Completely Random Thoughts #47: Intoxication of A Certain Kind

"don't fast forward, baby just rewind"

Okay so, as I've said in the past, one of the best things about someone doing a new album, at least for me, is that along with getting to enjoy that new album (hopefully it is enjoyable) we, as fans, also get a big reason to take a musical trip back to what they've also done up to that point. And specifically for me (because I'm a nerd), I like to make comparisons in terms of quality and sound and who played on the album and the producers and the studios and everything like that, so it is also always interesting to be able to notice and detail that progression or even regression in some cases. These days (at least until I get my paws on Midnite's "Be Strong") the album currently occupying my over-thinking is the latest from Gentleman, "New Day Dawn", besides spending hours upon hours wondering intensely exactly why they didn't stick an 'A' at the beginning of the title of the album, what I've been looking at mostly is… how "[A] New Day Dawn" has turned me back into the direction of an amazing little album from nine years ago, the incredible "Confidence".

"joy is what you've given me throughout the years"

Just in terms of actual enjoyment, and leaving things such as profound meaning, the manifesting of challenging thought and general enlightenment, aside for the moment (we'll get there in a second), I have to say that "Confidence" is one of the best pieces that the entirety of modern Roots Reggae music has ever produced. It was completely scintillating from beginning to end and literal step forward for Gentleman, himself. Looking back, it also helped to establish a level, even higher than its predecessor, "Journey To Jah" (another all-time great), which Gentleman (and very few others) have managed to top from then. So when we look at albums like "New Day Dawn", "Diversity" and definitely "Another Intensity", which immediately followed it, the thought may be "is this album as good as "Confidence". And it even speaks further to the quality of the release that despite the fact that none of them have been, they're still looked upon and respected as the wholly solid compositions that they were and, obviously, the final word hasn't even began to be written on the latest album, so it may have an even brighter 'dawn' than its two predecessors - while existing under this gorgeous 'quality umbrella' known as "Confidence". 

"anytime you need me, I will be there my dear, I swear"

I think it's partially due to the great career that Gentleman has gone on to have that "Confidence" remains relevant and pertinent in some aspects, however, as a stand-alone project, it continues to absolutely thrill listeners nearly a decade following its release date. The greatest reason for this musically, in my opinion, is because it very much is that profound album which challenges and enlightens listeners in a way which may prove to have no actual shelf-life. Whatever you were looking for and however you look at this one, it was a winner. Through the most superficial of glancing spins, as I said, the album was very entertaining and could serve very well as just something to play in the background and not fully pay attention to, because it was so sonically pleasing to hear. HOWEVER, should you scratch the surface in any way and at almost any point, what YOU had was a master class in writing for the genre and also one in terms of delivery. Here, Gentleman was passionate. He was curious. He was in love. He was sad. He was dazzled. He was uninterested. He ran the gauntlet of emotions - making a set which echoed and continues to echo life in so many ways. Simultaneously, Gentleman also managed to make a set which was PERFECT and one of the greatest that I have ever heard. 

"no mistaking in everything you do"

