'Top of The Line': A Review of "Bobo Revolution 2" by Various Artists

You would think that, with the current state of the global economy, things would be different, but we still have yet to reach the point where extremely random Reggae labels have stopped popping up all across the globe. Seriously, be it through my own personal research or through some assignment that I’m given, it is on a biweekly, if not weekly basis, that I come across a label previously either unheard of or unheard of in a much smaller form than actually releasing new music. These labels are very predominately Roots Reggae labels, many of them do come from Europe and it is absolutely so remarkable that they go from complete unknowns to working with some of the finest talents the genre has to offer and seem to do so almost overnight. With the kind of ‘assembly line’ of forming new imprints that exists, it’s obviously going to be more and more difficult for a single label to distinguish and continue to distinguish, themselves from the pack and as you see more and more similar labels it does begin to beg the question - Which one is the best? If you break this down into smaller categories, by region for example, it definitely gets easier. I can easily and very confidently sit here and tell you that the best Reggae label in the Virgin Islands is I Grade Records. Why? They have the biggest projects continuously, they work often with the biggest and most popular artists and, despite their spells of inactivity over the years, when they do bring something forth, it is always top notch and judging by their recent work, the tag of being the best in the VI isn’t something Tippy and co. seem ready to relinquish just yet. I could make a similar case for Kemar ‘Flava’ McGregor and No Doubt Records being the best Jamaican Roots Reggae brand. They make the best Roots Reggae in Jamaica right now, ‘no doubt’ about it and, given the fact that it is a Jamaican label, the title of being ‘THE BEST’ is probably closest at hand for Flava and No Doubt and if you read my work to any degree, you probably know where my allegiances lie as well. However, if there is any argument to be made, and there always is - Based on successes, past, current and potential future - The list of labels who can LEGITIMATELY claim to be the best is very small. And it just so happens that the one with which we deal today, Frenchie and Maximum Sound, is one of the very few truly qualified to make that claim, without question.

If it is a question of quality, I think the fact that Maximum Sound has recorded full blown albums with likes of Jah Mason, Lukie D, most notably Anthony B (several times) and most recently Luciano, should suffice alone as the artists seem to continue to just pile in Maximum Sound studios. But besides those names, Frenchie and company have worked very hard to align themselves with some of the biggest in the genre to the point where, although Maximum Sound is based in the UK, you’ll find not too many of the biggest and best talents in Jamaican Roots Reggae who’ve yet to work with the brand (and they‘ve also voiced some of the biggest names in the Dancehall, such as Beenie Man, Kartel, Ele and General Degree). Also, you’ll be sure to notice that of the albums done by the company (and definitely some further work, as far as riddim albums go); Maximum Sound has had music released with the largest Reggae companies in the world, Greensleeves and VP Records. And it hasn’t just been ’quantity’ either, they have definitely had more than their fair share of hits across the years, perhaps the high point was back when the World Jam Riddim dropped. That piece was a remake (more on that in a moment) of the world famous ‘Welcome To Jamrock’ riddim which spawned quite a few big tunes of various sizes and, in retrospect, was probably one of the leading catalysts into Anthony B having the ”Black Star” album, his second of four with Maximum Sound and the first of three to appear on Greensleeves Records. OBVIOUSLY, Maximum Sound is one of the biggest labels in the game on any level you want to discuss. So, it’s (unfortunately) not a necessity, but it is a pretty nice ’feather in the cap’ of a big label to kind of have that signature compilation series which people can identify as being a musical representative of it. Of course the most well known are ”Reggae Gold”, ”Strictly The Best” and ”Riddim Driven” which are, even by casual fans, known to be VP Records’ products, but even when you look at actual producers, labels like one of my personal favourites, the Lustre Kings Productions, have ”Culture Dem” and there’re others and just in the last year we’ve seen both the aforementioned I Grade and also Necessary Mayhem have potentially big compilation series drop as well, should they continue. Maximum Sound, of course, also has their own and it now returns in its second edition, following the 2007 debut of the series, ”Bobo Revolution”. To put it flatly - Volume 2 has some very large shoes to fill as volume one was stuffed full of outstanding releases from some of the biggest and best names in the genre and, off the top of my head, there is a very easy argument that could be made that it was the best modern Roots Reggae compilation of the year (and probably better than most of the stuff in 2008 as well). While I don’t go back to it often these days, it most certainly has become, in my opinion, one of the best such compilations since the turn of the century and although it doesn’t seem as if it is now held in such a great esteem, I was so happy to see Frenchie bring it back and offer some type of series to go along with the one-time idea. As you might imagine, the album is full of basically ‘catching up’ material from Maximum Sound. Fortunately, the label has been enjoying one of its best streaks, in terms of quality, in recent memory, thus, the result is a big album more than capable of carrying the tag ”Bobo Revolution”.

