Modern Classics Vol. XXIII: "Time And Place" by Lutan Fyah

Lutan Fyah - Time And Place [Lustre Kings Productions - 2005]

Call it the place where it all began. If I recall correctly, both this album and ”Dem No Know Demself” from Minor 7 Flat 5 were both released within the same couple of month span and at the time, this release was far more easy to find than its European based counterpart. And while, ‘officially’, the other album is actually the debut, this one has certainly gone on to wider acclaim and respect, in retrospect and justly so. It would have actually been a couple of years earlier, in 2002, when the name Lutan Fyah initially jumped on my radars, largely due to his contributions to a certain wicked compilation album by the name of ”Culture Dem”. That release came courtesy of a young and burgeoning US based label, Lustre Kings Productions, who would state its rather lofty goals by suggesting that they would also be releasing albums from the likes of Turbulence, Norris Man, Al Pancho and, of course, Lutan Fyah. Well, in all of those cases they backed up their word eventually, but it was this EPIC release (if I recall correctly, the second of the lot after Turbulence’s ”The Future”) that stood tall as the greatest. It also, I’m sure put the name ‘Lutan Fyah’ into the minds of so many fans around the world and five years later, it should still be doing the same thing as the album, from beginning to end, was absolutely brilliant and one of the most INTELLIGENT albums from a young Roots Reggae artist of all time. ”Time And Place”.

The Music

1. ‘Don’t Waste Your Time’ featuring Yami Bolo

I know it’s an impossible and unreasonable thing to ask, but shouldn’t just about every song come accompanied with the tag ‘featuring Yami Bolo’ on it? It surely would lift the quality of music in general just as it does for this absolutely GLORIOUS opening to the album. This is a tune which has grown on me considerably over the years (and not that it had much room for growth) to the point where, now, I recognize it for the BEAUTIFUL piece of BRILLIANCE that it clearly is.

Best Lyric: “I know this is all an enticing world. The city light that dizzy your eyes twist and burn. The money weh dem spend, all dem bridges begin to burn, in a point of no return”

2. ‘No More War’

Did I say brilliance? This tune has probably become my absolute favourite, not only here, but also on the aforementioned ”Culture Dem” compilation and it’s become so largely based on the fact that it is one of the SMARTEST tunes I’ve heard since the turn of the century (meaning - in my entire adult life basically). The song has a few dimensions, but the most prominent of which is clearly UNITY and I’ve probably yet to here such a tune CLEARLY better than ’No More War’.

Best Lyric: “I know we were created by the loving hand of one supreme being. So comely, not of race, nor party or creed. Waters of many colours so we haffi swim deep. When all man on earth shall be free. Behold for the first time I do something new indeed. Tell the farmer man fi gwaan, till the soil and plant the weed. Life is full of wonders of all things, take heed. Your worst enemy could be your own esteem”

3. ‘Fire In The Barn’

Arguably one of the signature tunes from the ”Time And Place” album. ‘Fire In The Barn’ came roaring across LKP’s EPIC The Shining Riddim and it does so to the tune of being the biggest effort on that excellent composition (topping excellent drops from the likes of Pressure Busspipe, Vaughn Benjamin and Jah Mason amongst others) (the entire piece is actually quite nice) (available digitally right now) and one of the finest on this album as well. The tune is basically (at least to my ears) saying that something needs to change in society become something’s just not right. There’s a fire in the barn.

Best Lyric: “You name recognition seeking reckless youth come and tell me bout your gun bigga than your trousers loop, yeah. Crossfire and a debt dispute bout yah all guns pointed and you aiming to shoot”

4. ‘As Long As Life Lasts’

LOVELY! This song has essentially been forgotten in the eyes (and ears) of most, I’m sure and that it so unfortunate because the actual tune is just as gorgeous as the title might suggest. From the very cool Nyah drum backed opening, to the end of the tune, it’s just a very nice vibes and message as well as Lutan Fyah goes about giving thanks to His Majesty reaching to every corner of the earth, ‘As Long As Life Lasts’.

Best Lyric: “Yes wid dem flossing sporting money laundering - Get your blessing, share your portion of this very good tiding. This one is for the betterment, bun yah hype up ting. There’s no room for the dead among the living”

5. ‘Speak Softly’

Although he has a few nice tunes as such, for the most part, the love song has never been one of Lutan Fyah’s main strengths, but if the only such tune from him you’ve ever heard was ’Speak Softly’, you might that statement very incorrect because this was a very big tune. It has also continued to carry its vibes and become fairly popular in many circles to my knowledge and it doesn’t take a very detailed listen to figure out why. It’s also one of the most melodically gifted choices here as well which makes it stick out even more.

