Amongst The Stars: A review of All In This Together by Lion D

Replay? I'd give myself a little credit in terms of being a dedicated fan but, truly, if I'd never started writing about Reggae music, chances are fairly high that I would never have encountered some of the tremendous talents that I have. I know this is likely the case for several reasons, not the smallest being the number of times someone who I know pays a good attention to things telling us how we'd made them aware of a particular artist who, hopefully, they'll go on to become long time fans of. If that has happened a few times or so during the life of these pages, I'd be happy on that, alone, but... of course also getting to listen to all of this wonderful music has been pretty fun as well. Because of just how spread out Reggae has shockingly become (to go from a regional (and, really, a national-) artform to a global one in the time it has is remarkable) and the fact that it isn't necessarily 'mainstream' on most levels, it can be damn difficult to not only stay current with what is going on locally, but in terms of the entire planet?? Well, that can be pretty impossible. Doing this, however, has forced me to do a ton of research throughout the years and I've been fortunate to have come across so many names who're more than deserving of the greater attention of fans of the genre and, like I said, then make the attempt to pass them on to you wonderful people. Although I do love the more 'usual suspects' and have happily written about their work for decade and will gladly continue to do so, a little bit of fresh blood on the scene is not only vital for the health of the music (because people are fragile and we die after awhile. We need someone else to continue the work!) but it also keeps things from... being boring as hell sometimes! So when I've stumbled upon genuine talents on routes which have been outside of the norm, I've REALLY enjoyed it and have gone on, in some cases, to remain a passionate fan, myself. EASILY one of the greatest examples of this would be an individual who takes us back a STUNNING thirteen years (no way has it been that long!) to an overstuffed album by the name of "The Burnin Melody". The best way for me to put that album into context is by saying that in a year which included outstanding releases from the likes of Sizzla Kalonji, Tarrus Riley, Queen Ifrica, Buju Banton, Lutan Fyah, Nereus Joseph ["Real Rebels Can't Die", named a Modern Classic] and others, it grabbed me enough late in the year to go onto be named our outright Best Album of 2009! Think about that for just a second: I hadn't heard of its star, until maybe a few weeks ahead of the album's release date and it would go onto become my favourite album from that year, again, given the competition at the time; and given his history and his current settings at the time, had I not been tuned in at the time, it isn't out of the realm of possibility that I wouldn't have ran into the work of its star, one WICKED Lion D, at all. 

2009

If I recall and understand it correctly, one of the most remarkable aspects of Lion D' s unusual rise to prominence is how he picked up Reggae music. He was born in the UK to parents of African and Italian origins, raised in Italy and, at some point during his early adulthood, he just kind of STARTED MAKING REGGAE MUSIC (because why not)! I'm sure you cannot possibly get more simple of a breakdown of Lion D's bio (again, assuming that I'm accurate), but I can distinctly recall what it was that I heard, way back then, that drew me towards him and, looking back, it makes sense all these [very, very short] years later. Lion D was raw. He wasn't very refined. He didn't sound like he had been groomed by some of the finest producers in the world or had spent a lifetime growing up being taught the classics by a parent or anything like that. He sounded like someone who come into it late. HOWEVER, with that being said, for what he may've lacked in foundation or musical background, Lion D not only 'made up for it', he OVERWHELMED the lack of it with a talent -- a natural gift -- very rarely seen. Compound that with a clear passion for his music and what we had back then was a blowtorch of an artist putting his abilities on full and vibrant display through the nearly EIGHTY minutes worth of music on "The Burnin Melody". For what it was, it was one of the best albums I've ever heard and, listening to it now, it's also managed to age quite well.

And thankfully Lion D didn't decide to call it a career and retire there. A couple of years on from "The Burnin Melody", he came back with a very well done mixtape (coming from someone who never really liked mixtapes) (seeing them less and less in recent years), "Reap What You Sow" and, in 2013, the full followup, "Bring Back The Vibes" would come through ["Weh dem fah? A weh dem ah do yah?!"]. Just in case you were wondering (and maybe you were), "Bring Back The Vibes" would well demonstrate that the promise shown on "The Burnin Melody" was CLEARLY no fluke. That album, in some respects (and looking back now), had elements which were even stronger. Keeping on his every-other-year pace, Lion D would also return in 2015 with the stellar "Heartical Soul" and, again, prove himself to be amongst the genre's most 'curiously' gifted practitioners. 'Heartical Soul" (which I should definitely go back and review.... so I probably should save what I'm thinking here) was better than "Bring Back The Vibes". It was exceptional and featured some of the finest work Lion D's entire career to date, in my opinion. In late 2019, Lion D returned with the solid EP, "Born In Captivity" which, very much, sounded like they were getting things in order. They were working on a few different things to see what stuck and what did not. Now, although he may've missed his schedule (shit happens), Lion D returns with a brand new album that I was thinking was in the offering, "All In This Together". Like its three predecessors (as well as "Born In Captivity"), the new release comes courtesy of Italian imprint, Bizzarri Records. Out of all the European stops which have seemingly caught a severe case of Reggaemylitis, Italy is well included but probably doesn't get the international recognition as other areas. With that being said, for our purposes, Bizzarri has always represented quite well and the union they've formed with their most consistent vocalist has been mightily fruitful, as we've examined. Lion D didn't spend the seven years between "Heartical Soul" and "All In This Together" just sitting around and collecting dust and, recently (with the last eighteen months or so I want to say), I've not only noticed more new material coming from him but, specifically, more new material from Lion D with Bizzarri Records. That got me excited for what may be on its way and I came to the conclusion that an album was on the way and had it confirmed a few weeks or so ago in the form of a press release and I was DAMN HAPPY! We took our hiatus and I missed out on writing so much but covering someone who we've followed from so early in such a top level, like Lion D, is something that fascinates me endlessly. On top of that.... yeah, it's a new album from Lion D! History says it will be at least some form of excellent, so my expectations are through the proverbial roof. Furthermore, if he's the artist that I think he is, I'm somewhat also expecting something different in "All In This Together"; not necessarily in terms of his style -- he is what he is -- we have seen full-on disasters occur when people suddenly try to become too far away from the strengths, but I go into the new album thinking that Lion D has the opportunity to give fans something they've not really experienced from him to date. He ends up fulfilling on both fronts as the artist quickly demonstrates on the new album that not only is he still exactly who we have known him to be in the past but, these days, he may be someone more as well.