'Stripped Away': A review of "New Day Dawn" by Gentleman

Streamlined. When you reach the highest level of pretty much anything and prove that you can maintain and stay there with some type of consistency, you have done a variety of remarkable things. Musically speaking (because that's what we do here, but the same is true in practically any walk of life), this is something which is most immediately exemplified by someone's style. Of course, you can have a big tune, or a few of them, and be on your way, but for someone who reaches the top and stays there, they have demonstrated themselves to be the very most capable and dazzling artists around. No matter what you do to them, they still do whatever they do better than anyone on the planet. For instance, when we speak of dazzling in Reggae, we can go in a whole heap of different ways, but definitely somewhere at the peak of all things Reggae is superstar Tarrus Riley. Riley is someone who makes such an intoxicating form Roots Reggae that it has, arguably, lead to a point where he has become the current face of the genre, if you were to place it in a single direction. His case is very interesting for these purposes because, just last year, Riley would show exactly what would happen if you took away things from the outer reaches of his style when he delivered the master class that was "Mecoustic". The result? Nothing much. He was still wholly brilliant. Richie Spice would do a similar thing with his "Soothing Sounds" and you know who else would? Busy Signal's "Reggae Music Again", the single best album of 2012 in my opinion, was also devoid of his typical… adventurous… Busy Signal-ness and in a year of magic, he was the ace magician. Well, now we add someone else to that group who takes his latest offering in a slightly similar direction, German Reggae superstar, Gentleman. Well before you even get into his music, Gentleman's is a very interesting case, on paper. He's probably the single most popular current Reggae star from out of the whole of Europe and he has enjoyed that status, recording with some of the biggest names in the genre (and even some outside of it) in terms of both producers and vocalists. So much so has that been the case that, probably more so than anyone else in recent memory is known for making truly amazing combinations and his roster of artists with whom he has recorded is more impressive than anyone that I can currently think of.  

The solo albums of Gentleman

But what if all of that vanished? What if Sizzla Kalonji, Capleton, Luciano, Bounty Killer, Anthony B, Tanya Stephens, Jah Cure, Morgan Heritage, Queen Omega, Junior Kelly, Ziggi Recado, Mark Wonder, Mikey General, Diana King, Ras Shiloh and the rest of the RIDICULOUS lot of artists with whom Gentleman has collaborated in the past were not available? What if Bobby Digital didn't have a track? Or Pow Pow? Or Al.Ta.Fa.An? Or Black Scorpio? And what if Don Corleon was infinitely on the road with Protoje and just didn't have the damn time?! What if this man couldn't even find Daddy Rings' and Jack Radics' phone numbers??? What might happen if all of that occurred (besides a black hole opening and devouring us all)? 

"Live Your Life" w/Richie Stephens [2012]

What might happen is a "New Day Dawn". Yes, Gentleman does have some of the finest connections in the history of Reggae music (and a pretty good reputation to go with it, obviously), but that is not all he has. He also has developed a perfected a style in which, when at his best, modern Roots Reggae has all the immediate and attention-grabbing appeal of the commercially more friendly Dancehall. Gentleman's command of melody, even on slow songs, is amongst the very best of anyone we have on the scene today. Also, he has something which I don't think he gets nearly enough credit for (and he never has): Gentleman may be one of the better lyricists in Reggae today and whenever I really tune in his music, even some of the material which I am not in LOVE with, this becomes crystal clear. I'd sum it up by saying his talent, on the whole, is a spectacular one and one of the most well-rounded skill sets of the era. To date, he has utilized it all in a great way - through now six solo studio albums, two of which, "Journey To Jah" from 2002 and "Confidence" four years on, form a pair of the best albums I have EVER heard (I'd likely have the latter somewhere in my top ten even) from anyone. Most recently was the packed "Diversity" album from 2010 and, just last year, Gentleman would return on a combination album (big shock!) with longtime friend and musical sparring partner, Richie Stephens, "Live Your Life", for Stephens' Pot Of Gold imprint. The release of "Live Your Life" definitely blunted a bit of anticipation for Gentleman's next solo venture (despite the fact that Stephens, himself, actually released a solo album last year), but if you go by what happens on "New Day Dawn", perhaps that was a pretty good strategy. In the absence of combinations and big named producers, the new album is helmed by Gentleman which is the first of its kind. He was reportedly involved in every aspect of its construction, so although it lacks what its elder siblings had in the way of anticipations and expectations, surely it is a very personal release for the actual artist. It also comes with more of an 'independent' and 'free' type of a feel to it - almost as if Gentleman just decided to write some songs and hire some musicians and make an album. Coming from someone who did the "Confidence" album which had none of that going for it (and subsequently was spectacular in every conceivable way), I think it is a very nice bit of deviation and while I have mixed feelings about its existence on the whole (more on that in closing), "New Day Dawn" is still a Gentleman album and while that may not have meant a great deal in 2003, in 2013 it is HUGE deal and it does not disappoint. Let's discuss!

