Completely Random Thoughts 29: This Is Not Sparta!

Okay let’s see how I can fuck this up.

1. “Helta Skelta” by Mad Cobra
2. “A Better Tomorrow” by Mavado
3. “Trinidad Stories” by David Rudder
4. “Vizionary” by Batch
5. “Serious Matters” by Revalation
6. “Hott” by Destra
7. “Unconditional Love” by Marlon Asher
8. “Naturally Black” by Natural Black
9. “Ghetto Living” by Linval Thompson
10. “Bad From Mi Born” by Munga Honourable
11. “Motherless Child” by Teflon
12. “Timeless” by Jahmel
13. “Dem No Know Demself” by Lutan Fyah
14. “Real & Down To Earth” by Isasha & Million Voice
15. “I Am Who I Am” by KMC
16. “Yes We Can” by Cocoa Tea
17. “Section Zouk All Stars Vol. 6”
18. “Set The Captives Free” by Prince Theo
19. “The Universal Cure” by Jah Cure
20. “Guardian Angel” by Natural Black
21. “Caribbean Girl” by Nadia Batson
22. “Keep Your Joy” by Jah Mason
23. “Flame On” by Machel Montano HD
24. “Love Is The Way” by Jah Hem
25. The Beauty Riddim
26. “Purification Session” by NiyoRah
27. The Rock Steady Riddim
28. “Ghetto Youth-ology” by Sizzla
29. “Timeless” by Vybz Kartel
30. “Own This Life” by Raz Bin Sam
31. “Rasta Got Soul” by Buju Banton
32. “Holding Firm” by Ras Attitude
33. “Queen Omega” by Queen Omega
34. “Love & Affection” Pressure
35. “More Knowledge” by Macka B
36. “Giddimani” by Perfect
37. “Best of The Best: Soca Hits 09”
38. “Rebelution” by Yami Bolo
39. “Down In The Ghetto - Mixtape Album”
40. “Whosoever Will” by Messenjah Selah
41. “Hosanna” by Sizzla
42. “African Be Proud” by Lutan Fyah
43. “Modern Revolution” by Sojah [Konshens & Delus]
44. “Pack Up & Leave” by Ras Mac Bean
45. “Info” by Harry Toddler
46. “Real Rebels Can’t Die” by Nereus Joseph
47. “Awake” by Julian Marley
48. “Awake” Meshach & Wevolusion
49. “Healing” by Malika Madremana
50. “Montego Bay” by Queen Ifrica
51. “Phantom War” by Lutan Fyah *
52. “Saddle To The East” by Jah Mason, Anthony B & Steve Machete
53. “Soca Gold 2009”
54. “World Crisis” by Norrisman
55. “Karma” by Perfect
56. “Ghetto Life” by Jah Cure
57. “Genesis” by Ward 21
58. The Dub wise & Indiscretion Riddims
59. “I’m A Winner” by Spanner Banner
60. The Sweet Riddim
61. “One Atonement” by Yahadanai
62. “Machel Montano Presents The HD Family”
63. “2 Strong” by Sizzla & Anthony B
64. “Chuck Fenda: Live In San Francisco”
65. “Conquering Sound” by Ancient King
66. “Heavenly Drum” by Machel Montano HD
67. “To Mene” by Midnite
68. “The Pressure Is On” by Pressure *
69. “Irits” by First Born
70. “Pure Love” by Queen Omega
71. “Poor” by Culture Brown
72. “Confidence” by Gentleman
73. “One Mission” by Capleton & Anthony B
74. “Rated G” by Lady G
75. “Herbalist” by Chezidek
76. “Operationnel” by Blenda
77. “Jack It Up” by Spragga Benz
78. “Escape From Babylon” by Alborosie
79. “Man Redemption” by Jahmings Maccow
80. “Serve Jah” by Luciano
81. “Higher Ground” by Bushman
82. “Justice” by Lutan Fyah
83. “Contagious” by Tarrus Riley
84. “Original Yard Man” by Mitch
85. “Kings & Warriors: Capleton School” by David House
86. “Away From Babylon” by Queen Omega *
87. “Work It” by Shelly G
88. “2 Sides of My Heart Vol. 1” by Gramps Morgan
89. “Entre Toi Et Moi” by Kénédy
90. “Never Give Up” by Jah Mason *
91. “True Stories of Mark Wonder & Friends” by Mark Wonder
92. “Viv La Vi” by Tiwony
93. “Red, Green & Gold” by Mikey General
94. “Ina Now” by Midnite
95. “Let Dem Talk” by The Itals
96. “The Sweetness Riddim
97. “The Book of Angels” by Machel Montano
98. “Our World” by T.O.K
99. The Marcus Garvey Riddim
100. “Rain On Me” by Lady Passion
101. “Culture Dem Vol. 3”
102. “World War” by Natural Black
103. “Témoignage” by Saël
104. ‘Love So Nice” by Junior Kelly
105. “Good Profile” by Delly Ranx
106. “Zion Gates” by LMS
107. “Finally Captured Live” by Inner Visions
108. “King of Kings” by Elijah Prophet *
109. The Saint Jago De La Vega Riddim
110. “Fully Loaded”
111. “Words of Wisdom” by Turbulence
112. The Wonderland Riddim
113. “Herbs Man” by Ras Zacharri
114. “I-Meditation” by Ras Attitude
115. “Tell It Like It Is” by Stevie Face
116. The Mighty Right Riddim
117. “Rising Up” by Lutan Fyah
118. “De Road Show” by El-A-Kru featuring Tizzy
119. “Pon Di Gaza” by Vybz Kartel
120. “Love Is In The Air” by Warrior King
121. “I Grade” by Chezidek
122. “The Uprising” by Louie Culture
123. “Soca or Die” by Destra
124. “I Space” by Sizzla
125. “Trodding” by Natty King
126. “The Biggest Reggae One-Drop Anthems 2009”
127. “Heart Ah Joy” by Sabbattical Ahdah
128. The Ghetto Riddim
129. The Standing Firm Riddim
130. “Joyful Noise”
131. “Vibes” by Glen Washinton
132. “Luv A Dub” by Alaine
133. “Can’t Stop Us” by Omar Perry
134. “Keep On Trying” by Fred Locks
135. “Something Old, Something New” by Beres Hammond
136. “Le Moi De May” by Goldee
137. “A Different Age” by NiyoRah
138. “Reggae Resistance: Supreme Riddim”
139. “Fulfillment” by Chuck Fenda
140. “Flame Storm” by Bunji Garlin
141. “Love Life” by Black Dillinger
142. “Movin’ Ahead” by Lorenzo
143. “Joyful Noise” *
144. “Coming Back For You” by Pressure
145. “For Your Consideration” by Lloyd Brown
146. “Just Cooling” by Jerry Johnson
147. “Rebelution” by Tanya Stephens *
148. “Love Again” by Lukie D