Something that came to my attention while listening to "All In This Together", especially during its latter stages, is that it doesn't seem to have the same type of prevailing EDGE to it that marked much of Lion D's earlier work. What he may have typically used a crowbar to convey, on this set, the artist opts for a feather and the results, unsurprisingly, are of the same lofty stature. The previous release, "Heartical Soul" was actually slightly toned back from its predecessors, but this one takes it even a step further which is a nice mix. Of course you'll find no evidence of that at all on the splendid opener for "All In This Together", the most impressive 'Boomerang'. Given its title, I was damn interested in the direction of this one and Lion D THRILLS when 'Boomerang' really gets going.

"Life is a test, you know you must prove yourself

And you got to do your best

Know you weak and you soft and ah gwan like you tough

Everyday you claim seh you a di general

While you brag and show-off, nah stop treat people rough-

Bwoy you move like seh you a di clever one

Memba God is in charge

If you take people life, you might soon find yourself inna burial

And it no really matta how fast you run-

JUDGMENT COME AFTER YOU LIKE A PREDATOR!"

Lion D deals with the basic ebbs and flows that we all experience in life ["NUFF A WI GROWING OLDER, ONLY FEW GROWING WISE"], but he does it a sparkling way, wrapped up in this package where we must give a MASSIVE credit to hornsmen, Riccardo Gibertini and Zaghi for the musical contribution they make in the scintillating composition carrying this tune. I heard 'Boomerang' and was damn confident that, once again, I was in the presence of something potentially damn special from Lion D and Bizzarri. If I still wasn't quite sure, however, next they enlist the help of Swedish veterans Million Stylez and Danjah on the lovely 'awareness anthem' 'Stay Woke'. This  tune actually popped up a couple of years ago now and it's just as weighty and significant as it was back then. As I alluded to, what I took from this one is the idea of simply KNOWING WHERE YOU ARE and knowing who you around around. It isn't a call for paranoia, but just a matter of identifying and retaining a most basic sense of self. I ended up taking this one in several directions as far as education and CONFIDENCE as well which, at least for me, are all parts of knowing who are and where you stand. Throughout his career, Lion D has been very fortunate to have worked alongside some very talented and well known artists. Prior to "All In This Together", he had voiced songs with the likes of Lutan Fyah (big new tune, 'Settle Down' with Luciano, out now. Check it out), Mr. Vegas, Gappy Ranks, Ken Boothe, King Kong and others. The new album not only sees that trend continue, but he probably tops EVERYTHING he's thus far. Along with Million Stylez and Danjah, there's a teeny, tiny little tune here by the name of 'Warning' featuring the legendary Capleton. If you want to get the message across and create a spark, what do you do? Well you call upon a looooooooooongtime pyro-master like The Prophet and, in doing so, produce a bona fide masterpiece such as 'Warning'. 

"Yow wi get straight to di point, wi nuh dilly-dally

And wi com fi spread di message outernationally

Now di Prophet and di Lion gi dem heartically

No fraid fi tell babylon seh dem system folly

Nuh waan nuh coke inna mi cup, inna mi coffee-cally

And mi tell babylon seh dem fi stop di folly

Well a fyah man ah bun, yuh get it Africa-lly

And mi seh mi bun out babylon practically!"

BOOM! I told you "All In This Together" was a bit more finesse than much of Lion D's previous work, but don't worry about that with 'Warning' and enjoy it for the scalding masterpiece that it is. The final selection on the album, 'Fight and Win', is another big combination, this one done with the always interesting and unpredictable Busy Signal. In clear contrast to 'Warning', this one is definitely on the softer side, but that's not a problem at all for these two. Though larely a fairly straight forward social commentary, 'Fight and Win' does offer up a few surprises, not the least of which being Busy's downright DAMAGING mid-tune verse ["Wi fighting di struggle like Marcus Garvey. Haffi read di books pon di Black Histroy. Praying fi a brighta day pon mi bended knee - cause one day wi haffi free"]. You've heard dozens of similarly vibed pieces, but I will 'warn' you to REALLY tune in here because you'll quickly not only miss some brilliance, but you'll also likely come away underrating this big drop. There's also the GORGEOUS 'General' with Jah Sun ["NO BONES! NO BLOOD INNA WI KITCHENNNNNNN!"]. This isn't the first time these two have linked musically -- having previously worked together on the well solid 'Resistance' from a few years back -- but I would argue that the HEAVY 'General' is an even stronger tune. Both Lion D and Jah Sun do indeed shine, but I'm going to have to pay a respect to Bizzarri for supplying that gorgeous riddim behind them. That thing is FLAMING and, if they have not already, I would DEFINITELY love to hear this one spread around to more vocalists. It is such a beautiful composition (check the beginning in particular. When you hear it, it makes it sound as if something of great importance is about to occur. That is accurate). The US based Bobby Hustle gets in on "All In This Together" via the another very nice offering, the pensive 'By the Cover'. Interestingly, the very first time (that I can tell) that these two vibed together, 'Roll With The Punches' struck in on a similar vibes (and you'll find that one credited to the Lion's alias David Lion) in terms of the sound. In this case, 'By the Cover' looks at the fact that human beings can be (and usually are) very complex creatures. Virtually NO ONE is exactly who they seem to be, even if you really know them quite well. I also like how its mentioned (especially by Hustle ["My experience is mines, alone"] how we tend to be products of our experiences and what we go through in life which is, OBVIOUSLY, unique to each and every individual. I don't know if it will receive that level of acclaim but, honestly, 'By the Cover' -- which goes all kinds of interesting, musically, as it progresses; particularly during that final minute or so -- is probably one of the best songs on this entire album. I will also mention 'Sheep Clothes' here which features the Livity Band (which also guests, officially, on both 'General' and 'Warning'). This song, an excellent one, sort of echoes the theme behind 'By the Cover' in many ways, with more of a focus on being sure to mind who is around you (and trying to be around you).

"Gotta watch who you keep close

Cause some a wolf inna sheep clothes

Badmind and envious woulda walk inna mi shoes 

Mi sight it from afar

Gotta watch who you keep close

Cause some a wolf inna sheep clothes

Badmind and envious woulda walk inna mi shoes 

Mi sight it from afar

Jah Jah guide mi from my enemies, but mi haffi pree di one weh act friend

Dem seh dem a family, but mi know dem just pretending

Some ah smile wid mi, act nice to wi face-

But underneath dem ah envy

BUT THROUGH DI MOST HIGH SENT MI-

DEM CANNOT BREAK NOR BEND MI

It is good to be kind and gentle

But be a fool who you allow inna yuh circle

Cah more time you ah trust people, nuff a dem let you down and hurt you"

Lion D completes his commentary with about a minute remaining in the song and he delightfully hands it off to the Livity Band to allow that SWEET riddim to play on. In every aspect, 'Sheep Clothes' is extremely well done and one of the best moments on "All In This Together".