Of course, from a selfish point of view, the biggest drawback of a more 'aerodynamic' album is that I'll now have to wait even longer for the inevitable Gentleman/Sara Lugo MONSTER combination. Presumably it should happen at some point. But until it does and the world performs the single biggest act of common sense since the invention of hands and feet what we have is the sterling new project from Gentleman, "New Day Dawn", which begins its journey with… 'The Journey'. BOOM! The album, sets itself in a major way with its golden and jovial opener on which Gentleman tells all that, no matter the opposition which awaits, he is prepared for what is to come.

"So many time dem diss di order

Dem waan mi fi stop, but mi ahgo push harder

And even when di road of life get broader

Mi seh mi still ah claim dis yah reward yah

When di journey get longer

And nuff a dem ah get weaker

Hold on for a second

Unuh wait a minute!

Di thing just ah start

Unuh think it finished!

Mi no just come inna di ting a long time mi inna it!

AND NOW DI LIGHT SHINE SO BRIGHT AND NONE A DEM CAN DIM IT!

So when you hear mi pon a riddim, you no hear no gimmick!

Mi nah back down inna di race because I'm bound to win it

All who care bout life just give it and live it!

And if di music take mi higher, I am with it legit!"

This is a song which very much identifies both of Gentleman's best attributes in my opinion. It features such a wonderful and ENTERTAINING melody that you almost don't want to move on to the second track (even though it's very good also) and lyrically, it is so well written and it also is written in a way which not only captures, but utilizes the vibes of the song. A glowing start, with the single best tune on the regular edition of the album. Things slow down on that next tune up, the heavy 'Road Of Life'. I labeled this one a 'social commentary', but it really isn't. Despite its somewhat solemn approach, 'Road Of Life', at least to my ears, is an inspirational selection. It is most about maintaining one's course in the eyes of the bad and oppressive forces that we face on "the road of life". From those bad things, Gentleman also wants you to 'Walk Away', which comes BOOMING through following 'Road Of Life', on which it builds wonderful. This tune is so intense but, like the opener, it is written in way in which the lyrics (regardless of their delivery) (although it matches as well, of course) match the nature of the tune behind it. It doesn't seem like the type of song which would receive such a large amount of attention, but for me it is EASILY one of the best songs on "New Day Dawn", where Gentleman says that no matter what your situation is, there is always a better and more sensible route to take. 

"Mi nah tell you fi tek dis honour

A fi yuh life, you can do what you wanna

But if you draw fi di guns and di hammer

Next thing mi know, you ahgo draw fi di bomber!

Take a check and sort out ya grammar

Sentence nuh right, boy you need a few comma

But if you don't stop and stammer-

Then you haffi talk in front of 'your honour'"

Though I may not be wildly fond of every tune on "New Day Dawn", I do have to say that there is not a single piece on this album which is not at least GOOD. At the head of the remaining is definitely the tune which is receiving the lion's share of attention and deservedly so in my opinion, 'You Remember'. On a strictly sonic aspect, 'You Remember' is absolutely flawless. If such a thing exists as a perfect song, then it would be such a thing on that specific level. Gentleman's vocal additions - on how much the world has changed - take it even higher and make it a crystal clear choice as a song to receive the push it already has. I also wouldn't at all be surprised if the title track would someday be up for a similar promotion. It also has a very forceful sound to it, but I might say that lyrically it's even stronger than 'You Remember' in some respects. This song was of obvious great interest to me because the title is one which could lead you in so many different directions, one of which is kind of clichéd, but it doesn't go there and, instead, the artist makes a statement of change and an impetus of change (on one song!) and I think if they really take it in, this tune could help a lot of people and You and I might be two of them. Also ranking on that level is another offering which has already generated considerable buzz (I hate that word, "buzz" - I truly hate it), 'Where Is the Love'. In terms of it's subject, this piece isn't too dissimilar from the title track, but I do think that it's slightly better of the two. I'd tell you to REALLY focus on what is being said here and, by extension, every song on this album because THAT is the real star of "New Day Dawn".