149. “French Connection” by Perfect
150. The Focus Riddim
151. “Everton Blender: Live At The White River Reggae Bash”
152. “Strictly The Best Vols. 40 & 41”
153. “Solid Ground” by Empress Robertha
154. “Sak Pasé” by Bigga Haitian
155. “Binghi Man” by Bigga Haitian
156. “Nah Linga” by Tinga Stewart
157. “The King’s Son” by Lutan Fyah
158. “Music” by Lutan Fyah
159. “The Burning Melody’ by Lion D
160. “Justice Must Come” by Steve Steppa
161. The Sugar Riddim
162. “Lion Camp” by Ishi Dube
163. The Surfer Riddim
164. “Lustre Kings In Dub Vol. 1”
165. “Eruption” by Malkijah
166. The Proverbs Riddim
167. “Roots Rocking Reggae Vol. 1”
168. “Caveman Culture Sound Vol. 1”
169. “Tune In To Merry-Go Round” [riddims]
170. The Jah Live Riddim
171. “Strictly One Drop Vol. 3”
172. “Motherland” by Jah Pearl & Bouddha Sticks
173. “The Burning Melody” by Lion D *
174. “Now & Forever” by Sanchez
175. “Nhakente” by Buggy
176. “Da Real Thing” by Sizzla *
177. “Crucial Times” by Sizzla
178. “Ms. Alysha Now” by Ms. Alysha
179. “Rebelution In Dub” by Yami Bolo
180. “The Music Man” by Steele
181. “Creation” by Anthony John
182. “Persistence” by Norrisman
183. “Still Blazin” by Capleton *
184. “Matsahyel” by Iba
185. “Album 34” by Machel Montano
186. “Wadada: The 1st Itation”
187. “Rooted In Inity” by Blaak Lung
188. “Genuine” by Bescenta
189. “My Hope” by Anthony B *
190. “Long Journey by Naptali
191. “Red Pond” by Junior Kelly
192. “Closure” by Maurice
193. The Breadfruit Riddim
194. “Change” by Sahra Indio
195. The Strange Things Riddim
196. “I Know” by Eljai
197. The Classic Riddim
198. The Steel Frog Riddim
199. “Lava Ground” by I Wayne *
200. “Praises To The King” by Capleton
201. “Judgement Time” by Chezidek
202. “Born To Be Free” by Natty King
203. “Brighter Day” by The Ayaaso Band
204. The Africa Riddim
205. “Uncrowned” by Teflon
206. “Instinct Admiral” by Admiral T
207. “Never Lost My Way” by Ginjah
208. “Kalash” by Kalash
209. “What Makes A King?” by Midnite
210. “Distant Relatives” by Nas & Damian Marley
211. “The Strong One” by Etana *
212. “Meaningfulmuzic” by Formulla
213. “Feel Your Presence” by NiyoRah
214. “Comin’ 4 You” by Elephant Man
215. “Caribbean Queen” by Alison Hinds
216. The Soul Riddim
217. “Soca Gold 2010”
218. The Box Guitar Riddim
219. “Justice” by Roger Robin
220. “Romain Virgo” by Romain Virgo
221. “I-Ternal Fire” by Capleton
222. “D.O.B.” by Busy Signal
223. “Babylon Is Dead” by Franz Job
224. “Back To Africa” by Harry Mo *
225. “Hold You” by Gyptian
226. “Diversity” by Gentleman
227. “20ten” by Bryan Art
228. “Black Gold” by Toussaint
229. “United States of Africa” by Luciano
230. “Genesis” by Maikal X
231. “The Journey” by Turbulence
232. “Bobo Revolution 2”
233. The Repeat Riddim
234. “Looking Hot” by Patrice Roberts
235. “Serious Times” by Luciano *
236. “Put The Stereo On” by Gappy Ranks
237. “Dancehall Anarchy” by Lieutenant
238. “Digital Acoustics”
239. “The Beautiful Side of A Kreyol Folk Trip” by Stevy Mahy
240. “My Way” by Lady Saw
241. “Reggae Music” by Ossie Dellimore
242. “Time & Place” by Lutan Fyah *
243. “Shotta Culture” by Spragga Benz
244. “Mon Nid D’iles” by Methi’S
245. “Words & Melody” by Bobby Tenna
246. “Fire Up” by Ras Midas
247. “Black Gold” by Duane Stephenson
248. “Before The Dawn” by Buju Banton
249. “Come Into My Life” by Adele Harley
250. The Vitamin & Highlight Riddims
251. “Unchangeable” by Danny I
252. The Ifficial Riddim
253. “The Jam Sessions” by Jalena
254. “Mortima Hardly” by Natural Black
255. “Spiritual Revolution” by Mikey General
256. The Drop Dance Riddim
257. “Mi Deh Yah” by Clinton Fearon
258. “Teach Them Right” by Apple Gabriel
259. “Jah Bless Us” by Ras Indio
260. “Messages” by Lyricson
261. “Cultural Vibes Vol. 1”
262. “We’re Not Alone” by Bless Noble
263. The Major & Minor Riddims
264. “Write My Name” by Luciano
265. “Cornerstone” by Lloyd Brown
266. “Born To Rule” by Mikey General
267. “Strictly The Best Vols. 42 & 43”
268. “Coming Home” by Ras Shiloh *
269. “Babylon Nightmare” by Jahdan Blakkamoore
270. “The Everlasting Riddim
271. The Catalog Riddim
272. “No Holding Back” by Wayne Wonder
273. “Sirens From A Distance” by Crisopolis
274. “Keep Ya Head Up” by Jah Mason
275. “Halfway Tree” by Damian Marley
276. “Long Journey” by Naptali *
277. “Bushman Sings The Bush Doctor” by Bushman
278. “Secrets De Femme” by Fanny J
279. ”Tinkin Out Loud” by Ambush
280. “Self Reliance” by Hi Kee
281. “7 Year Itch” by Protoje
282. “Be Ever” by Blaak Lung
283. “Live On: Tribute To Culture” by Kenyatta Hill
284. “Free Expressions” by Etana
285. “From Creation” by Alpheus
286. “Dance & Sweep!: The Adventures of The Energy God” by Elephant Man
287. The Backstabber Riddim
288. “Book of Job” by Richie Spice
289. The Peppa Riddim
290. “Inflammable” by Paille
291. “Rasta Love” by Anthony B
292. “Miss B” by Nadia Batson
293. “Plead My Cause” by Junior X
294.”Real Rebels Can’t Die” by Nereus Joseph *
295. “Skyfiya” by The Uprising Roots Band
296.”Wotless” by Kes The Band
297. “Journey To Israel” by Singing U
298. “The Return” by Machel Montano
299.”Ten Strings” by Tuff Lion *
300. “Welcome Back” by Destra

