'Just Like The Good Old Days': A Review of "Write My Name" by Luciano

Perhaps unlike in the case of any other even remotely similar genre of music, the practice of having the absolute top names of Reggae music releasing multiple albums annually is one which is not only thoroughly approved of by most fans, but it is one which has been proven to be successful as well. Recently, however, as the genre (and all of music, for that matter) has begun to change in many ways and the music industry has experienced a great decline in just how much money can be made through sales, we’ve seen such occurrences become rarer and rarer, but as someone who definitely enjoyed it for the better portion of a decade, I have to say that I do miss the days when the ‘best of the best’ would just reel off three, four or five albums in the matter of months. Those days are seemingly long gone for the most part (unless, of course, your name is Vaughn Benjamin). On the other hand, over the past couple of years, there have been one or two notable exceptions, with the most glaring being Lutan Fyah’s remarkable and just FUN 2009 where he dropped four different albums for four different producers and because he is so talented, and one of my personal favourites, you never heard me speaking of things such as ‘over saturation’ and the likes, just as the word seemed largely absent when artists such as Sizzla Kalonji, Anthony B and Turbulence did the same thing a few years back. And, as I alluded to, there was and always is Vaughn Benjamin and Midnite (whose first album of 2011, ”Treasure”, has already been scheduled) who release albums pretty much whenever they want to, upwards of four or five a year, still, and almost oddly loyal fans never mind at all. Going forth, with the digital market being so attractive and obviously so much more cost efficient than physical CD’s, hopefully it is something which can come back because I am so much missing the ‘glory days’ of multiple releases. When they were at their most prevalent it was, in retrospect, such a WONDERFUL opportunity to find a hidden gem or two as the artists worked with a wide variety of albums and, if only once this year, it seems like the good times have returned!

It was just back in August when legendary Reggae singer ’The Messenjah’, Luciano dropped his latest album for Reggae giant VP Records, the well regarded ”United States of Africa” and that album was very nice and pretty much set things for the singer this year, although it seems someone else had other plans. Footprintz Music Group is a label from out of the States and I had never heard of them and their work, but apparently they’re a pretty successful operation (I learned that they worked with a WICKED young artist by the name of Lawgiver who I’ve had an ear on for a minute now) which they’ve now decided to take to the proverbial ‘next level’ and do so by giving the masses what??? Yes! It is another VERY strong album from Luciano in 2010, ”Write My Name”. when I first saw the project was forthcoming, I actually remember thinking that it must be one of those old illegitimate things which were thrown together to make a quick pound, but I researched the company and I saw so many nice things and I saw that they also seemed to have a very nice relationship with the historical Manchester native and I immediately went from suspicious to greatly excited in the matter of seconds. The album, even before listening to it, gave the impression of being a really FRESH and different type of project. Certainly, after all of these years we pretty much know what to expect from Luciano musically and that is what we get, but this album just had a bit of a different aura about it in the sense of having this type of ‘activity’ around it (just look at the cover) and not coming to deliver the music in a tired and stale fashion, but a refreshing one, which is always so nice. It is also well worth mentioning that the physical version of the album also comes with a DVD and that DVD doesn’t just include footage of a performance in some random neck of the woods in Georgia (which is where Footprintz is based, specifically), but it reportedly features Luciano reasoning, recording and vibing and having a good time and enjoying himself and in my memory, although I definitely may be wrong (I’m not), that’s never happened with any prior Luciano album. So much so is this one a ‘different’ release that, although I built the premise of this review on the concept of the two albums together, it almost feels like the first time we’ve heard from Luciano in a minute and that’s surely saying something because on the aforementioned ”United States of Africa” album I wasn’t the only one who seemed to notice that there appeared to be something slightly different, in that case as well - Well this one makes that one look completely terrestrial by comparison and thus, although I receive lame and WELL exaggerated press releases on a frighteningly consistent basis these days, when ”Write My Name” is touted as “Luciano’s most personal and inspired work since his landmark "Where There Is Life” ” [album]” I don’t just ignore it as ‘fluff’ from a record level . . . Maybe they have a point. Of course, in order to find out if they do we have to do the most fun part of this (or any other) album - LISTEN TO IT! I didn’t get further than the very clever opener to figure out that - Yes, this one was clearly something worth listening to and listening to in great detail, so I put on my list of ‘things to do before the end of the year’. Well, now that the album is here I go back to what I said just a bit ago about multiple releases from BIG artists in a given year:

“When they were at their most prevalent it was, in retrospect, such a WONDERFUL opportunity to find a hidden gem”

I don’t know exactly how “hidden” it will be in regards to who and how many whos will respond to it, but ”Write My Name” proves to be a GEM and probably Luciano’s best album of the year and one of his best in quite some time.