The song just ahead of 'Sheep Clothes', 'Vision', is a potential sleeper' of a hit for me. It's very attractive sonically, registering in on a very nice and more laxed vibe and the Lion sinks his claws into it with another effort on personal awareness. 'Vision' also has a wider-reaching social aspect to it ["Saw dem through mi third eye vision. Why do you fight a next man faith and religion?"], seemingly suggesting that, should we all become more aware, continuously, it would help to bridge all sorts of gaps and bring people closer together. And speaking of songs more on the calm and composed side, also check 'Too Cold', the album's love[ish] song. Though not a favourite of mine on "All In This Together", this one is well solid and excels musically (with another fine display by Gibertini and Zaghi, as well as backing singers, The Living Harmonies, Empress Elissa and Blacky Grace who serve that role splendidly throughout); a fact crystallized during the second half of the tune where it, basically, ascends into a gorgeous Dub/instrumental. I'm also going to mention the excellent social commentary 'No Filter Needed' in this line as also comes through on a more dialed back frequency which is also quite nice {note: I try to group the tunes together in some type of way apart from just where they are on the album because I often find myself going through them and having one remind me of another, which is exactly what just happened with 'No Filter Needed' in respect to 'Too Cold'. Two tunes not related in terms of direction at all, but the sound is in the same arena at least}. This one is definitely amongst the very best you'll find here, particularly with it being one of the strongest lyrical displays you'll find on "All In This Together" ["Mankind full of too much grudge and prejudice. We're just one step from the edge of the precipice"]. Musically, this one reminds me of something that I cannot quite come up with -- there's this infectious, almost glowing BOUNCE to it that brings something to my mind, maybe something from Oneness Records -- but whatever you'd like to call it, it's also lovely on that front.

Things may go even higher courtesy of the dynamic 'Born A Rebel', following 'No Filter Needed'. This one is actually quite clever to my ears (though I wouldn't be surprised if it doesn't ultimately get credit for being so) as what it does, essentially, is to tell us all why, exactly, we know who Lion D is. The piece is almost autobiographical in telling us how he came into the music.

"Just because I was born a rebel

Music mi use and put food pon mi table 

Say again, I was born a rebel

Mi spread Jah love around and conquer evil

Say again, I was born a rebel

When mi walk past wicked heart, dem ah tremble

I was born a rebel

I was born a rebel

I smoke di herbs, I do it frequently

NOT ANYONE CAN VIBE PON MI FREQUENCY

I'D RATHER BE ALONE THAN IN BAD COMPANY-

CAUSE I DON'T WANT NO ONE TO STEAL MY ENERGY

I'M NOT A MONEY-MAN, LOVE IS MY CURRENCY

I PREFER PLANT A SEED AND WAIT PATIENTLY

If this world have no sense of decency-

I WON'T FOLLOW TREND

I MOVE DIFFERENTLY"

BOOM! What came to me from 'Born A Rebel' was that Lion D found himself in a position where he had things to say, something that he wanted to get off his chest and he chose the medium of music to let it go. As he goes forth (and he's already done to date, clearly), we're all better off because of that (the entire genre of Reggae music is better off because of that choice). 'Born A Rebel' is outstanding and one of his finest pieces of work to date in my opinion, period! Charged with [and succeeding at] keeping the vibes high is the sublime and easing (you listen to it, you'll know precisely what I mean by "easing") 'Strength of a Champion'. As kind of a complex praising selection, I must say that 'Strength of a Champion' does actually represent one of the very few missteps made on "All In This Together" as, by some sixteen seconds, it is the shortest tune present and it feels like it. They could have tacked another minute or so onto it (even if it were just instrumentals) and I would have felt better about it. Judging it by what it is, 'Strength of a Champion' is delightful as Lion D gives a big thanks to The Almighty for providing everything we need to strive in the world and, particularly, maintaining the course doing life's most challenging times ["Fi mi, life neva sweet like cherry. Nah stop fight  til mi dead and buried"]. Finally, though I rarely do this (I don't know why I rarely do it, but I do), I have saved the best for last from the album. The single strongest tune here (not by a lot, though) is the all kinds of gorgeous 'Jah is my Keeper'. It isn't alone in this on "All In This Together", AT ALL, but the first thing that comes to mind here is that 'JAH IS MY KEEPER' MAKES ME FEEL REALLY, REALLY GOOD! Given the direction of the sound as well as its sound, I would presume that Lion D and Bizzarri had that idea in mind especially for this tune (and if you are trying to get just about any message across, your audience is likely to be far more receptive if you do something for their senses as well, obviously). It says something, at least in my opinion, to the fullness of the EXPERIENCE of 'Jah is my Keeper' that this song is six minutes and twelve seconds long! They REALLY seem to have been under the impression that they had something special here.... and they were correct. Very occasionally I hear a tune that kind puts me into the vibes that what I'm hearing is, essentially, a live display of the music: Meaning that if I were to physically be in the area while it was being played, what I heard and FELT would not be much different than listening to the record. That happens for me with 'Jah is my Keeper'. Lion D registers a MAMMOTH praising tune in providing his latest release with its signature moment.

Overall, if you have not figured it out yet (I command you to go back to the beginning and read all this shit again!), I really, REALLY like "All In This Together". I think I'll refrain from attempting to rank it within the Lion's catalogue -- because I don't feel like figuring it out -- but what I will tell you is that, at the very least, what he has done here is to provide a contender for the best album of another year. This thing is excellent! As I said, the new aspect that I hear more prevalent here in contrast to his previous work, is that "All In This Together" comes through just a bit softer more consistently. Having now analyzed it for the point of this review, I'm also going to say that, when it does go to the harsher side, it does so, PERHAPS, in a smoother way. As a whole, this album feels less rough around the proverbial edges than what I'm used to hearing from Lion D. Maybe that was by design or maybe the artist and Bizzarri Records just began making music and this is what came out of it. The set of circumstances behind its creation notwithstanding, "All In This Together" is spectacular. Whatever they were trying to do - it worked! While it lacks the surprise factor that he gave us thirteen years ago, Lion D effortlessly gives us heaps of something else to replace it: A level of consistency placing him in VERY select company.