GREAT! I only screwed this up MASSIVELY, but I’m going to pretend that I didn’t until . . . Tuesday. Okay, I had a couple of readers (with far too much time on their hands) who noticed the rather unusual placement of a ‘modern classic’ in the middle of the week, before another review and after another review in a week which I didn’t do anything else and didn’t announce anything. That’s fantastic - You pay entirely too much attention to me! But for everyone else, I had a reason for that. First of all, ”Ten Strings” is wicked and you need to go and get it and, like I said, I was looking to do more challenging sets in April and that one definitely well qualifies in my opinion. Okay, second of all, at the beginning of the week, I would have been at 297 reviews, which means I would have only needed THREE to get to 300 - So I needed to write three reviews this week and there you go! Also, if I timed it like I did, I could give the ‘honour’ of being number 300 to one of my favourites, Destra (actually she was #302, but . . . Yeah just ignore this part).

The main point being, obviously, that in about 25 and a half months, THERE ARE 300 REVIEWS ON THIS BLOG! That is completely and totally ridiculous. It makes absolutely no sense, but it’s so - So please allow me to kiss my own ass for a moment.

Thank you

Anyway, I just wanted to say thank you to my readers for sticking around. Certainly my time is almost done, but I wanted to create, above all other things, a good reference aid for Reggae and I think I’ve done that as well as I can. Surely I could just list out tracklists, which several of you have suggested I do, but I don’t feel like it and when I don’t do that, it promotes cross referencing, so you’ll have to go somewhere else to find that (even though when I do a review, these days, I mention every track on the album and it’s been that way for at least a year) and in the process of you doing that - You’re likely to find something else you like as well. And - Oh yeah, that’s a lot of work! I write reviews checking in well over 2500 words and modern classics are well over 3000 generally. So big me up too. I know I don’t spell check very well and I don’t pay a great deal of attention sometimes and I go off on tangents about absolutely nothing, but I work HARD and hopefully whatever number we end up at, it helps people in the future to reference the greatest music, in the greatest era in the history of the world. And to show you just how appreciative I am, here’s a picture of Lenora Crichlow!

{Note: You know someone is REALLY beautiful when you find them so despite the fact that their look is almost nothing like your type. She is neither extremely dark chocolate, nor terribly curvy, but Lenora Crichlow is absolutely GORGEOUS}

ALSO! In my own most humble opinion, our greatest quality is our versatility. If all goes according to plan, the next review I write will be for an album from Danny I (the second one I’ve written for him) and if you just go down my list and see the vast variety of names we’ve dealt with, I think it’s madness! Is one place that will give you a review for Etana’s latest release AND Machel Montano AND Patrice Roberts’. AND Admiral T. AND Black Dillinger. AND Blenda! AND Stevy Mahy (what!). The biggest Reggae albums, AND the biggest Soca albums AND, occasionally, the biggest Zouk albums also. And just truly a wide variety, so big up everybody for reading and I don’t know how many more I’m going to give you, but we’ve had a great time doing it.

Tomorrow we’ll have more fun, because I’m FINALLY giving you Big Tunes #50 with a hitch. Tuesday is Danny I . . . Oh and on Monday! I’ll give you another reason to love me (especially if you enjoy movies).

Here’s a song!

BALANCE & Absolutely No Behaviour! None!
RasAchis

'It Belong To She': A Review of "Welcome Back" by Destra

The mythical and perhaps somewhat ridiculous title of “The Queen of Soca” is one which, at least in my opinion, has no ‘rightful’ owner. There are so many different ways to examine such a claim and all of them have a certain level of merit and reality to them and you’re going to find a multiple number of potential claimants on each level that it’s pretty absurd to even think about proclaiming someone “The Queen of Soca Music” . . . But I’m going to do it anyway. Can we really have an argument about someone other than Ms. Alysha being the LYRICAL Queen of Soca? Is Alison Hinds not the Queen of Bajan Soca? And were it a matter of lifetime achievement, would she not take the crown there as well? In terms of overall skill and craft I think that I’d go with Nadia Batson and in terms of simply making the best music these days and presenting it the greatest, over the last few years the ultra-decorated Fay-Ann Lyons has not only distanced herself from most of her peers, but has also probably distanced herself from most of history and most of the foreseeable future as well. Currently no other female in Soca music, anywhere, is making better music than Lyons. HOWEVER, in terms of the world where I’m a fan and because of that, I’m a bit of a selfish, I’m not always adhering to the rules of good, old fashion common sense and because I like what I like - In terms of the all prevailing Queen of Soca Music, it is, has always been and probably always will be the incomparably divine Ms. Destra Garcia. In the past I’ve well detailed my initial infatuation with Destra - Mainly being the first Soca artist that I really began to pay a great deal of attention to and ultimately opening up such a powerful form of music to me - but there are also a couple of relatively fresh ideas that I’ve noticed about Destra’s music, in particular, which were very present in 2011. The first being that she, somewhat like Nadia Batson, seems to infuse a bit of CLASS in the midst of the madness. This is as opposed to Lyons who, although very classy, seems to excel with this unmatched sense of musical freedom and ‘expansion’ when at her finest, Destra quite often is this classically trained fireball of Soca energy with a mind slightly focused on maintaining specific old school values and traits in her music. And, most importantly, it is my opinion that the proverbial ‘ceiling’ of Destra’s vibes is higher than that of anyone else’s in Soca music - At her best, the music is at its best and in 2011, she was damn near there.

'Cool It Down' @ Soca Monarch

A certain other Soca superstar wasn’t the only one making a ”Return” in 2011 to Trinidad Carnival as Destra had also taken a great deal of 2010 off, but not to let others take more of the limelight for themselves, instead, most honourably, she took it off to have a baby. And while that specific and most wonderful ‘angle’ to her 2011 wasn’t greatly explored, and definitely not as much as it was in 2010, what was explored was the fact that this year would bring the first FULL season from Destra since she smashed through 2009 on the strength of the MAMMOTH shot that was ‘Bacchanal’ . So one year removed - what would she do for an encore? Well, she’d start by throwing her versatile hat in the Soca Monarch ring for the first time in 320 years and while her results would be mixed (although by her own admission, she didn’t do very well, but I’d disagree - Her Groovy performance was pretty good and it netted her a third place finish in the competition and her Power . . . I mean . . . Her in that bed and . . . Yep) her season, in full, has to be considered one of her finest in recent years and I’d even place it over the 2009 cache of tunes. So, what’s left to do? Surprisingly, Destra has decided to join a quietly NICE group of Trini Soca artists who have not only released albums, but have taken advantage of the digital swing of music these days for their projects which includes Kes The Band and Nadia Batson and, reportedly, the previously alluded to “Soca superstar, whose name I promised myself that I wouldn’t mention in this review, is also soon to take that route as well. Soca is woefully behind the times in that medium and the fact that you can roll over to iTunes or Amazon and pick up her latest album is just fucking nice (and it also means that hell has officially frozen over)! Said new album, ”Welcome Back” is Destra’s first from 2009 and her sixth (and a half) altogether and, unsurprisingly, I think it’s the best Soca album I’ve heard in 2011. I had no idea this album was on its way and when I first heard that it had been released, I remember the first thing that went through my mind was just how SMART such a move was and when I noticed the channels through which the album was coming, I got even more excited. ”Welcome Back” also carries the COTT tag which is the Copyright Music Organisation of Trinidad and, hopefully, that means that the group will begin to flood the digital market with even more releases from its roster of artists and they have in the past, but this is, distinctly, the very first time I can recall seeing the company directly lending its name to a digital release. Surely, I can’t be the only one who thinks that this is a HUGE deal for Soca music to FINALLY begin to take advantage of this most immediate of vehicles for future releases and DEFINITELY for gems for the past as well. And what a better way to begin things that with Destra in 2011.