'You Remember'

I'd also the sterling 'Closer to The Light' in that category of top ranking tunes on this album. No other song here is as straight-forward of a praising piece as this one and it well shines in that role.

"Time fi release di tension! 

Talk di words wi neva mention!

Go so then and bun out dem invention! 

Dem evilous intention!

Dem gather up at dem convention!

Si dem waan decrease people pension

Wi all need redemption -

From dem oversized clip extension

Tell dem fi put it pon suspension

Haffi pay attention -

TO REACH A DIFFERENT DIMENSION -

WAY BEYOND DEM COMPREHENSION"

Gentleman is someone who I have to give credit to for this because he routinely does something which I always complain as being lacking in the music in terms of the writing (as does Malika Madremana coincidentally) (new album, "The Race" in stores now): He makes songs praising The Almighty, but he does it with a way that features tangible world connections, so it becomes accessible and meaningful to people from a variety of faiths and different walks of life, which should be the goal in making a song like that, in my opinion. 'Another Drama' is a favourite of mine as well (with that diamond of a riddim beneath it). An obvious social commentary, this track is one which I'm really high on as improving more and more the more you listen to it and I wouldn't be surprised if a few years from now it stood as THE best song on "New Day Dawn" to my ears. And speaking of stuff improving, I also hesitate to mention 'Memories' here. It doesn't grade as high as these other songs on me, yet, but it may soon be reaching there. 

Rounding out the album is a trio of selections which I'm not as fond as the others but, as I said, there are no bad moments on this album. 'In My Arms' is probably the best of them and you can hear it, it is a good song and a kind of a colourful lover's song and one whose presence does make the album a stronger one. There's also a song called 'Wings To Fly', which is decent and has a beautiful sound which is certainly growing on me, but this tune has a situation which I'll speak on more later. A good piece still. Lastly is the closer of "New Day Dawn", the acoustic 'Homesick'. I've spent a bit of time on this one and I haven't reached the point where I can say that it is on the 'incline' in terms of my appreciation of it just yet. But even it is a decent song and, perhaps, in a different situation (again, more on that in a minute), I might even enjoy it more. 

Of course, things are not that simple as on "New Day Dawn", just as was the case on the "Diversity" album, there is a Deluxe Edition, which features five more tracks, including an instrumental. One of these songs, 'Humanity's Glory' is my absolute favourite song on any edition of this album. It is a MASSIVE song about accepting and hailing the finest aspects of living life, while smashing the negative. You listen to this tune and the track is simple enough, but the lyrics explode vividly and on an album with more than one song of a similar topic, THIS is what happens when things move perfectly. 

"Bless up the people who ah step up inna life

Working for humanity's glory

From you know what you doing is right

Time is gonna tell di story

Nuff a dem, wi si dem living up tight

So dem gonna fret and ah worry

From you know what you doing is right

Time is gonna tell di story

Heart haffi clean, mind haffi pure

Lock di machine, no skull nuh fi bore

Wi deh pon di scene and wi waan feel secure

Cah di people caan take it no more!

Mi seh gwan fly di gate and open up di door

Revolution in di street

This is not like before!

If a hate dem ah come wid, wi got love and that's the cure

And glorious things can never be ignored

Bless up the people who ah step up inna life

Working for humanity's glory

From you know what you doing is right

Time is gonna tell di story

Nuff a dem, wi si dem living up tight

So dem gonna fret and ah worry

But you know what you doing is right

Time is gonna tell di story

Nuff a dem a shark, nuff a dem a whale

Dem don't have no heart and dem waan si yuh fail

Dem lock up inna di dark and dem waan curtail

But dem caan stop that ship from sail

Certain people neva change, dem love to blackmail

Dem waan kill di righteous wid dem hammer and dem nail

But one day dem chain will come offa di rail

Boom, MI SEH LOVE OVER HATE WILL PREVAIL!