It would be my belief that quite a bit of time was spent on this album in terms of recording it and getting it all packaged up and set to go and if that is indeed the case then, in this instance it definitely works and even if that isn’t the case, then surely someone has paid a great deal of attention to detail in a very short period of time. Regardless of the time it took to construct, the most important thing about Luciano’s big and band brand new album, ”Write My Name” from Footprintz Music Group is that it is here now and it makes its presence known with its more than solid aforementioned “very clever” opener, ‘Taking Off’. Luciano is our pilot aboard a flight headed directly to Zion (with hopefully no layovers). The song is very good and it’s dynamic as well. It’s on an inspirational vibes and I call it clever because the whole flight ‘scenario’ is one which maintained throughout the duration of the tune (“ah strictly first class, no economy. Buckle up your belt, for safety) and it helps build the momentum in my opinion. Very nice start with one of the album’s finest. Up next is an even stronger selection, ‘To Zion’. Apparently Luciano has come back to those of us so unfortunate as to have missed the plane and this time we’re headed to Zion on foot. This tune has that kind of slow and meditative vibes to which the singer is no stranger and if you REALLY enjoy the artist in more of his ‘typical’ form (and I do), this tune is going to be a big winner for you. And then there’s the BOOM!

“Some people are waiting to see me pass away
Before they acknowledge me
But I keep working and working away
Night and day
To praise His Majesty”

“I’m writing my name in history
As a defender of reality
I’m writing my name and my story
Telling the truth without hypocrisy”

For me the album’s title tune strikes on so many different levels in terms of the message here, but for me the prevailing sentiment is just to appreciate people when they’re able to enjoy it. That’s something which is really important to me and is part of the reason why I almost exclusively deal with current artists in a genre such as Reggae which is often, ‘backwards-looking’. It also, at least to me, speaks of doing good works in general and being responsible for what you do (I.e. if you do something GOOD, take credit for your work). It is absolutely divine as well . . . But, I should clarify, the tune ‘Write My Name’, isn’t the best song on the album, the best song here is ‘Right My Name’, the title tracks EXQUISITELY done Nyahbinghi drum backed remix. But pick your own favourite because both are huge HUGE tunes and perhaps some of Luciano’s finest work in quite some time.

It would’ve been so easy and simple for Luciano and Footprintz to rest the hopes of the quality of ”Write My Name” on what was CLEARLY a MASSIVE title track, but thankfully they didn’t do that at all and there’re some other pretty spectacular moments here as well (now watch me go through this and name almost every other song on the album). Outside of the title track there’re two selections here which definitely standout amongst the rest. The first, fittingly, comes just after said title tune, ‘Aba Father’. TEARS! This song caught a hold of a few very sensitive nerves in my body and it made me cry and I am not ashamed at all (!) about it. The song is a praising one for His Imperial Majesty and even if you should not walk that path in life, I’d say you’d be able to find something within this gorgeous sound to justify the INTENSE pleasure you’re going to experience while vibing it. And the other tune which really grabbed me comes much later on ”Write My Name”, ‘Jah Should’. I had to play with this one for just a little while and after I did the balance of the song began to catch up with its BEAUTIFUL chorus. This song is one of the most powerful on the whole of the album as Luciano speaks about the effect the music has on the youths and the vibes then segue into this large and global reaching social commentary about setting a proper example for young people. This is SIGNATURE Luciano and it’s probably about as good as that signature has ever looked as well! And should probably (definitely) add to this duo of fine songs another, ‘Talk To Me’, on which Luciano presents himself as a mediating negotiator between the ‘world leaders’ and the masses, and the man is just looking to get a dialogue going.