If you aren’t very familiar with Maxim Sound’s sound, the label very often deals in remaking and refashioning older riddims (somewhat like the French based Irie Ites these days) so if you’re a heavy Reggae fan, you’re likely to get a taste of some very familiar sounds in the hands of some newer voices, which is always very nice and despite the fact that a lot of this material may be older, it hasn’t been rinsed to over-saturation, so most of the album will be new to most fans. Luciano is kind of the ‘host’ of Maximum Sounds new ”Bobo Revolution Vol. 2” release through Greensleeves Records and his is the very first voice we here introducing the piece via intro before making way for the first actual tune, ‘Poor Man’s Place’ (even though it sounds like he‘s saying “poor man‘s space in the tune), by Turbulence. The tune is billed as being the ‘Unplugged Mix’ of the original Jah Powers Riddim backed tune and I don’t know why this version was chosen (I LOVE that riddim), but it was and the song is good in either form as Turbulence addresses society’s unfortunate habit of virtually ignoring the concerns of the poor and impoverished people of the world. And up next are two selections across the same GORGEOUS Vineyard Town Riddim, Capleton’s ‘All Is Well’ and the Peetah Morgan’s ‘Jesse James’. The former is in the process of blowing up worldwide as it featured quite prominently on Capleton’s recent ”I-Ternal Fire” album, but the latter may be an even stronger selection actually. Both are top notch, however and definitely speak not only to the quality of the particular artists (as if they needed the help), but the label as well (as if they did either).

The way ”BR2” is set up is (for the most part), like the opening, where you get a particular riddim and you then get two artists across it. This is pretty fucking interesting if you ask me (and you do because it’s my review you’re reading), because it gives a direct comparison between the two artists and, perhaps most importantly, it definitely keeps the vibes flowing nicely. To my opinion, the best of these dual moments definitely comes nice and early on the album as Chezidek and Fantan Mojah team up to tackle Frenchie’s relick of the Party In Session Riddim, now called the Session Riddim. For his part, Chezi offers the WICKED antiviolence piece, ’Bullet Clown’.

“Bullet clown
Ah weh yuh come from?
Bullet town?
Wah mek yuh lak dat, bullet sound?
Mek everyting yuh waan bullet down”

The tune has become one his better lyrical pieces, maybe ever, but definitely in recent times and who would mind if Chezidek’s next album came via MS??? I wouldn’t. The strange voiced singer (from outta St. Ann!) is topped, however (no shame, everyone else on the album is too), by a song from Fantan Mojah which I’ve come to SO MUCH appreciate over the years, ‘Tell Lie Pon Rasta’.

“Dem waan tell lie pon Rasta
Conspiracy!
Nuff ah imposta”

The song appeared on Mojah’s last studio piece, ”Stronger” from 2008 (big album) and while it was a big tune even then, I probably have (for some reason) ten times more appreciation for it now. Call it a personal classic, but it’s the best tune I hear on the whole of ”BR2”.

The next duo is likely to get the lion’s share of attention as former Xterminator stablemates Sizzla Kalonji and Luciano go on the I Know My Herbs Riddim and both do so, unsurprisingly, with herbalist tunes. Sizzla’s tune, ‘Free Up Di Herbs’ is another one that I’ve changed on a bit - I didn’t particularly like it at first and while I’m not blown away by it now, it’s registering as a big tune on my players and it just has a nice FRESH sound to it here (probably because I haven’t heard it in awhile). But, in all matters ganja songs, you’ll have a very difficult time outdoing The Messenjah, who takes top honours here with, 'Invasion', an outstanding tune from his own new Maximum Sounds produced album, ”United States of Africa” for VP Records. That one is picking up steam currently and it will continue to do so and each time I hear it, I enjoy it more and more with Luciano, as is his norm, really putting soul in the ganja tune (and biggup Batch too). Following a brief interlude (called ’Rasterlude’, which is absolutely horrible) we get Johnny Clarke alongside Fantan Mojah and Tarrus Riley going all Creation Rebel on the people with two tunes. Clarke is, of course, no stranger to singing this tune and while you may prefer his original, Mojah definitely modernizes this SWEET sounding older song, now called ‘Rebel With A Cause’. Tarrus Riley sites that “nobody wants to be broke without money” (good luck being broke WITH money) on his typically formidable ‘Poverty Nuh Inna Fashion’, across the same relick (which sounds outstanding on both tunes, by the way). Surprisingly, the strange pairing of Lukie D and Junior Kelly who reached the latter’s excellent 2010 album, ”Red Pond” album earlier this year come back with a tune for the Back A Yard Riddim, ‘Back A Me Yard’. This is one of my favourite selections from ”BR2” altogether. Before, these two came together and did a love song, if I recall correctly, but this piece is a BEAUTIFUL repatriation set.