This year, for me at least, was vintage Destra in terms of the quality of her vibes. 2009, for the most part and with the exception of Bacchanal was very sleek and fashionable and while that’s something which is pretty much inherently present in her style, for me, when Destra is at her best there’s a certain level of ’harsh looseness’ which accompanies her music. It is this type of defiant self-assurance which she is able to basically wrap and hand deliver to her audiences which comes BOWLING through in her vibes. Also, it should be said that in terms of lyrics, I don’t know that she’s been much better than she was this year and all of that is on full display on the single best Soca album of 2011, ”Welcome Back”.

'Welcome Back'

With two seasons full of music to choose from, the material on this album is largely from 2011, but there are pieces from 2010 as well as, and this is always expected, Destra’s offerings for the 2010 Crop Over Season and there is something missing here, which I’ll tell you about a little later. To my clearly bias opinion, Destra dropped four tunes in 2011 which were undeniably SPECIAL tracks and two of the quartet of EXCELLENT songs appear in the first three tracks on her brand new album for 2011, ”Welcome Back”. One of them and her biggest tune (in terms of sound) and the record they named the album after gets us started. ‘Welcome Back’ was HUGE! For me, this tune is one which best exemplifies what I mean by Destra’s “harsh looseness”. There is a set form and pattern, but the songs strayyyyyys so much from it that, by its end, you almost don’t know what the hell is going on and I love it! From the intro of the tune (somewhat reminiscent of Fay-Ann’s equally large ‘Get On’ from 2008) and the opening lines to punchline of the tune, this I world class madness at its finest and it’s one of the finest songs, from anyone, in 2011 - Although most surprisingly, it’s not my favourite Destra song this year (more on that later). Next we have another very special tune, but one which was done for Crop Over 2010, the infectious ‘On Somebody’. First of all, that squeaky riddim, the Brass Fest 2 from Dwaingerous, is getting a second life in my eyes, being able to go back and really dig into material like this and what I told you about on Tuesday. This song is just a nice and clever wining tune, but it really comes through as something really significant going on. Meanwhile the only thing of substantiality to any degree is that Destra demands you have a good time when vibing this tune and unless you are a corpse, you shouldn’t have much problem doing what she tells you to. Things then get a bit dark and a bit wild as Destra draws for her first guest on a combination track for the ages, ‘Madd Party’ along St. Vincy Soca ace and Achis Reggae favourite, Skinny Fabulous. Even before I get to the song, itself, let’s just look at the dynamics of this ridiculous pairing. It’s Destra Garcia - A guaranteed winner there - And it’s Skinny Fabulous who’s been on as great of a roll in Soca music as anyone over the past few years. Their styles aren’t too similar, but if you can find some type of common ground where the vibes meet and mix well, then you’re dealing with a potentially great song and . . . Well that’s exactly what they did because ‘Madd Party’ is outstanding.

“Everybody jump around
Get mad inna dis fete and mek wi party
JUMP - JUMP UP!
Party!
JUMP - JUMP UP!
Show me all yah colours
Represent all where yuh from
And mek wi party
JUMP - JUMP UP!
Party!

Now everybody wave!
Your rag in the AIRRRRR
And wave
Your flag in the AIRRRRR
We getting on bad this year
Cause it’s a mad party affair!”

The song captures the best of both Skinny and his HEAVY moments of brilliance and Destra’s mastery of melody and it is everything I hoped such a link would be and then some! The song begins in a way that wasn’t familiar to my ears and I started to think that I had stumbled into some kind of remix, but that, THANKFULLY, wasn’t the case and when things get going, it’s the same explosion of a song that I knew. MASSIVE!

As I said, this year Destra served up four really really special songs and the remaining two are also featured on ”Welcome Back”. The first, sequentially, is also the next tune on the album and one of the coolest Groovy songs of the year, ‘Cool It Down’. I defer, grudgingly to ‘Wotless’ from Kes as the best Groovy song that I’ve heard this year, but with my bias well intact - It’s not even close. ‘Cool It Down’ was superb and it was effortless and seamless and melodically, just a gorgeous construction as well and a real highlight of Trinidad Carnival 2011 for me.

'We Own It'

And finally there’s the biggest damn surprise on this album or any other in a really long time. Here, I would’ve fully expected to declare the title track the album’s best and, looking back, I can remember thinking it was a mistake for her to draw on a next tune besides it for her performance at Soca Monarch but, Ummmm, yeah maybe I was wrong. That ‘next tune’, ‘We Own It’, has grown on me immensely over the past couple of weeks, even before we got this album, and I now have to concede that the old school vibed song was her best song this year! It’s BEAUTIFUL and if you know my tastes, I’m modern on top of modern - Electric, super-high-powered sounding Soca is my favourite thing in the music - But this tune, which certainly isn’t weak by any standards in its sound has crawled ALL OVER ME and I can even feel it in my hair when I spin it.

“It belong to we
It belong to we
We not coming off
It’s we property!

We go have a time
I giving them vintage wine
Bring police wid horse
If you want to get we off

It belong to we
It belong to we
We not coming off
It’s we property!

Lawd, I feel to play Mas
I feel to shake up meh as-
The great Lord Kitchener say
‘We on the road on Carnival day’
We starting it from Jouvert
It’s time to play Mas again
Whether sun or pouring rain
They goh have to jam we off
Like it’s the first time we cross -
The Savannah Stage
The Savannah Stage
The Savannah Stage
The Savannah Stage!”

Lyrically the song is top notch (which I, apparently, just didn’t notice before) and it does go a long way with me that the song contains a moment, when she does the countdown and says “start jumping, start jumping, start jumping, jumping, jumping . . .”, which sends my daughter into a frenzy and I’m generally not very far behind.

(already 2200 words + and still have eight songs to mention)

Buried in the middle of ”Welcome Back” is a sterling trio of Pan/Calypso pieces which usually aren’t my favourites, but I find myself (as I get old as hell - I’ll be 30 now in about four months and a week) enjoying them more and more these days and being that they’re from Destra definitely helps. The first of the three is also my personal favourite, ‘Rewind’, from last year. I didn’t give this one a proper bit of attention in 2010, but with a year past it, it sounds EXCELLENT and just a tune which flourishes lovely after its beginning. ‘Surrender’, another track for 2010 is also very strong and one which is just now starting to grow on me and finally is the tune for 2011, ‘Calling Meh’, which is also a big tune and one which presses the gas just a bit more than the previous two with the huge horns (and I should mention that the first two tracks featured on Faluma’s Calypso compilation, ”Something Special” last year as the latter does on ”It’s Showtime”, both of which are available now).