Bless up the people who ah step up inna life

Working for humanity's glory

From you know what you doing is right

Time is gonna tell di story

Nuff a dem, wi si dem living up tight

So dem gonna fret and ah worry

But you know what you doing is right

Time is gonna tell di story

Mi seh bless up, bless up, a dat mi seh

Just bless up, stress up, go search fi a way

Nuff waan give up and mi seh dem gone astray

Dem no waan be around to see another day!

When mi sing a song - ambitious and be focused

Dem waan fi treat you like you inna circus

Dem si you and dem don't know yuh purpose

BUT A LOVE WI COME FI GI DEM INNA SURPLUS!"

The song hits new lyrical heights on an album which, generally, already exists in the clouds. Check the fun 'I Keep Going', which adds more than a little bite to "New Day Dawn" and continues to provide a crucial message. There is the flashy 'Push Come To Shove', which isn't a favourite of mine here and that it makes it all the more frustrating that I can't get this damn song out of my head. And finally (I mean it this time) (kind of, but you know I have more to say) is a very, very good song and a damn infectious one and a great idea, ‘Heart of Rub-A-Dub'. This tune finds Gentleman turning back the proverbial clock and observing the old school days of Dancehall and placing it in a very modern and very BEAUTIFUL package. This song may not get a significant push (because it is only on one version of the album), but if it did, I think it could do some significant damage. 

Okay! A couple of things stand out in my mind in reference to "New Day Dawn". The first isn't my original idea, so I'll give credit to the source. One of our absolute favourite readers, Steven (biggup yourself Steven) (hear from Steven usually maybe once every three or four months and he always has something really interesting and INTELLIGENT to say), who is a big fan of Gentleman's and has taught me a lot of things over time. He made an excellent point when he made a connection between this album and the "Another Level" record. That piece was the first album after "Confidence" (which was the first album after "Journey To Jah"), so it had a great deal to live up to and while it didn't hit those lofty levels and isn't remembered as having done so, it was still a really good album and, like Steven, I think "New Day Dawn" is a better album than "Another Intensity". The other thing that I wanted to say is my critique of this album is its mood. I alluded to it in reference to 'Wings To Fly'. That song sounds like quite a few on this album in terms of its disposition and pacing, but there are a few which're just better at it, like 'Road Of Life'. So I think if we look at it as a seventeen track album, maybe trimming it down to thirteen or fourteen may've made this one even stronger. And I want to say that those songs that I might cut out aren't bad and as I tried to say for 'Homesick', if you plop them on a different album where they aren't around so much similar and better material, maybe I enjoy them even more. 

Gentleman

Overall, "New Day Dawn", is very good. Like I said, despite the absence of so many things we normally see, including huge expectations, this is still A GENTLEMAN ALBUM, which virtually guarantees its quality will be high. However, I don't learn a great deal from this album and it isn't one which builds his legacy in such a monumental way (unless, of course, Gentleman turns out to be this amazing producer who just starts turning out albums for so many different people) (like Ziggi Recado). I already knew he was exceptional and there's nothing here which comes as a surprise. I knew he was capable of THIS eleven years ago. Yet, while "New Day Dawn" may not break a significant amount of ground, it comes through as yet another glowingly apparent example of precisely how talented Gentleman is. At his best or at anywhere near it, he remains one of the genre's most compelling figures and is so because of his SKILL. It doesn't really matter what you give him or what you take away. Very strong and rising. 