Rated: 4.70/5

Bizzarri Records

2022

Digital

'Showcase': A review of "Mind .vs. Heart" by Raphael

Unlock it. I know that it doesn't always seem to be the case, especially in Reggae music, but talent, a real talent always has a source. It comes from somewhere, no matter how obscure or immediate or surprising it may seem. When you stumble upon a big tune from someone who you've never heard it, chances are fairly good that, even if they don't have another of that particular class, if you do look for it, you're very likely to find something else that they've done that you'll also enjoy. It all becomes a matter of putting that skill into the proper hands of not only developing it, but presenting and promoting it in a way that the masses are able to accept it and to support it. That is, in fact, a talent of its own - as any semi-perceptive fan of the genre will tell, almost everyone gets in wrong when it comes to promotion. There are, thankfully, exceptions however and when it comes to promotion and, of course, making FINE Reggae, simultaneously, there are people who do get it correct and do so continuously. For example, let's just take someone like… maybe IrieVibrations. In terms of the actual music, the Austrian based label has as good of a recent history as almost anyone in Reggae music in recent years. Very well received albums from the likes of Luciano, Anthony B, Perfect Giddimani, Konshens & Delus and others decorate the label's history from just the past few years as does a particularly potent release from earlier this year, "Frequency" by Jahcoustix. Also, I always have to remind myself that IV earned a sizable chunk of my respect when they exercised one massive stroke of common sense just a few years back in re-releasing a wonderful album which was just a year old at the time but had already virtually vanished, "The True Stories of Mark Wonder and Friends. If you were paying attention during those respective times, you also surely noted just how popular those sets were in their day. When IrieVibrations does something, whatever it is, they do not hesitate in getting the word out there and, obviously, they also make great music. So [!], when you combine all of that, if IV were to kind of make a 'suggestion' as to someone fans might want to listen to, I think their opinion might carry a very large amount of weight, given their record. 

And if that is the case (and it is), then we all need to take a minute to stop and pay attention to one Raphael. The artist has very much been a running favourite for IrieVibrations over the past couple of years. He's appeared on a few of their releases (such as the sterling Rub-A-Dub Market Riddim), but if I recall correctly (and I usually do not) IrieVibrations made it quite well known that it was their intentions to do a Raphael album in the future and "the future" is now as we now get a big look at Raphael’s debut solo album, "Mind vs. Heart". Raphael has also voiced for quite a few other producers, most notably with our friends at Bizzarri Records (and he's also worked with Flash Hit Records), but it has been with IrieVibrations whom he has been closest associated. He's shown a whole heap of potential as well and, though it did take me a little longer to get around to (biggup procrastination), I was damn interested in hearing this album. 

Also catching my attention was something mentioned in the press release for the album (press releases, generally speaking, are awful, but the one for this album was very nice) where Raphael is quoted as saying, "People first really need to get to know me better". He's right. Raphael is someone who I've just kind of come to accept and am happy to see on a track, but it took him reaching with a new album for me to realize that I really don't know a damn thing about this man. He's just kind of seems to have shown up one day and now he refuses to leave. Also of note is the fact that he's been making music for a decade as, formerly, Raphael was part of a band called the Eazy Skankers (who I have heard of) with whom he released two albums and he's also Italian originally, with a heritage quite similar to that of Achis Reggae favourite, Lion D (biggup the Lion) (Raphael also, apparently, has giant feet which is distressing because despite, being really large, they are still considerably smaller than my own hysterically large, giant clown-like feet). As far as his music, I make comparisons between Raphael and a few other artists, but I think the best one is probably Ziggi Recado, vocally. What Raphael does bring on his own, however, is this very delightful and kind of 'loose' sound. It almost doesn't seem like he writes a song once or twice here and, instead, it seems as if he goes into the studio, hears a track and sees what happens! It is a quality which comes through throughout "Mind vs. Heart" in somewhat of a playful way and it seems that a conscious effort was made here to develop an album which was just as impacting as it was entertaining and, given his style, that was the right decision here. The album, like everything these days, comes via VPAL, the ultra-active distribution wing of VP Records (who have had an amazing year in doing albums for the likes of Midnite, Gappy Ranks, Junior Kelly, Perfect Giddimani, the aforementioned Jahcoustix and others, with Luciano set to come shortly) who are also very good at promoting projects and should serve as a very formal introduction of Raphael to the Reggae listening world. Again, you couldn't do much better than IrieVibrations in aiding in helping to make that intro and because of all that - my expectations are high and not only for this album, but for Raphael's future work as well. Does his new album ultimately point him in the proper direction? Let's see. 

Raphael

"Mind vs. Heart" is, very much, a multidimensional project which really displays a great deal of versatility in its star. We get songs of a very serious nature combined with tunes which, seemingly, only exist to make for a good time. The result may be one of the most pleasing experiences to be had on an album in 2013 and a damn fine showcase for Raphael. Following a very nice and relevant Intro, Raphael's debut solo release, "Mind vs. Heart" gets started with one of its undeniable standouts, the stirring 'Laid Back'. The earliest of opinions that I formed in regards to this tune was that (it was too short) the riddim carrying it was GOLDEN. That thing is wonderful. Also on my mind was how the tune seems to be a microcosm of the entire album as Raphael acknowledges there're so many bad things in life, but holds up other things, like music in particular, as an escape and a relief from the pressures of everyday life. It is subtle, but the tune is a very unique one in its subject and it is a MIGHTY way to get going. Next is a selection which takes itself even lighter, 'Wine With Me'. I saw the title of the tune and I thought that there was no way in the world that Raphael and IrieVibrations had gone Soca, and they hadn't, but what they did instead was to put up a SWEET love-esque type of tune centered around the dance. It comes off very easy and it even echoes the sentiments of the opener in placing itself in a social context with music, and love, once again coming to the rescue (and check the dazzling multi-lingual first verse). I believe that it is the song 'Soundblaster' which is getting the early push from the album, but the first few times that I heard it, I didn't really like it, until I really tuned it in. Lyrically, for what it is, 'Soundblaster' is nearly perfect. The song is an observation from Raphael on the state of Reggae music today and he comments on how much things have changed over the years. While I typically do not enjoy songs like this, which kind of seem to hold this 'older = better' type of mentality, I don't think Raphael's point of reference is that old and, instead, he's actually speaking on how rapidly things have changed in such a short period of time. At one point he even says, "If this a Reggae, mi no Reggae artist. Take off mi name and mi face from di list", which is a big statement of how exactly he's noticed things have changed on what shows itself to be a MASSIVE song.

'Soundblaster'

The song, 'Mind vs. Heart' wraps up the first third of the album's first quarter and, as usual, I was really interested in hearing the focal point on the record's eponymous piece. TEARS! 

"Life is a jungle, whole heap a rumble

Haffi find a way to prevail

So many trials and crosses and enemies

AND THE MOST DANGEROUS IS ME

Mind versus heart, water 'gainst stone

Who is gonna overcome and take control?

Sometime I wanna leave, then I wish to stay

Sometimes I am night, sometimes I am day

Mind versus heart, hot against cold

Who is gonna overcome and take control?