Just before that trio is the completion of another of another strong threesome of tracks as ‘Cool It Down’ is chased by two more sweet Groovy sets, ‘Feel To Wine’ and ‘Feel Like Wukking’. The former, which features Super Jigga TC (a good artist with an absolutely horrible name, but one to watch out for because he has some very nice songs) is the better of the two, but ‘Feel Like Wukking’ is not to be missed either, although if you can make it through listening to that riddim and NOT singing ‘Neighbour’ in your head then it’s probably because you don’t know what the hell I am talking about. There’s also the very fun ‘Proppa’ which is from Crop Over and it is another outstanding selection. I will say that this one may need a bit of time, so don’t just spin through it once and declare it ‘too much’ for you because it sounds considerably less and less complicatedly agitated a few listens down the road and I really really like this song. I don’t like it, however, as much as I do like ‘Middle Ah De Road’ which features Destra alongside Adidj . . . Swappi. It’s another fun one and one with a bit of a different quality about it which helps the album in itself. FINALLY, the penultimate track on ”Welcome Back” (the aforementioned ‘We Own It’ closes things up) is Destra’s big tune from last year, the overlooked ‘Fireworks’. I liked this song when I first heard it and I think I enjoy it more having not heard it in quite some time. It’s a beautiful song and leading into the genius which follows it, it’s part of a wonderful ending to the album.

'Feel To Wine' featuring Super Jigga TC

The “something missing” I mentioned several days worth of reading ago is the fact that, as far as I can tell, this album is Destra’s first which doesn’t feature a kind of ’Gospel excursion’. She almost always includes at least one such song on her albums (the Gospel song is to Destra, as the Country song is to Lady Saw), but that isn’t the case here. What does that mean? Probably not a damn thing, but I’m a nerd and I notice these things.

Overall, you shouldn’t have had to wait all the way to this point to figure that I love this album and not only because it’s Destra - “Welcome Back” is very good. Like I said, she strung together such a solid streak of music not only for this season but going back through last year as well and you see the results. Here we have a Soca album which doesn’t contain any remixes or road mixes or anything like that and it still manages to check in at a healthy thirteen tracks and she certainly could’ve managed to stretch that to sixteen or so if she wanted and perhaps even twenty if she did include the mixes. It’s simply a matter of Destra putting her best foot forward. I’m not going to go back and compare it to the other albums, but I will say that it stands very decently compared to even my favourites, a group which it now joins. So while it may be ridiculous to proclaim someone the ’Queen of Soca’ - I’m a fan and I don’t mind being ridiculous and for whatever it's worth, I'm giving the title to Ms. Destra Garcia - For me, The greatest to ever do it.

Rated: 4.5/5
Krazi Music Records/COTT
2011
CD + Digital
Destra

Modern Classics Vol. XXVII: "Ten Strings" by Tuff Lion

"Ten Strings" by Tuff Lion [I Grade Records - 2008]

If for no other reason than to make the journey just a bit sweeter for myself, I’m always looking for new and interesting ways to make all of the features which we do here just a bit different and out of the ordinary. In terms of ‘regular’ reviews (although there is nothing regular about my reviews), I give my readers a nice variety of different styles and different artists and even projects which may be brand new or several years old, actually. And in our other features we also try to offer a bit of diversity in terms of what we mention and how we mention it - And I think that we move quite successfully in all of those respects. Still, the most difficult to diversify semi-constant feature that we run is definitely the ‘Modern Classic’, where the field is much much smaller to choose from (as much as I fight the urge to stretch the requirements of the feature, just to add some colour). Still, I do find myself wanting to do different things with the somewhat tedious process of writing them so I cleared out everything and began to search and think of what could be the most unusual album that would qualify for such a feature and I remembered something I had thought of early last year.

"Ten Strings" Preview w/Tuff Lion

Tuff Lion is an artist, himself, who could well be described as a ‘modern classic’. The very fact that you and I are existing in a frame of life which happens to not only coincide with this man’s own, but this man making music at the height of his powers is something really special. Long a fixture on the Virgin Islands Reggae scene, the Lion has played for just about every remotely prominent and gifted Reggae artist from out of the VI as a producer, a musician, an arranger, a writer and pretty much just everything you could want. In 2007, the master guitarist from out of St. Croix released his very own debut album, the very well received ”Utterance”, which actually featured him taking things to the mic and singing throughout the very strong affair. The very next year, however, he outdid himself and did so in the most natural and organic way that he possibly could without uttering a single syllable on one of the finest albums the region has ever produced. “Ten Strings”

On an album like this, besides the quality of a particular sound and song (which is unquestionable in this case), everything is left to the individual perceiving that sound. What I mean is that, when I analyze these songs, where there’re no lyrics, I’m likely (and hopefully) to get something out of them which you won’t and which Tuff Lion didn’t when he made the songs. The album was pushed by I Grade Records, and was, essentially, Tuff Lion’s own musical efforts on some of the riddims from I Grade - Basically placing music where there is generally lyrics. The results were outstanding and probably pretty difficult to analyze. I think I’ll try it anyway.

The Music

1. ‘Yad Along’

The opening song on ”Ten Strings“ remains one of my personal favourites, ’Yad Along’. I still have yet to figure out, exactly, where from I know the base riddim, but the work done over it (if “it” even exists) is absolutely sublime. My feeling in regard to this tune was that, while the title of it seems to suggest some type of transition occurring, that because of its placement, it was more representative of what was to come and not what was already in progress or already completed.

2. ‘Vibes Preservation’

‘Vibes Preservation’ was next and this one was a sound, with its very ‘large’ type of vibes has always struck me as being a very communal type of track. This, perhaps more so than any other song on the album (including those which I like more), was THE song which I found myself playing for other people. ‘You want to hear a new song I just got from Tuff Lion?’ For a while ‘that song’ was ‘Vibes Preservation’ - Not to be played alone.

3. ‘Majestic Honor’

If I recall correctly, this riddim wasn’t too prevalent on I Grade’s productions (although Vaughn Benjamin did take it out for a spin on ‘Stretch Out’ from the ”Rule The Time” album) and perhaps that was because Tuff Lion did everything that could be done with this composition on 'Majestic Royal'. Although I hate to be lame and clichéd, this song, for me, was simply about LIFE. From the big horns blowing coming in (a very ROYAL lead-in), to the way the tune quickly and comfortably settles in and then existing with just a touch of an edge to the vibes - This all encompassing standout tune could well be looked at as a microcosm of life.

4. ‘Coming Home’

This tune was one which I felt it was named SO perfectly - Everything is really covered in the song’s title. Listening through it now, you hear a song which is somewhat hurried and somewhat frantic (when compared to some of the other material here), but it’s also comfortable and comforting. It LITERALLY sounds like a hard road, but one which CLEARLY has something wonderful at the end of - Kind of like taking the long way home after a hard day’s work.