Best Lyric: “Speak softly, wanna hear every word you say. Oh whisper in my ears and tell me that you care”

6. ‘Time & Place’

The title track for this wonderful album was an absolutely DOMINANT lyrical effort from Lutan Fyah and one which, at least partially, sheds a very strong light on the prevailing sentiment of the album, to my opinion (more on that later). This tune has always been somewhat odd to me because, in retrospect, of course it got a lot of attention (title tracks tend to do that), I don’t know if anyone REALLY picked up on how strong it was and I think that was largely due to that very strange and HYPE (and electric) riddim. It sounds like a lot of stuff is going on here, but driving directly through the mayhem is a lyrical display from the already masterful Lutan Fyah.

Best Lyric: “I man always giving unto hospitality. Praise Rastafari with all sincerity. Yes mi come fi restore di youths dem mind, back to sanity. Selassie set the solitary in family. My greatest priority is prosperity, my identify is Afrikan sovereignty. Mi ahgo chant with prosperity and charity. Hey, King Selassie I is the almighty” [MADDDDDDD!]

7. ‘Stress Free’

I’m pretty sure that the sublime riddim backing the very strong ‘Stress Free’ is called the Liberation, as it also happened to back ‘We Need Liberation’ from Turbulence (“The Future” album). At the heart of this tune, I think, is a bit of slap back by the Fyah. I think what he’s saying is despite all the things we’ve been through that we don’t have to remain in such situations and standards and to simply stop taking SHIT from the oppressors.

Best Lyric: “. . . and blaming oneself for failure. Sometimes, it’s really good to start all over”

8. ‘Upliftment’ featuring Jahdan Blakkamoore

Given the fact that Jahdan’s career has absolutely caught flames in the past year or so, suddenly, the already MAMMOTH ‘Upliftment’ has become even larger and more significant. From the first listen, the tune was downright dazzling and one of my favourite (actually it was my absolute favourite for some time) because it just brought a wee bit of fury at the moment where it just seemed so perfect for the album. It didn’t just come angry either, it was still highly (Haile) intelligent and fit in, in terms of message as well - Things need to be better and they need to be better RIGHT NOW! You simply couldn’t ask for more here.

Best Lyric: [Jahdan] “How can we help ourselves when we don’t have centralization, unification. And how you want di youths dem to feel when them nah see mobilization and representation? And how you coulda tell me you real when you nah represent repatriation and Black liberation? Wi right up on the sun we ah ‘crown as a lion’ reaching Zion. Now we come fi uplift the nation”

9. ‘Rise & Shine’

‘Rise & Shine’ is definitely another of the more well known selections on ”Time And Place” and considering the tune that it follows, it’s well place in terms of the message. Where ‘Upliftment’ was seeking its title with this kind of ‘by any means necessary’ mantra and urgency, this tune is more tactful and ‘patient’ in the sense that it seeks upliftment, but it seeks it (and seemingly ONLY WANTS IT) at the will of His Imperial Majesty (over the Majestic Alarm Clock Riddim).

Best Lyric: “So mi tell yuh, wake up from your slumber. No tribal war, or political border. Babylon create the differences and now dem ah di exploiter. Who feel di pain? Just look at your skin colour”

10. ‘She’s Like The Rainbow’

Don’t make the mistake and let the Spanish intro fool you into thinking one crazy ass love tune is on its way, because it most certainly is not. Instead, what you get on ‘She’s Like The Rainbow’ isn’t REALLY a love song at all (in the stereotypical sense) as it is a tune admiring the qualities of the woman and while this goes even deeper a couple of tunes on, it starts off so EXCELLENTLY here. Of course it’s aided by the fact that the HEAVY I Love The Way Riddim twists and turns behind it, pushing it even higher.

Best Lyric: “Girlfriend your attitude shows me gratitude. The moments we share have such magnitude. Woman you neva go rude. Yow you nah no dutty ways and no mixed mood”

11. ‘Streets Of The Ghetto’

‘Streets Of The Ghetto’ may just be the most underrated draw on the entire album because, again, when you REALLY get into the lyrics of the tune, it develops into a stirring social commentary of nearly MAMMOTH proportions. The tune primarily speaks on the nature of life in the ghetto and how and why it stays so fucked up, but it also gets into a very fine detail of how things intended for suffering people never quite reaches and all of the various strategies used to keep poor people poor.