Sometimes I deh smile and sometimes I cry

Lord gimme light til the day I die

I'm fighting a war and this time it's against myself

I am hurting inside, and mi caan get no rest

I smile, I cry, show off, get shy, agree, deny, clear up and confuse again

I meditate and love, then hate

I CHANGE, THEN IT'S TO LATE

Well its harder than a labyrinth

This yah road is tougher than a maze

Lots of situations, rules and relations -

Seem to conduct straight to craze

Caan be progress if di man get weaker

NO NEED FOR A STAGE IF THERE IS NO SPEAKER

These are hard times for the deep thought seeker

NUFF A DEM SWAP BOOK FOR A SNEAKER!"

BOOM! To my opinion, this tune has no equal on the album named after it. What I took from it stands as kind of an 'anti-social commentary'. You'll hear an endless line of tunes throwing the blame of how the world is at a just as endless line of sources (a, but 'Mind vs. Heart' is really about the acceptance of some sort of self-responsibility. And, myself, as someone who has lead a very flawed existence, I always relate to songs like this which speak so candidly about how people constantly seem to get in OUR own way and our biggest obstacle CONSTANTLY is the one in the mirror. A HUGE song and the best one on this album. 

"Mind vs. Heart" features two very familiar moments which bookend its middle portions, 'Inna Dis Ya Time' and 'If Jah Is With You'. The former was a big selection from IrieVibrations' Jungle Skunk Riddim, while the latter was Raphael's cut of the aforementioned Rub-A-Dub Market. For its part, I don't know that I've ever paid as much attention to 'Inna Dis Ya Time' as I have now that it is on this album. It is a very strong effort and one which fits, seamlessly, into the type of songs on the balance of the album. Between those two pieces is a trio of decent pieces which begins with the very clever 'In Every Style'. This song perfectly epitomizes what I meant when I said that "Mind vs. Heart" had a "loose sound". Here, Raphael, intentionally, goes through a variety of different styles to make for a very light and fun moment on the album. While I wouldn't say that it is a favourite of mine, I will say that this album is a little less fun sans this particular track. Check the stirring 'Duppies Inna Dance' (and that piece of magic behind it), which deals with being making negative music and presenting negative images surrounding the music and just how unfortunately infectious both can be. And there is also the love song, 'Knocking', which isn't quite as good as 'Wine With Me', but is still more than solid on its own. 

Highlighting the final few selections on "Mind vs. Heart" is a pair of the album's official combinations which feature some highly sagacious choices by Raphael and IrieVibrations. Each and every time I hear something from Skarra Mucci, I get more and more impressed and the same could be said for his contribution to this album which is found on 'What About Us'. The DJ also made a fine appearance on Lion D's most recent album ["Bring Back The Vibes", big album, in stores now] and he adds in a major way to this excellent social commentary. 'Step Up' grabbed even more of my attention, however, as it features one of my personal favourites and one of Reggae's most talented lights in my opinion, the brilliant Tiwony. As always, the Gwada chanter turns in a flaming performance as does Raphael on this BIG call to action type of tune which is just as entertaining as it is poignant. Speaking of "poignant", the song 'Time' definitely took me a bit of time to get through because I really couldn't comprehend what was the purpose behind it. Where I eventually came to was that it is relatively close to the title track as Raphael seems to say that certain things in the world are the way that they are because mankind, as a whole, has refused, or been unable to, learn from our mistakes. 'Gideon' (ANOTHER big riddim on that song) is another piece which I can say is somewhat related to the title track (more on all of that in a minute) as it deals with emotions and the mental side of going through hard times. What I like here, besides the message, is the vibes of the song. This tune, especially, really adds a nice EDGE to the album. I get this far into things and what I'm really waiting for is Raphael to get just a little pissed off -- to lose just a little of his mind -- and this is as close to that as we get here and it turns into one of the best songs on the album in my opinion. 'She Cry' is an other-side-of-love song and it's also (probably intentionally) kind of funny and nice to listen to.

"Mind vs. Heart" also includes three "bonus tracks" (it's more like two and a half) and, if I recall correctly (and I usually do not), Jahcoustix' album did the same thing as well. In this case, 'To The Foundation' is a really big song and if you're getting that as extra or a bonus, you're getting a nice deal because it's just as good as almost anything on the fifteen songs ahead of it. Then there is 'Cool Down' which features veteran singer Michael Rose and it is even better! HOWEVER, the best bonus on the album is the final one which is a dubbed out version of 'Cool Down'. Maybe as I get older and older I become more of a Dub head because every time I seem to run into it these days (usually in very similar situations), I'm enjoying it and I also like it in this case because it kind of validates that I'm not the only one enthralled by the music which is to be found throughout this album. It is, definitely, one of its greatest features. 

Overall, I do want to remark on the kind of lasting feel of "Mind vs. Heart". It is an album which is very much the product of Raphael's head and his head is obviously focused inward, primarily. I think that to make an album which deals so much with an individual and individuals, in general, is just a great idea. And while I do not know (and I ultimately don't think that it will be) if it will be regarded or credited for being such a unique release, it definitely does deserve credit for it. So many times you go through albums which do not really offer anything new in the way of perspective, but this is not one of those. "Mind vs. Heart" is a very fresh and compelling album which, hopefully, introduces us to a talent which Reggae fans can enjoy for decades and decades to come. Raphael and IrieVibrations put on a show which is not to be missed by fans, new and old alike, of the genre on one of the best debut sets of the year. 

Rated: 4/5

IrieVibrations Records

2013

CD + Digital

Review #474

Free Stuff Vol. 8: Bizzarri Records Presents The Everywhere I Go Riddim

Yeah. Back again is the biggest and baddest label from out of Italy, Achis Reggae favourite, Bizzarri Records, providers of 2009's biggest moment, Lion D's "Burnin Melody". They seemingly have not the slightest care at all about money because everything they do, they seem to just kind of give away and this time is no exception as they now deliver the EXCELLENT bounce that is the Everywhere I Go Riddim. Still going through it as of yet, but highlights thus far include efforts from Ras Tewelde with the title track, Miss Triniti, Miss Linda and of course the Lion himself (and I do have to admit that I'm not AT ALL a fan of Dr. Ring Ding's (and I mean NOT AT ALL), but his tune, 'Rub A Dub Styler' is pretty good as well. But, don't take my word for it, have a listen for yourself and biggup Leo & Bizzarri everytime.

Download Here

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{Posted with permission from Bizzarri Records}

Free Stuff 3: No Glory Riddim

Yow!

Okay so, I get offers from people everyday, literally EVERYDAY, to post links to mixtapes and stuff like that and I never do it and I'm not about to make a habit of it, but this isn't a mixtape and even if it were, I would probably still post it.

This is the No Glory Riddim from Bizzarri Records.