5. ‘Indigo Tides’

If ‘Yad Along’ didn’t start off this album (and it did) THE song I would choose to do so would definitely be the very VISUAL ‘Indigo Tides’. For me, this song has always been very emblematic of what that signature VI Reggae sound has been in recent years. It’s very straight forward, very HEAVY and just GORGEOUS! I could imagine a roll of artists taking this one on (and they may have already), because it just so wonderfully qualifies and characterizes a sound which Tuff Lion has been involved with and developing for a very long time.

6. ‘Burning Bush’

Two things have always reached me about ‘Burning Bush’ in particular: The first is that, where the tune which precedes it is one which I find is heavy on that quintessential Virgin Islands sound, this tune composition is straight out of some big session circa 1975 in Kingston. This one is Jamaican all around. The second thing (and I hate this word and it may very well be the first time I’ve used it in a really long time) (a search on this page reveals that it’s only been used once on this blog and in reference to a song title actually) is that besides just sounding confident, ‘Burning Bush’ has a SWAGGER around it. It’s vibed to sound like something you’d hear in a movie when the cool guy walks in - Or when the cool guy sits down to play his guitar in a studio on St. Croix.

7. ‘Kindred Spirit’

‘Kindred Spirit’ is a tune which CONSTANTLY fulfills its purpose, over and over again, in its time. The song has a very electric feel to it and one which isn’t ‘normally’ considered to be within the spectrum of Reggae music - But it so very much is and the MERGING of those sounds is where I think the title and the purpose comes in. I believe I’ve heard Tuff Lion speak on this or similar issues in an interview before (biggup Podcasts, I LOVE Podcasts) where he talked about how different genres can kind of roll in together and not really dilute one another but ultimately just produce good music, like kindred spirits.

8. ‘Ivahlasting’

This song not only remains my absolute favourite tune on "Ten Strings”, but it also continues to reign as the greatest source of frustration for me because I’m almost completely sure that I know the base sound from somewhere. This MIGHTY track is the autograph of this album and it may just be the musical signature of the Lion, himself, as well. So well done, so STRONG, so confident and so BRILLIANT was ‘Ivahlasting’ that it stood out EASILY in a line of eighteen standouts without a problem.

9. ‘A Different Iration’

About ninety seconds into ‘A Different Iration’, the vibes kind of set themselves up into their electric way and seem to attempt to smooth themselves over, but the electricity does remain well active. This one, which marks the end of the first half of the album and the beginning of the second, figures to suggest some type of change occurring, but it doesn’t quite turn out to be that way (the next tune isn’t very different) . . . Or does it? I’ve begun to take this one in tandem with -

10. ‘Lalibela’

Clearly we’re on the move in some way when you take these two tunes into account. ‘Lalibela’, in particular, has always come off to me like a conversation. The premise of the album is that lyrics are replace by Tuff Lion’s guitar and that is very evident here as the Lion seems to almost tell a story. It doesn’t have a melody to it (in the terrestrial sense, where we would have a singing melody) (biggup Singing Melody), it almost sounds like the guitar doing Spoken Word and doing in transit - But to where?

11. ‘Love Is All’

“If you feel a way about the herb . . .”

My ears probably JUMPED when I heard ‘Love Is All’ because it featured the same backing track as a favourite of mine from a favourite of mine - ‘Positive Herb’ by NiyoRah. The riddim is FULL and BEAUTIFUL and Niyo used it to deliver a very healthy herbalist tune which has pretty much become a classic to many people by this point. The Lion uses it, instead, to deliver what is the second best tune on ”Ten Strings” to my ears and a tune which may not bring love in the stereotypical sense, but YOUR EARS will certainly fall in love with it.

12. ‘Zion Awake’

I actually have a personal story about this STERLING track, ‘Zion Awake’ because maybe about a year ago my Wife was playing through this album (which I remember having situated in a playlist with a Ras Attitude album - Specifically to help deal with ‘writer’s block’ and it’s a technique I use to this day with a variety of different sounds) and she stumbled upon this tune and declared it her favourite (without hearing the rest of it, mind you). What she obviously heard was the kind of ENCHANTING vibes surrounding this one. The song definitely does sound like an awakening and maybe a change and just a rising in general. For me it helped to loosen up brain waves and helped me focus on the task at hand. These days? It just helps me feel nice.

13. ‘Firm Foundation’

This song is one which, at least these days, comes in for me as an ode to the music itself. When you see the title, ‘Firm Foundation’ and then combine it to hear the song relying heavily upon this somewhat rigid, but lovely one-drop. The foundation there, in my ears, is Reggae - The firmest of musical foundations. You can, of course, then go on to tie it in a wide array of different knots and areas, but whatever and wherever you go with it, isn’t it always nice to have that firm foundation?

14. ‘Set Dem Free’

As probably the most skeletal track on the whole of the album, I think ‘Set Dem Free’ is a vibes which is left COMPLETELY to the whim of the listener - And I think that’s the point of it. I think Tuff Lion would have made this one and knew just how wide open it was - An electric guitar over a one-drop and sometimes just a one-drop, almost sounding like old school Dub - And he knew it would take many different people in many different ways. Meanwhile the joy here is appreciating the musical journey to arrive wherever you do - Not the actual destination, itself.

15. ‘Fly Away’

Something is definitely airbourne on ‘Fly Away’ and if you really fall into, what’ll be taking flight is your mind and DAMN - It feels good. Although it, too, is rather ‘thin’ sounding, unlike its predecessor, ‘Fly Away’ is not as open to interpretation in my opinion (did you just catch that one???). This one has more of a direct point, as once again we’re traveling and, again, it’s not about the finality of the journey so much as it is enjoying the journey itself. It’s going to the airport and booking a flight - To nowhere in particular. I just like to fly.

16. ‘Carry On [Livication to Dumisani Dlamini]’

This song, obviously, stands as a tribute to Dumisani Dlamini who was a South Afrikan film producer who was slain in 2004, but I don’t feel very sad when listening to it. Quite the contrary, ‘Carry On’, being one of the most sonically pleasing tracks on ”Ten Strings” makes me feel VERY good and I think that was by design as well. There’s nothing that inherently says that death must be such a sad time or an angry time or even a mourning time - I think it’s a time to be reflective and just celebrate the goodness of someone and I can do both of those to this tune, not cry. Not even a little.

17. ‘Blessed Feeling’

I didn’t remember ‘Blessed Feeling’ much at all when I began listening through this album for the sake of this feature so when I did get to it, it was almost like the very first time I heard it and coming through sequentially, what it did was to take the vibe of ‘Carry On’ and build on it. This one isn’t so much reflective that it is nearly a joyous type of tune, as the title would suggest. Also, I feel a bit of freedom here as well and I can’t say that I think that was by design, but maybe it was because a blessed feeling for myself would surely involve freedom.