“My people are under stress
So they’ve asked me to express
All their doubts and complaints
To the members of congress
They find it hard to stay alive
And working harder to survive
And they fear that they all face
A global genocide
So they’ve asked me to negotiate
To take their problems to the members of State
WILL SOMEONE COME AND TALK TO ME!”

OUTSTANDING! And while I’m at it (told you that I’d end up naming almost every song on the album), I should also mention ‘Jah Alone’ which is another tune that I find very characteristic and emblematic of The Messenjah’s style. It’s one which goes after the hearts of longtime fans who’re sure to love this HEAVY track.

Those are just some of my own personal favourites, but the album is brimming full of tunes which I imagine will have a similar impact on others as well and tunes which do absolutely nothing but help the total quality of the project. Such a song is ‘Mama’s Psalm’. Luciano never strays too far from the bible (if you’ve seen him perform live you’ve noticed that he often starts the performance with a verse) and here he goes musical with Psalm 91. I’m seriously considering going back and adding the song ‘It Won’t Be Long’ to my row of “spectacular” tunes, because it is easily one of the best on the album and also, in that same line of thought, is ‘Miles Away’ which is a tune that is probably going to become one of the signature and most memorable tunes from ”Write My Name”. This tune is a little strange because it has a kind of a bluesy type of backing and I’d fully recommend listeners to give it more than a few spins before passing ultimate judgment on it because it takes a minute to grow on you. Should you require any such time to appreciate ‘Disaster’, however, I’d venture to say that you’re simply listening to the ‘wrong’ genre of music, as I suspect that most Reggae heads will find the tune instantaneously appealing.

As ”Write My Name” winds down, it continues to offer some very interesting vibes. Besides the previously mentioned ‘Talk To Me’ and ‘Jah Should’, we also get a listen to the album’s two love songs. The first is ‘I Love You Dearly’ which is much more of the typical sounding love song. It is, of course, very nice and although such songs haven’t exactly been Luciano’s preferred method of delivery, particularly in recent years, you’ll notice that he almost always does them very well. And the second of the two, ‘Love Light’, is even better. This one is a ‘love song’ only in approach, what it really is, is just a very jovial vibes and something that is certain to make a lot of people feel very good (yours truly included. Very nice song). Next is ‘Georgia [Terrible Thing]’ which is VERY good. I don’t know the backstory behind this one but perhaps there was some occurrence in Georgia at the time and it guided the making of this tune (which is very much Cocoa Tea-like, who is well known for making songs about his various stops along his way) or if it is just a tune boosted by him spending time in the area. Whatever the inspiration, it birthed one excellent tune and the way the song is situated, I would lean to the notion that there actually was some type of incident, but I’ll leave that to your own thoughts. And finally, ”Write My Name” comes to its conclusion with a ‘love song’ of another type - A love of the music itself, Luciano’s music in particular - ‘The Songs’.

“I sing the songs to keep my people jamming
And I sing the words to keep my people rejoicing
Yes I sing my songs that keep the whole world dancing
And I sing the words to keep my people uniting”

“As I true shepherd
I let my voice be heard
With sweet sounds and melodies
Publishing Jah words”

It isn’t the greatest song here or one of my favourites (well, maybe it is), but I cannot think of a better way to end the album than in a celebration of the music we’ve just heard.

Overall, I make not the slightest of hesitations in recommending Luciano’s ”Write My Name” album to just about everyone. I was thinking while listening that it may be one which is more engineered toward the experienced fans, but judging it as a whole, I’m tempted to say that the album has enough ‘bite’ and flare to it to make it accessible to some of the more casual listeners to not only Luciano’s music, but to the genre as well. In retrospect, what I really like is something I alluded to before: This album seems to have been put together REALLY well and when I see that about a Luciano album, it’s definitely something that means a great deal because an artist of his ilk is afforded the constant opportunities of working with the biggest names in the business, so Footprintz has certainly made a proper statement on what is sure to be the first time many people have ever heard of them and because of that, I’m well interested in seeing what (and WHO) they may come up with next (particularly if it happens to be a Lawgiver album). As for this album specifically, once again one of the top artists in the game proves to have more than enough vibes to carry two albums in a year (he could probably do ten if he wanted) and to my opinion ”Write My Name” is Luciano’s best album of the year.

Rated: 4.50/5
Footprintz Music Group
2010
CD/DVD + Digital



Luciano
Luciano @ Myspace