WHO? My readers of course know Bizzarri because it was they who masterminded my 2009 Album of The Year The Burnin' Melody by Lion D and now they're giving away free stuff. I don't know roughly half of the artists on this 14-track set, but most of the tunes are in English, and definitely the artists that I do know, including Lion D, Lutan Fyah and Khari Kill (biggup Askala Selassie sameway) are truly big deals and you already know this. Check it

And who knows, I may even slap a review on it - just because - sometime in the next couple of weeks yeah. So enjoy!

Download the No Glory Riddim

{Note: Posted with permission (and BLESSINGS) of Bizzarri Records}

Bizzarri Records

Bizzarri Records @ Myspace

Bizzarri Records @ Facebook

The Best Reggae Album of 2009: The Burnin' Melody by Lion D

The Best of The Best

Lion D - The Burnin' Melody [Bizzarri Records]

Awhile ago, I made a Prediction Post of what exactly I thought 2010 would bring in the musical sense, after a 2009 which was just as puzzling as it was impressive. That post included a variety of post, some ridiculous, some merely bordering on ridiculous and if almost ANY of them come true, I’d probably be fairly surprised. That being said, however, NOT A SINGLE prediction in that post, not a one, coming true will surprise me as much as would someone predicting in December of 2008 about the forthcoming 2009 that the ’album of the year honour’ would belong to some obscure, unheard of UK export to Italy talent by the name of ’Lion D’. Had anyone made that prediction before the year began (or hell, maybe even six months deep into the year), then I’m prepared to declare witchcraft at play. In one of the biggest SHOCKS in my entire Reggae memory, Lion D’s The Burnin’ Melody album was THE BEST new album I heard. It also, essentially, introduced me to an artist whose name I hadn’t ever heard of before for the most part, from a label I hadn’t heard of, period. Lion D has virtually no equal on this list and in a not too good of a way. Off the top of my head I’d say that his is (and perhaps is BY FAR) the least accomplished name you’ll find at any stage of my list. He’s very young and not actually a veteran of anything in life and certainly not Reggae and as far as I know, this album was his very first and only. However, on the strength of a natural, dirty, often unrefined and just WICKED style which dominates his vibes and an obviously natural ‘feel’ for his work, he pushed The Burnin’ Melody to be the absolute best album it could be. He also pushed it to The Best Reggae Album of 2009.

The Music

#1. Money

The album’s colourful opener ‘Money’, in retrospect, was a very fitting choice because it put Lion D on a proper track in accordance to where he would ultimately go in terms of his subjectry, concerning social aspects (which he certainly does dig into throughout the album), but it doesn’t do it in a stale and clichéd type of way. That KNOCKING riddim simply will not let it be lame and sound like something you’ve heard 300 times already.

Line of the song: “Dem talk bout dem gi wi some. Still dem nah gi wi none. So man haffi rise and tek weh ah fi him own”

#2. Good Ganja Herb

Thankfully ‘Good Ganja Herb’ doesn’t let the vibes (in terms of their joviality) established on the opener drop too far and in fact, in that regard, it may actually pick it up a bit on the album’s obligatory herbalist tune. Again, here’s a subject that we’ve dealt with literally THOUSANDS of points at this time, but Lion D, seemingly without directly trying to AT ALL, makes the tune a big standout.

Line of the song: “I do not expect to be justified by the laws of men. Mi smoke the herb, cause it’s the Holy Sacrament. So, fool dem, nah fi bother with no foolish argument. If you know the thing, you better gwan go tell your friends”

#3. This Time

We had to wait until the third track on The Burnin Melody to slow things down in terms of pacing, but the vibes most certainly do not drop. It’s around this point that you kind of start to see a nice little ‘hitch’ to the Lion’s style where he doesn’t necessarily always choose the most obvious route terms of his lyrical approach and we should be grateful for that, because it’s exactly what energizes a tune like this, calling for man to do the same for himself ‘This Time‘. Energy.

Line of the song: “Nobody couldn’t stop me from try. Mi tell di whole a dem I man blessed by The Most High”

#4. Thanxgivin’

Back to feeling good and this time around, Lion D almost seems to MANDATE that you get into this one and do it with an intention to get UPFUL! This one is MIGHTY. Big knowledge packed vibes which are done very well and not only does it not have to sacrifice anything in the way of ‘melody’ or simple appeal, but ‘Thanxgivin’ actually seems to pick up in both categories, which is very unusual and in a FANTASTIC way.

Line of the song: “Thanxgivin’, for the love that I’m livin’. Mi couldn’t be ungrateful to you, Jah Jah, for you fulfill my needs and wants”

#5. Show More Love

So now that you’ve identified a source to Whom to give thanks, it’s now time to go out and put that greatwill in action and the main way you’re to do that is to ‘Show More Love’. The Lion takes things to the basic simplicities of things when he says, “if you want to change this world, you have to show more love”. Which is such a nice thing and if you notice (even by the title of the next tune), it’s something which is CLEARLY very important to the artist and when he speaks of it, his commitment definitely is palpable every time out.

Line of the song: “More love and respect to the next man. Look how you flex son. Watch how you step, ah just life over death”

#6. Love’s Takin’ Over featuring Miss Linda

‘Love’s Takin’ Over’ is a tune which now features the aforementioned and explored concept of LOVE and takes it to a more personal level and more applicable level alongside labelmate. And that’s a problem in that, if you’re not following (for whatever reason) the direction and flow of the album, you can just as easily (as I did), just write this one off as a ‘love tune’, because that’s essentially what it is. But if you do that, you not acknowledge that LOVE, in his view is much more than just something experienced within a relationship: It’s a way of life. The only way.

Line of the song: “My girl, you need more than sex. My girl, you deserve the best”

#7. Cyan Seh Me Neva Seh So

This one is just KNOWLEDGE. Lion D goes on the very simple classic Dancehall vibes in order to get his point across and he tunes in what is essentially a HEAVY straight forward deejay style. This one is certainly up for debate in terms of its prevailing message, but what I came away with here is that Lion D is saying that in certain (MANY) matters, he (WE) are protected by His Imperial Majesty to a degree where it isn’t even an issue really. It’s something which has already been accounted for and dealt with by HIM. Indeed and you already knew that.

Line of the song: “So you can’t say mi neva say so. A longtime mi ah tell you but you neva waan listen. Rasta ovastand equal rights and justice. Wi fight against the flesh. Bun wickedness in high and low places”

#8. The Only Way

If you’ve been following along even semi-successfully you already know what ‘The Only Way’ is about, but don’t worry, even though you know that, it certainly won’t spoil this wonderful tune for AT ALL for you. I’ll touch more on this later certainly, but for me, this is definitely one of the most significant tunes on the entire album in REALLY overstanding the album’s ultimate direction and the direction of Lion D as an artist as well. HUGE tune.