18. ‘Ancient Trees’

Finally we get to ‘Ancient Trees’ which, in Reggae terms, generally indicates the obligatory ganja song, but we can’t actually call anything compulsory in the case of this album. While I don’t get that particular vibes here, it does have a place in what I do get. This is the type of selection where you kick your feet up, maybe grab something cold to drink, maybe grab a beautiful woman and wrap yourself around here and just drift off. It sounds NOTHING like it, but for me it could serve the same purpose as a very well executed Zouk song even a Groovy piece of Soca. It’s time to relax and be thankful for the sake of being thankful.

Synopsis

I’m actually going to give this one a shot (brief as it may be because I did the most of my work in the intro) and try to provide and suggest an overall and prevailing direction in ”Ten Strings”. And I’m not going to be lame and just something like, ‘it’s a celebration of the music’. No. I think it’s a celebration of the mind and of the self.

I look at the cover of the album for my first ‘cue’. I’m not very musically proficient, but I don’t know of a guitar having ten strings (and neither does my good friend, Google), but as Tuff Lion is so nice to point out, there’re ten instruments at work here, the ten fingers of course. Those are the extensions of the mind and the representation of the SELF. And when you then take it to the actual music, those things don’t matter as much anymore. Do you really care HOW this wonderful music was created? I don’t! The fact that it does exist is more than enough for me - And it goes from existing in the mind of Tuff Lion and in the mind’s of Tippy and company at I Grade to existing on an album and then existing in my mind and in your mind and probably changing ALL along the way - Existing as different things to different people. And while you can well say that about just about every album, when you have lyrics and then you have a song title and then you can go to an artist and ask him/her what they mean and solidify that, the mystery of interpretation (even though I will most certainly continue to engage in locating and interpreting that non-existing mystery) is virtually gone. That’s not the case with ”Ten Strings” is it? Even if we asked the Lion about a single song and he gave it a direction, the SOUND is still left to interpretation of whoever is hearing it and to the interpretation of HOW it is being heard. If I’m in a bad mood, I’m likely (to be cheered up after this album) to hear something TOTALLY different here than when I’m feeling good and having a listen.

AMAZING!

Then when you get into specifics you see even more of that interpretation of the mind evident. This is Reggae music. This is Roots Reggae music and such vibes are ‘generally’ applied for certain reasons. We all know the more usual subjectry of reggae music and if we were to attempt to try to place this sound in categories such as ‘social commentaries’ and ‘tunes for His Imperial Majesty’ and ‘inspirational songs’, again, we’d probably all arrive at different places for the various tunes, but we all know just how developed that ‘umbrella’ of subjects and of the genre is and how colourful it is as well. This is the type of an album, and not just because it doesn’t have lyrics, but because of that AND how exceptionally strong it is, which is going to force people to think of these things and that is the point.

”Ten Strings” is food for the mind. Delicious food for the mind. It’s meant to open up your mind and do so with a side specifically from Reggae music, but to just in general, open up your mind to the wonders which reside within. It’s also a bona fide Modern Reggae Classic!

'Back By Popular Demand': A Review of "The Return" by Machel Montano

When it comes to music, it seems that what everyone on the highest level of any particular genre has in common is that they all serve a purpose. They all seem to fulfill some level of expectations from fans and from themselves which make their presence at any given time, very necessary. For example, these days if one were looking for really large and spectacularly vibed Roots Reggae music, one might draw a line which would lead them directly to the ever increasing catalogues of people like Etana and Tarrus Riley, but if you wanted something a bit lower-key and scaled back without sacrificing any of the brilliance, and even increasing it in some aspects, you’d probably reach for a tune from someone like a Queen Ifrica. They all fall in an serve their purposes in that regard and for that reason, and the fact that they are all extremely talented and DEPENDABLE, they’re not likely to be going anywhere any time soon. Dancehall, of course, is ridiculous but, it too seems to fall into this line of thinking and even more so, actually. In Dancehall we have ’templates’ for artists - There’re bad guys, there’re those who stir controversy, there’re those, guys and girls, who do nothing but rhyme about sex 90% of the time and so on and so forth and a look around at the current landscape of Dancehall reveals that all of those positions are currently filled. And seemingly all Zouk producers place ads in newspapers and online which say something to the effect of - ‘Seeking female Zouk singer. Must be French Caribbean or French, must sing like an angel and be absolutely spectacular to look at’. That genre probably has dozens who fill those conditions. In Soca music where all lines tend to be blurred, this is also true, but in a bit of a different way. In Soca we’d look at someone like Bunji Garlin and Ms. Alysha to fuse their highly lyrical styles with the more standard ‘jump & wave’ simply because they can do it and not because it’s ever been done in that way. It’s more about the individual showing their capabilities and defining their own role. Currently, Fay-Ann Lyons may be in the process of redefining, or just defining in the first place, what it means to be a VERSATILE Soca artiste and, at the same time there’s someone in Patrice Roberts who may end her career having spent the entire thing at the highest level of the genre. And then there’s Machel Montano. Besides being probably the most popular consistent face of Soca, Montano’s role is different and probably the most full of pressure, because in a genre built on the jump and wave, it is his role to make people jump higher and wave faster and harder than they ever have and ever will.

'Advantage' @ Soca Monarch

And he made us do it in 2011 like he hasn’t in quite some time. This year, Soca’s premier showman, Machel Montano served up a dazzling presentation of vibes which is . . . Exactly what most of his fans demand from him, year in and year out and he even surpassed expectations as well. In the most lasting scene of the 2011 Trinidad Carnival season, for me at least, Machel Montano took his very first Soca Monarch title by delivering one of the most devastating performances the Monarch stage has seen in recent years and probably ever. He would also cap off the year, early as it was, by capturing his fourth Road March title. All of this came after something which probably makes 2011 look even stronger for Montano, as if he needed the help - A self-imposed exile from Trinidad Carnival 2010 - Which he reportedly said was in order to allow the light shine brighter on some of the younger artists, such as Patrice Roberts. Some have argued as to the real reasons for the absence last year or whether or not it actually proved to be successful but, in retrospect, the fact that he did essentially take the year off did add even more hope to what Montano might bring this year. In a season long and unsurprisingly dubbed ”The Return”, Machel did exactly that and to mark the occasion he releases his thirty-fifth album to date with the same title. Last year, although he wasn’t around for the most part, Montano did manage to release the decent ”Album 34” which, even despite his inactivity was packed with fairly well received material and flat out hits. In terms of his albums, Montano had seemed to hit a very SLEEK stride with some of the last few such as ”Heavenly Drum” and particularly my personal favourites, ”Flame On” and ”Book of Angels” which were pieces built within the frame and the ‘roaming concepts’ he had envisioned for each particular season and with his last album he certainly seemed to get away from that, but it’s well back intact for ”The Return”, right down to the songs. For the music, of course there was one obviously MASSIVE shot which we’ll speak about a little later directly, but the vibes around the piece were nothing out of the ordinary for the Soca supernova. Everything was well polished and streamlined Soca with just a bit of pop music mixed in and seemingly aimed at pretty much everyone who generally enjoyed Montano’s music. What I did notice, however, and as we’ll see when we get into the music was that Machel didn’t have much of an eye on doing combinations in 2011. I’m not actually the biggest of his fans, but there’re definitely two things which I really look forward to everyone from him - The first being the BIG and dominant tune, which he definitely did deliver, but the other is a combination with the aforementioned Patrice Roberts and while it is likely that the two could link later this year for one of the other Carnival seasons, like Crop Over, something just seems to be out of place when they don’t bring that huge song, at least for me. But, as someone who isn’t necessarily a foaming at the mouth fan of Machel Montano’s, I do have to give credit where it is due - The man showed flashes of brilliance in 2011 and all of those flashes are present on this album - A return for the ages.