“REPATRIATE!
REPATRIATE!
And then mi bun babylonian straight
REPATRIATE!
REPATRIATE!
Then look to di east because King Selassie great”

Also taking a turn on the same riddim, with ‘Stand Guard’, is Frenchie’s favourite (and yours too), Anthony B. This is another highlight from the album to my ears. I like how cool it comes in and while the intensity does build a bit it never goes to flames and Anthony B just delivers a RIPE message of self confidence and self awareness. Big tune. In next is the Praise Jahovia Riddim and while I think it would have been so nice and so timely has ”BR2” contained the tune ’Uniform Bad Boy’ from Dancehall star Busy Signal, the two tracks they ultimately went with are very nice as well. Fantan Mojah is back again, representing the Macka Tree Family alongside the crystal voiced Zareb, with the TOP NOTCH ‘Good Meditation’. It’s beginning to be no question at all when these two link that the results will be big and this one is yet another sterling example of that and it’s also one of the strongest tunes on the album (DUH). Also back is Anthony B who chimes in with ‘All We Have’, a very big ode to the music itself and the power it wields, particularly in the poorer communities and ghettos of the world. For whatever it’s worth, this song MAKES ME SMILE (and I’ll leave it there). And update of the old Blood Dunza Riddim (now called Dunza 2010 apparently), backs the next two tunes (and if you read my work with any type of regularity, you know I’m ALL OVER these two), the brilliant ’Sanctify Yourself’ and ’False Pretenders’ from Lutan Fyah and I-Octane, respectively. The former here is probably my second favourite tune on the entire album. People REALLY need to wake up and listen to Fyah’s lyrics in cases like these, because the man is simply doing things on a different level than most.

“Sanctify yourself!
Purify your soul and heart
Inna dem corruption try no get caught
Sanctify yourself!
Cleanse up your mind and heart”

The tune, to my ears at least, is lyrically somewhat reminiscent of Sizzla’s MASSIVE shot ‘Clean Up Your Heart’, as the man nears lyrical perfection on the tune which is simply best described as ADVANCED. And speaking of advancing, I-Octane has definitely been advancing and progressing as an artist and his effort, while not one of his best, is still very strong and be sure not to just pass on it completely.

Besides Turbulence‘s ‘Poor Man‘s Place‘, which opens the album, there’re a few other ‘unattached’ tunes floating around ”BR2”. ‘Better Haffi Come’ from Anthony B and Chezidek is such a tune, over Maximum Sound’s Matches Lane Riddim. The tune featured on Anthony B’s and Frenchie’s last project together, 2009’s BIG ”Rise Up” album and has at least stayed in heavy rotation around my parts because it is a very strong sufferer’s anthem type of vibes and given the players, it goes without saying that it is exceptional (even though I guess I just said it anyway). And the album wraps up two more standalones with the first being from the always welcomed Jahmali, ’Real Life’, over the Ashanti Warrior Riddim. I’m definitely familiar with this tune, but I haven’t heard it in awhile and I’m always happy to see Mali thrown in on projects like this, just keeping his name out there and this time with a big tune (as usual). And lastly it’s Jah Mason who reminds us that ‘Things Will Be Better’ on another unplugged version of a song from the Jah Powers Riddim (in that case I guess there is a duo here, with the Mason and Turbulence functionally book-ending the album). The original version of the tune was the best song on Jah Mason’s Maximum Sound album, ”Life Is Just A Journey” from 2007 and while I’m so much more favouring that original (did I mention that the Jah Powers was PAINFULLY beautiful???), any cut of that big tune can only make the world a better place and do wonders for a mere album. Mason sets the stage for . . . Yep, Luciano who closes up shop with the outro.

Overall, I can’t DEFINITELY say that I’ve heard a more complete and consistent compilation of Reggae music in 2010 thus far. Certainly we go back to last year and think about I Grade’s ridiculous ”Joyful Noise” which, to my opinion, has now become the STANDARD for multiple riddim Roots Reggae compilations from a single label and it’s not that good, but ”Bobo Revolution Vol. 2” still is excellent (goes to show how strong ”Joyful Noise” was that you can be “excellent” and still not on its level). Also, in comparing it to the first edition, I could make the case, even, that it exceeds that very strong release as well, but at the very least, even the most cynical of critics would admit that the quality of volumes one and two are very comparable. And it is in that quality that what we find here is another top notch release - All that you would expect from Maximum Sound, one of the best in the business.

Rated 4.5/5
Greensleeves Records
2010
CD & Digital

Maximum Sound