Line of the song: “Dash weh di fussing, say fi dash weh di fighting. Can’t be dividing but we must be uniting”

#9. Take Care

I don’t think I noticed it up until a few days ago - the kind of clever duality of ‘Take Care’. Besides being a tune, clearly, which speaks out against corrupt society, it also seems to have a bit of a ‘green’ interest in terms of maintaining the world and properly caring for it and not letting it get spoiled at all. So he’s saying ‘take care’, definitely of oneself and also of one’s surroundings, which is just so very interesting.

Line of the song: “Work hard everyday, just to get a little pay. Did you ever wonder why it have to be this way”

#10. Acoustic Thing

Lion D & Bizzarri were apparently out to ruffle feathers when they chose to push ‘Acoustic Thing’ in the middle of the album, eschewing the ’time honoured tradition’ of plopping it at the end, of course, that’s their way. The tune itself is almost an intermission of sorts, getting the listener prepared for the second half of The Burnin’ Melody, but that certainly isn’t to say that you should overlook it. In fact, it just may be one of the most complex selections of the entire lot as Lion D goes about the tune in seemingly a freestyle type of order, fusing together biblical references with his own input and of this one I have a rather sneaking suspicion that it may be FAR more deep than it lets on.

Line of the song: “So I and I shall be, like a tree plant by the river. Tree weh ago bring forth fruit in its season”

#11. Behold

Following the tune it follows, ‘Behold’ comes in with so much strength that it alone almost makes it a standout. Thankfully, because it’s sticking out like such, the piece is also a VERY strong tune and becomes more increasingly so every time I grab it. The tune itself is one which, at least for me, is a bit more simple than it seems. Ultimately what Lion D is saying is to take a moment and to APPRECIATE His Majesty for what you have, even if only just for the moment through this OUTSTANDING tune.

Line of the song: “Stay focused. Be strong inside. Hold the faith and let The Most High Jah be your guide”

#12. Live Long

I’m still kind of struggling with identifying the prevailing message of ‘Live Long’ and while I think I’m close, I’m still at the point where I’m going to declare it, for the most part, a very BROADLY written piece which certainly isn’t the norm (if he has such a thing) for Lion D, but it also, just as certainly, isn’t bad. The tune seems to be saying to “live long” so you can enjoy being alive, almost to the point of ‘make the best out of a bad situation if you have to’ type of a thing which is something I didn’t necessarily notice the first few times around. Regardless of its ultimate purpose, however (and you know I‘m still working on that), the route ‘Live Long’ takes in arriving there is BEAUTIFUL and one of the finest on the entire album to my opinion.

Line of the song: “I say you gotta live long. You gotta grow strong, no matter what a gwan. You gotta know right from wrong. And make the fyah gwan bun”

#13. Practise What You Preach

I’m just going to take this one and take it into my own (almost certainly over-scrutinized) direction. I think ‘Practise What You Preach’ is REALLY about some of Lion D’s musical peers who he’s noticed haven’t quite been living (practicing) through with messages they push forth (preach) in their tunes. I’m able to do that because it almost seems as if in the verses, the Lion removes himself from the chorus SPECIFICALLY . . . Almost as if he didn’t want to elaborate and name names . . . Hmmm.

Line of the song: “You’ve gotta learn how fi stand up on your own two feet, cause inna babylon system you can’t be weak”

#14. Hypocrite

You see the progression now I’m sure. After telling ____ to practice what they preached, ‘mysteriously’, the Lion is now speaking to a group of individuals who he refers to as ‘Hypocrite’. Interesting. This tune is vibed primarily as a Dancehall track and when you get into the verses, you see just how EXTREMELY well done it actually is. This one shows off the ‘rough around the edges’ style wonderfully as it almost seems like Lion D is losing his spot at time, but he steadily keeps rhyming and does so impressively, casting down a cleansing fire on those who are living nasty, two-faced lives.

Line of the song: “Mi nah like di dutty work weh dem a perform. They take this wonderful world and turn it upside-down. Yow, mi show di people dem say nuttin nah gwan, but di ting weh mi ah talk bout, they can’t overstand”

#15. Some Bwoy

Keeping that same notion going. You can continue to see the progression going in the Lion’s demeanour definitely. After addressing the hypocrites, the walking and talking contradictions, Lion D is coming back RANDOMLY for ‘Some Bwoy’. This tune, is another one that I feel is quite important in really grasping the concept of the album because if you really think about it, most certainly this subject has been DEFINITELY explored in the nearly seven minutes worth of two tunes that proceed it, but there’s STILL this tune as if to even further drive home the point: If you’re not living too well and seemingly have NO SHAME about it, Lion D has a problem with you and justly so.

Line of the song: “Man a Rasta! Show me no disrespect. Tell di people dem, shouldn’t now misbehave”

#16. Don’t Ramp With Me

And just in case you didn’t catch up to what was going on with the three tunes just prior to it, there’s what is still my favourite tune on The Burnin’ Melody, ‘Don’t Ramp With Me’. For this BRILLIANT tune, the Lion pulls out an aggressive old school deejay style which he just LOCKS off seamlessly. This is the final tune on this subjectry and the Lion certainly saved the best for last as he just launches into the tune, literally destroying the SWEET Dancehall one-drop underpinning it.

Line of the song: “If dem bwoy no waan fi see wi rise above dem level - Tell dem nah fi ramp wid bumbaclaat me. Mi dem caan conquer tru mi unconquerable - So dem nah fi ramp wid bumbaclaat me”

#17. Stay Conscious

The very welcomed gong which begins ‘Stay Conscious’ IMMEDIATELY and abruptly informs the listener that we’ve just changed vibes and subject matter to some degree, but it’s not as big of a shift as one might think. Having just told you how incredibly FUCKED UP you are, Lion D is seemingly in a far more caring mood and is now telling you why. Perhaps you’ve lost focus and even if you haven’t, he intends to remind you exactly what could happen if you do on a tune which builds itself SO wonderfully by its end.

Line of the song: “Mi sight it from afar. Politician dem a gwaan like dem a big superstar. But if you put your trust inna dem you mussi mad. You better put all of your trust inna The Most High God, cause the whole a dem a fraud, dem from di same cookie jar”

#18. You Know That I Love You

The first ’love song’ on the album ’Love’s Takin’ Over’ definitely is a different type of tune than ’Just Like The Way You Are’ for several reasons and for reasons far more obvious (namely one that goes by the name of ’Miss Linda’), it’s likely to get the lion’s share of the attention between the two. And while that’s certainly, in its own right, not very much of a problem, if you go about things and COMPLETELY ignore this bouncing lovely tune, you’ll do so at your own detriment because it’s arguably just as sweet.