'Coming Again'

As I said, the music from Machel Montano’s 2011 season presents no drastic level of steps away from the music his fans are used to and at this point I don’t even know what would actually represent something that I would call “drastic” musically from Montano, so this is an album which is going to appeal to traditional fans of Montano’s and Soca in general - Which is VERY accessible to new fans as well. To no great surprise, one of the very first tunes he released for this season begins Machel Montano’s new album, ”The Return”, ‘Coming Again’, his announcement that he would, in fact, be returning to the madness in 2011. I LOVE this song! From the first time I laid ears on it, it was excellent to me. It’s a very nice and groovy spot which probably gets a bit too direct at times, but it definitely conveys what everyone wanted to know and makes it sound SO damn nice. The next tune in, ‘Bend Over’ didn’t move me as immediately as the opener did. This one is kind of Techno-ish/Electo-ish and that’s not typically something that I do enjoy, HOWEVER, if I am going to like it, surely the vehicle to get it to my senses would be Soca music. I’m not going to say that I like it, actually, but what I will say is that I have more of an appreciation for than I did the few first listens two or three months ago at this point and, as far as we can tell, the reaction to it, across the board has been positive so check it for yourself. Next is another tune which I think is absolutely spectacular, the vibrant and colourful great time that is ‘So High [A.O.A]’. This tune is also kind of electric, but its roots are firmly in the spectrum of Soca music and it is DAZZLING! It is the kind of song you expect and DEMAND from Machel and he delivered here superbly. Still, the best thing about the tune, relative the scope of the entire album, is that it’s only the second best song here.

'Advantage'

While there have been exceptions to this, generally speaking, every season has a signature tune, that song usually wins Road March and for the past three years that song has also won Soca Monarch in Trinidad. Last year was the year of ‘Palance’, in 2009 Fay-Ann Lyons told us to ‘Meet Super Blue’ and in 2011, Machel took center stage and top honours for the very first time since 2007’s ’Jumbie’, with the MASSIVE shot that was ‘Advantage’ which also provided us with the lasting colourful sentiment of the year as well.

“The stage is in front of us
Time to get advantageous”

Just about every year Machel tunes up such a song and although such MADDENING moments are my favourites and I’m probably pretty easy to please when it comes to them, I’m compelled to say that this tune is one of his finest and it was definitely THE crazy jump and wave inducing moment of the 2011 Carnival Season. It would also net the legendary performer his very first Soca Monarch title which, in retrospect, does seem long overdue. HUGE!

Besides ‘Advantage’, ‘So High’ and ‘Coming Over’, Machel did have a bit of the Midas Touch in 2011 and a trio of other big tunes make up the great ‘middle class’ of ”The Return”. The first, ‘Illegal’, finds Montano going all ‘Gully Creepa’ on the people with a tune which opens in a very familiar fashion and does take awhile to fully get going - But when it does, it is golden. The midtempo set is downright intoxicating and just an unforgettably fun time to be had. Not as fun, however, as ‘Hard Wuk’. For some reason my daughter finds this tune absolutely hilarious and for a kid who doesn’t laugh very much, it’s very odd. Me, however, I just think it’s a big song and one which you will, as I am right now typing this, find very hard to sit still while listening to, especially at the chorus, despite the fact that it’s almost barely existing at that point. And lastly in that row is another stellar track, ‘Spin Class’. Tortola Soca diva and Achis Reggae favourite, Jalena, keeps me company every morning working out - Soca music fantastic for workouts, just in general - And they should have gyms all around the world pushing Soca music in classes. Machel would be in on that and perhaps his first entry would be ‘Spin Class’ which is also, although rarely noted, pretty good lyrically for what it is. The album also does have one more special moment for me and that comes actually in a tune from last year, which I was pretty damn convinced was on the ”Album 34” album but it wasn’t, ‘On De Road’. The song actually was Machel’s effort for Crop Over and it was gorgeous. Gifted with one of the best melodic approaches on the whole of the album and a ridiculous ‘SQUEAKY‘ riddim, ‘On De Road’ is the type of song which, if any of Montano’s song could, might’ve fallen between the cracks, but anyone taking it in a big dosage will know its quality.

'On De Road'

And the remaining four tracks on ”The Return” are of the very Soca ‘standard’ remix/road mix variety. The first is ‘Go Dung’ which features Bajan veteran, Lil’ Rick. The song is actually Rick’s original and while I do like some of his music, this one is fucking ruined for me from long time because it comes across the awful Condemn Riddim which I pretty much condemned the very first time I heard it. Next we have a remix of a tune which I did actually enjoy, ‘Bumper To Fender’, which actually did appear on ”Album 34”. The remix features Vyb . . . Swappi and I prefer the originally and substantially so, but the mixed version isn’t too bad either. And finally are two roadmixes from two 2011 tunes, ‘Bend Over’ and ‘Advantage’. As I’ve said in the past, I’m not the biggest fan of roadmixes or of remixes in general, actually, but in these two cases, what we have aren’t very dissimilar from the first songs, especially in the case of the latter after it gets going, so I don’t complain much here and I know a lot of people really do love these songs every year and REALLY look forward to them.

Overall, while I cannot say that ”The Return” approaches the level of ”Book of Angels” or ”Flame On”, it’s much better than either of its two immediate predecessors in my opinion and it does well to fully display the outstanding music which Machel Montano released in 2011. And on going back to the premise of this review, Machel Montano is one of the few reigning undeniable superstars that we have in Caribbean music today - He is on the top shelf - And while you can argue whether or not he’s still in his own prime, what is unquestionable is his impact in Soca and in music altogether. In 2011 Machel Montano returned to Carnival and we looked to him, like we always do, to take whatever the level of intensity was and destroy it and make everything that much more fun in the process: Mission Accomplished.

Rated: 4/5
Ruf Rex Productions
2011
CD [Digital reportedly coming soon]
Machel Montano

{Note: I'm SICK! Had some stuff planned that will have to miss another day on or two. HOPEFULLY I'll be back on Thursday with a special something. Friday with an even more special something and then a milestone. BALANCE}