticipated new album from VP Records, Red Pond. The album will potentially be his first (legitimate) studio release in four years and because of that and to celebrate the occasion, as a Junior Kelly album is a REALLY big deal in my opinion (and should be in yours also), I thought I’d stop for a second to take a look back. Junior Kelly’s has been one of the most underappreciated and underrated in the annals of modern Reggae and it is so unfortunate because, besides the big tunes which everyone knows from throughout the years, he’s scored quite a few BIG albums as well which many people don’t even know about. Thankfully, with the release of the new album, as is generally the case in Reggae, fans will have an opportunity (and a MOTIVATION) to go back and to look at exactly what he’s done if they haven’t before. So, if you are such a fan, I thought I’d make things easier on you and submit for your approval, The Best of Junior Kelly.
{note: I don't know if that's the actual album cover, I got it from Amazon}
{note 2: I have included Jet Star/Charm/Penitentiary albums because I THINK they are legitimate to some degree, however, I make it a point to advise all to use EXTREME caution in purchasing them}
#5. Rise [Jet Star/Charm, 2000]
Where it all began. I was very much under the impression that it was actually the Juvenile set which was Junior Kelly’s debut album but I was very surprised to find that it was, in fact, Rise which was his true debut album and it’s remained all these years as one of his most COMPLETE works to date. While this album certainly hasn’t gotten the respect and attention that Juvenile has gotten over the years, I definitely feel it is the stronger of the two Jet Star albums via the material at the very top of the album (in terms of quality and literally the songs at the top of the album). When this album is good, it was REALLY good and very close to great with tunes like ’Be Blessed’, ’Purified’, ’More A Dat’, ’Last Days (big tune)’, the title track and others as well (like ’Let It Grow’). I don’t reach for this one very often, but certainly there’re some very near classic tunes on Rise a decade on.
Best Tune: ‘Purified’
#4. Smile [VP Records/2003]
A big bright grin is the type of expression elicited by this wonderful album which may actually be Junior Kelly’s most recognizable to date (and I can’t exactly explain why, but over the years I find this one to be the most oft-referenced of his lot). Smile was just beautiful, it was packed with a lot of upful material, as the title would suggest and it just seemed as if it were specifically ‘aimed’ at just raising the spirits and consciousness of its listeners. That’s not to say, however, that it was just flare and glitter which made it what it was - ‘I Nah Bow’, ‘Black I Am, ‘Til The Soil’ and definitely ‘Can’t Meditate’, would beg to differ that the allure of Smile was just ‘smoke and mirrors’, it most certainly was not.
Best Tune: ‘Smile’
#3. Conscious Voice [Jet Star/Penitentiary, 2002]
Call it an upset but REALLY, I really LOVE this album and I have for around eight years or so. You may have to someday have to put up with me making the case for Conscious Voice being a modern classic because almost every tune on this album is a classic for me. Despite the fact that I have it ranked third (and believe me I was tempted as hell to rank it second), there isn’t a doubt in my mind that I have spun through this album much more times than any other on this list over the years. Why? Because it was gorgeous. This uptempo piece, like Smile, didn’t have to sacrifice its message nor its impact for the sake of having a nice and loose vibes. However, where the previous album was geared towards making the listener just feel good, Conscious Voice wanted you to feel so good that you got up and did some moving to the wonderful selections here. Oh and the fact that it has a few of my favourite JK tunes and one MAMMOTH shot which is definitely one of his finest (see ‘best tune) certainly doesn’t hurt things either. Don’t call it 3, call it 2b.
Best Tune: ‘God Bless’
#2. Tough Life [VP Records, 2005]
Tough Life was a bit heavier and more serious version of the Smile album to my ears, first and foremost. In retrospect it was also pretty much a masterpiece (very near ‘modern classic’ level actually) as throughout its seventeen tracks, Junior Kelly displayed almost everything which is to enjoy about his wonderful style and also showed himself to be an artist capable of all of the things one might assume given his accomplishments and experience. This album, blessed with tunes like the very Luciano-ish title track, ‘Blaze’ from Pow Pow’s hit riddim of the same name, the scathing ‘Rasta Should Be Deeper’, the biggest hit ‘Receive’, ‘Hold The Faith [alongside Dennis Brown]’, ‘Youths Dem Nah Cool’, ‘Ease My Pain (I Swear Riddim)’ and really I could name every damn tune on the entire album (and I didn’t even name my favourite in there), because it was absolute magic from beginning to end and the only album on this list capable of giving my subsequent number one a run for the top spot.
Best Tune: ‘Satan Throne’
#1. Love So Nice [VP Records, 2001]
I can remember reading a retrospectively hilarious interview with Junior Kelly in which he rather casually mentioned the fact that after he had written the tune ‘Love So Nice’ how he had this great feeling that tune would be a certain hit and so much so did was he positive for it that when he was approached for an album by Jet Star, he intentionally neglected to mention that he had the tune so as to seemingly preserve it for a bigger moment. Well what eventually became the album Love So Nice from VP was definitely such a moment and the album didn’t disappoint as it surrounding the HUGE tune with completely special material. ‘Clean Heart’, ‘Boom Draw’, ‘Juvenile (*wink wink*)’, ‘Hungry Days’, ‘Jah Nuh Dead’, ‘Jewel Of The Nile’, and ‘Go Down Satan’ were just some of the BIG tunes chosen to accompany the divine title track on an album every bit fitting to carry such a tune. Where the two previous sets kid of blur the edges, Love So Nice was most certainly a modern classic and it was also the best album of Junior Kelly’s career. Period.
Best Tune: ‘Love So Nice’
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