Line of the song: “Well a longtime mi deh yah and ah wait fi you baby. But you a gwan like you nah know none already. Hey girl you got the real thing, you really drive me crazy. Yow, this ah no ‘if‘, this ah no ‘but‘, this ah no ‘maybe‘ ”

#19. Just Like The Way You Are

Keeping the vibes from the previous tune going is the far more direct ‘Just Like The Way You Are’. This tune is more flashy and dynamic, but no doubt just as strong (and maybe even stronger on some levels). This tune struck me as more personal (and that groovy-ish type of riddim is simply not to be missed) and one which, again, I’m tempted to take as a bigger vibe than merely a one-to-one type of thing, because of just how relatable it is.

Line of the song: “Girl I love you just like the way you are. Why can’t you learn to love me how I am?”

#20. Rise [featuring Lutan Fyah]

Oh yeah, you knew we’d arrive here at some point. As if I needed like a ‘boost’ of sorts to know that I’d enjoy this album, there was ‘Rise’. Buried just one track before the end of this truly MASSIVE album is a tune which features none other than LUTAN FYAH (don’t you think it would have been cool had he named himself ‘Lieutenant Fyah’?!), as if the man himself were giving his own stamp of approval to Lion D and his Burnin’ Melody. Not surprising at all, I LOVE this tune. LOVE IT. The Fyah and the Lion make a big bad combination which, to my ears, is built on an inspirational vibes despite its aggressive nature and it is absolutely huge!

Line of the song: Lion D - “Come ah talk bout ‘Raspect is due’, but when you check it out, dem nah respect you”

Lutan Fyah - “IF A GRAVE DEM AH DIG, TELL DEM FI DIG TWO. DEM FIGHT AGAINST ME, DEM WILL FIGHT AGAINST YOU!”

[WHAT!]

#21. Nah Like Da Way Deh

And lastly on this sprawlingly gorgeous album is just a free flowing tune which finds the Lion exploring and voicing a few of his concerns about how corrupt society runs itself. I could actually make a VERY strong case for the tune being simply the best tune on the entire album (but I won’t) and I think it resonates on such levels that, although I won’t list it as one of the most significant, it is a living and breathing microcosm of the album itself and maybe even Lion D. It’s certainly not perfect, by any stretch of the definition of the word (unless you just make some shit up), but how many categories it has as been DAMN NEAR PERFECT is a wonder. Quite rough around the edges still and maybe it’ll always be so, but at the same time, I have a hard time tuning it out. Don’t you? [And I LOVE how the tune just stops at ~2:45 and goes straight instrumental, saxophone driven, until its end at 6:08!]

Line of the song: “Dem love fi chat and neva check it out dung deh. Some bwoy a talk, but dem neva take a walk dung deh. Ah whappn to dem? Mi see dem fraid fi come dung deh. True dem know say brim fyah ahgo bun dung deh”

Synopsis

Of course with a title like that the obvious question regarding The Burnin’ Melody is - Exactly what in the hell is it? And when I began to think about this album in terms of scrutinizing it to the point of doing such a post with it, it was the dominating thought and factour. However, after digging through just a few tunes, I’m well convinced that if ‘The Burning Melody’ is an actual concept and more than just a cool ass nickname (and it is) (and you know it is) for Lion D and his style, it’s completely crystal clear what it is: LOVE. I’d even go a step further, however, and say that even if ‘the burning melody’ isn’t love, it really doesn’t matter in regards to overstanding the point of the album, because LOVE clearly is the “point”. Just to explore that even further though, if that concept (of the melody burning) is actually a concept, it is one so very interesting that I simply have to talk about it in such terms for a moment.

Clearly if the melody which is burning is one which is related, in any dominating way, to the concept of the album named for it, it is a melody of love, burning a fire (or in a fire) which is also of love. You see this, not only in the early stringing together of tunes on the subject, but also later on when, in my opinion, the Lion begins a more harsh and judgmental stretch of tunes in order to show what happens in the absence of love. This string - ‘Practise What You Preach’ to ‘Hypocrite’ to ‘Some Bwoy’ and finally ‘Don’t Ramp With Me’, show an increasingly agitated Lion D, seemingly ‘swimming’ further and further away from love, so it (the attitude/approach) becomes increasingly necessary. STILL, at his absolute harshest, ‘Don’t Ramp With Me’, he still doesn’t go full on the offensive. Almost as if to show that he, himself, isn’t devoid of love Lion D leaves a gap of hope on the tune’s chorus:

“Me nah trouble no one

So mi nah waan no trouble”

And even on the other tunes, he only goes on the lyrical offensive when disrespected in some way, shape or form. And from there, I’ll go back to what I feel is the simplistic source of LOVE on the album, the tune ‘The Only Way’. As I said, I think this tune is incredibly important in gaining the fullness of the album, because it CLEARLY states the intentions and circumstances of the entire project:

“Love is the only way to move forward

Let’s get together and love one another”

You don’t need me nor my incredibly large vocabulary to interpret that for you. And you can take that line of tunes going back from the second tune on the album (yep, even ’Good Ganja Herb’) all the way to the ‘intermission’ of ‘Acoustic Thing’ and see love DIRECTLY discussed there, but of course, it keeps going throughout.

So should this burning melody be of any significance to the album, from a definitional point of view, it would most certainly have to be LOVE or something very closely related.

Getting back to the reason why I love this album so much, after scrutinizing it to the point of fulfilling a post like this, I’m an even bigger fan than I already was and even more convinced of the standing of The Burnin‘ Melody. The album has such a very unusual STRENGTH to it that I almost don’t know how to categorize it. I don’t know much of Lion D still, however, I would guess that he’s been very influenced by the same artists that have influenced me, such as Sizzla Kalonji and especially Capleton, because of the style which he brings is very much of this kind of ‘ghetto refined’ type which perhaps comes with the sense that while he may not have spent much time in a music school of any sorts (and I don’t know if he did or if he didn’t), but instead has much more of a NATURAL TALENT. Certainly he isn’t as refined as Nereus Joseph, Ras Attitude or Tarrus Riley. He isn’t as intelligent (musically speaking, of course) as Queen Ifrica, Sizzla or Lutan Fyah. And frankly he may not even be as naturally talented as Tiwony or Black Dillinger (and clearly Lion D isn’t as all around evil as Mad Cobra) (that goes without saying), but what he lacks in those dimensions, Lion D makes up for it by sheer determination, a clear TRUE belief in what he chants about and exercising something which he most likely received at birth. All of this is what helped to push his album to the head of the pack. Is it a modern classic? Of course, as are, arguably, each and every album in the top five of this list and The Burnin’ Melody is also The Best Reggae Album Of 2009. Period.