Best Lyric: “The pastor boy will trick you, take yuh wealth and talk bout god inna di sky. Dem neva tell yuh nothing bout King Selassie I! How come my people walk with stretch forth neck and wanton eyes? That’s why dem convinced inna lie”

12. ‘Woman Of Principle’

I alluded to the coming of this tune back in the description for ‘She’s Like The Rainbow’ and when you take them both into account, the former is definitely somewhat of a ‘warning shot’ for this eternally crucial piece. I LOVE this song and due to the fact that it eventually made its way into being a video, I’m going to ‘go out on a limb’ and assume that I wasn’t and I’m not the only one. Like I said, this one, too, is not your stereotypical ‘love song’ it’s a song about upliftment of the Afrikan Woman and certainly love is a piece of that, but it’s only a piece, not the entire structure (over the SWEET No Politics Riddim).

Best Lyric: “Hey woman of principle mi love how you flex. Keep making that same step, don’t change your flex. Rise up Empress and site up the fullness, mi vex fi see when nuff ah dem ah move careless”

13. ‘Joy Within Myself’

Now. You see the title ‘Joy Within Myself’ and of course you’re expecting this sweet and serene sounding tune, nothing like the Godzilla-like madness which starts off the tune and probably nothing like the bouncing Hip-Hoppish like groove it settles into after awhile. Hip-Hop isn’t my favourite vibes and as the Fyah proved later on the ”African Be Proud” album, it’s also not something which is going to allow him to perform his best either . . . However you can ignore all of that in reference to this song because it proves (IMMEDIATELY) to be a real winner.

Best Lyric: “Hypocrites surround the Ras from all sides. Even in false disguise seh dem ah hide. Yow fools profess to be wise in lies, Mama cry, look how dem pollute di youths dem mind. Dem three party ah stretch mi seh three blind mice, giving guns to the illiterate and mass suicide. Dem tink dem coulda mek it inna vanity, dem sell out dem pride. Looking from dem evil eyes”

14. ‘Ithio First’

The voice of Marcus Garvey begins this SWEET SWEET piece, ‘Ithio First’ which comes in as equal part repatriation tune and Afrikan pride tune. This one, at least for me, seems to get more into a phenomenon which I love - The notion of exploring ‘Afrika’, or ‘Ithiopia’ in this case, as a STATE OF MIND and not just a place to go. Not all of us can manage to get back Home (and not all of us even want to go), but it doesn’t prevent the adoption of spreading that sentiment to the rest of the world, thus not going back, but going FORWARD. Brilliant piece.

Best Lyric: “The deeds you do, you know you should be justified. None of your secrecies, a right yah now, it can’t hide. And now we know you are a full-blooded reptile who come to suck the blood of Rastafari Black child”

&

“Man a Ithio first. The Cradle of Mankind, all well oh well. Man a Ithio first. Man with the melanin a yod it with the sunshine”

15. ‘Love Is The Only Absolute’

And finally was ‘Love Is The Only Absolute’, the obligatory acoustic set for ”Time And Place” and it is a most unusual one. Normally, these tunes follow a normal method of approach with large and often sappy basis and they seem to rely on the fact that the sound is so different to make them standout. Here, things couldn’t be more different and what you have is one of the most THRILLING (yes - thrilling) draws here because the nature of the riddim, being as minimal as it is, seems to inspire the Fyah to step up his lyrical game and I shouldn’t have to even tell you what the results are in that case (and I love the very Sizzla-like chorus).

Best Lyric: “The first life in flesh is always Haile Bless”

Synopsis

This one, I’m going to take in somewhat of a different direction because, to a large degree, I think that not only this album, but much of Lutan Fyah’s earlier work followed somewhat of the same nature in a couple of respects.

First of all is the type of work that he did. His early stuff was often VERY direct and to the point and if you go back and listen (to this album, material which released prior to it and wasn’t included on it and maybe even a year or so afterwards), what you hear, for the most part, isn’t very diverse in terms of style and in fact, ”Time And Place” was probably some of his most varied material at the time (and it’s still one of his most right now). A nice comparison could be made to the vibes evident on the much more straight forward ”Dem No Know Demself” album. It’s even present here (such as on the closing tune), where Lutan Fyah just goes straight ahead about his business. You sometimes here that with newer artists who are constantly growing and progressing (although Sizzla was much more musically talented than Lutan Fyah at similar stages in their respective careers, you also hear him holding back in terms of doing and attempting to do different things, particularly melodically within his early work) and this album clearly caught a version of Lutan Fyah still trying to find his way about things and that, in retrospect is one of the most interesting aspects of it.

Also, there’s the issue of the prevailing and all encompassing message of the sounds you’ll hear on ”Time And Place” and to some extent (although this is certainly a stretch), it supports the title to some degree and, as I alluded to, it’s also a sentiment that was ever present during the Fyah’s early career. That is the idea of CHANGE and PROGRESSION and AWAKENING and RESTORATION. I could be lame and use this in the context of his arrival and the coming of the ‘next generation’, but that’s not at all what I mean (whether he, himself, had those thoughts or not). What I’m thinking about is a change in social situations and standing , it is a change in how things are done in the world and it is wonderfully present throughout the title track:

“There’s a time and place for everything
So take some time to know yourself “

"Praise Rastafari with all sincerity
Yes mi come fi restore di youths dem mind, back to sanity”

It is the WONDERFUL usage of the word here, “restore”, which should really catch attention in this instance. You cannot “restore” something which never existed, by the very definition, it is impossible. And it is this idea of ‘restoration’ which I think is also very crucial here and it is one which you also hear, most glaringly, in ‘Ithio First’. This song speaks about the return to such a wonderful place “The cradle of mankind” and how nice this experience and this journey is. And as I said, I don’t just count this as a physical return, it is a physical and mental and, as I’ll explain in just a second, a spiritual return, which can be accomplished by anyone, anywhere in the world.

“So rise and shine and give Jah the glory
Yow dis ah di untold story
Rise and shine babylon dem nah know
Liberate yourself from false injustice and poverty”

“So mi tell yah
Wake up from your SLUMBER
No tribal war, nor political border”

The sticking word here is definitely “slumber”. He’s speaking to Afrikan people who once enjoyed a certain level of reverence and divinity and the suggested “slumber” in this case appears to be the denying of that greatest which Lutan Fyah believes (and I agree with him) still exists in some respects and we don’t move BACK to that, we RESTORE (remember that word???) it to where we are now! That is powerful material to my opinion. Also, on that note, if you listen to the two songs for the Black Woman, you also hear a similar theme there in terms awakening this sense of pride and decency within the woman that is already there, as Lutan Fyah says on ‘She’s Like The Rainbow’:

“The secrets of your charm and your ROYAL happiness
Full up of sincerity and faithfulness
Nuff common courtesy and nuff etiquette
She so pure as the sunset”

Which is really general things, it’s not like he’s speaking about one Woman in particular, he’s speaking about them in their entirety, almost as if a natural development or a birthright type of a situation which can certainly be brought out and ‘restored’ to some extent. And finally, I’ll mention a tune which DIRECTLY speaks to the need for change, even in it’s title, such as ‘Upliftment’, of course it’s ‘Fire In The Barn’

“Zion awaits and welcomes all those who
Who live in righteousness because we must go through
King Rastafari bun all nincompoop
Mi bun yah evil massive and yuh crew”

Here, we have a multifaceted segment which speaks of two different ends and we stress them both in this situation. Zion is waiting for righteous people “because we must go through”, this is the natural course to Lutan Fyah, but if you fuck it up, there is the negative side for you as well. Throughout the album we see this stressing of both sides (more prominently is the positive usually) and you’ll forgive me for adding another (I can’t help myself) (really, I can’t), but you listen to it and you see it the same on the gorgeous ‘No More War’:

“We the people know not war and crime no, no
We the people JUST KNOW HOW TO BE KIND
We the people, up the ladder of righteousness we will climb
To seek the divine”

It is a natural thing for us to be kind and this is what Lutan Fyah is saying throughout ”Time And Place”. We are not to go BACK to the ‘days of old’ and how ‘we used to do things’. We are to go forward to a future which is potentially even brighter if we “wake up from [our] slumber”, why? “Because we must go through”. This is what lies at the heart of Lutan Fyah’s sublime and brilliant album, ”Time And Place”, A BONAFIDE MODERN CLASSIC!