Rated: 4.60/5

Universal

2013

CD + Digital

Review #438

'THANK YOU!!!': A review of "The Race" by Malika Madremana

For nice things! Though it certainly had a very large pair of shoes to fill, 2012 is turning out to be a very good one for reggae fans , particularly all fifteen or so of us who actually pay attention to albums. It's been good. And while I could go into the biggest of names who have already made appearances this year and those who are set to do so shortly (on May 28th), today we're going to hail a very welcomed personal surprise for me and someone who has just made my 2013 listening experience a much, much sweeter one. Previously making a similar contribution, for me, earlier this year were the likes of Ras Army and, especially, Lion D. Army is definitely one of the most respected artists from out of the Virgin Islands and while his new album, "Dredlocks Time" may not have been the most popular set of the year, it was wonderful for me and is still growing. Similarly, Lion D's KNOCKING "Bring Back The Vibes" album was a fantastic followup to one of the better albums that I’ve ever heard and I was well happy to see a great general response to that one as well. And there have been others, but I don't know that the mere existence of any album through the first four months and week of this year has brought as great of a smile to my face as the album from one of our more 'elusive' favourites did - the wonderful and captivating Malika Madremana! Be it making some of the most captivating Roots Reggae music that you'll hear from anyone (more on that in a second), singing a healthy backup for several of my other favourites, having a really, REALLY cool name or just being a very nice person who even honoured us with an interview from a few years back (before I realized that I was… really bad at interviews), Madremana has been someone who has managed to stay on my radars and do so effortlessly. That was despite the fact that she hadn't exactly been the most active of names in the studio and while you would hear from occasionally on projects, it had now reached a point where it was more than six years from the last time that we had heard from her on a full album release. Well we know that all good things do come to end, but apparently bad ones do too and look who's back! DAMN! 

"Healing" [2005] & "Elixir" [2007]

 Previously, Malika Madremana had pushed a pair of albums a few years ago. The first was "Healing" from 2005 - an album which I will ALWAYS remember, if for no other reason than it carried what was rather easily one of the best songs I've ever heard, 'Just Jah'. The entire album was nice as well and it placed her difficult-to-forget name in my brain permanently. A couple of years on she would test my memory (and I would pass), as in 2007 Madremana would reach with her sagacious sophomore set, "Elixir". That album came via GreenSphere Records who, in that same calendar year, would also do albums for both Ras Attitude and Ras Batch which would feature starring contributions from Madremana and, also, her singing a great deal of backups as well. She's really been involved in some great moments and 2013 now brings a particularly one great one for her. 

Malika Madremana and Big Cup Music now invite You and I to join "The Race". While the two previously mentioned albums featured the work of Blaak Lung (biggup Blaak Lung - new album "Signs Of Change", in stores now) with whom Madremana was most closely associated with musically, but things have changed over the past couple of years or so. In 2011 the singer of Puerto Rican heritage would appear on a record from a band called Dub Vision which [I THINK] is the backing band of the venerable Don Carlos, called "Counter Attack". I remember being SO excited to see that she had a tune on that album 'Child of Israel', because it may've been the first new song that I'd heard from her in a couple of years or so at that point. Obviously I wasn't the only one who was pleased by that union as a David Lodge from Dub Vision is the maestro behind the new album, "The Race". I consider myself a patient person and I am, but I was SOOOOOOO happy to see this album materialize. I have been waiting on it, whatever "it" was going to be -- new album from Malika Madremana -- for six years and, going into it, I am very happy for its circumstances. Furthermore, and most importantly, a new album offers a new opportunity to enjoy and experience the magnificent music of Malika Madremana again. If you haven't listened to a great deal of her output in the past (SHAME ON YOU!), as I said, Madremana has a style which is so infectious and so dazzling that she makes a genre which is often regarded (incorrectly in my opinion - the greats, inherently distinguish themselves all of the time) as somewhat template-based and formulaic, seem so far from that. Also, as I've said in the past, she is a terrific writer and as someone who has heard song after song saying the same damn thing in the same damn way, it's very refreshing to hear someone who not only can offer a unique perspective and opinion on certain topics, but even where she may hold the prevailing opinion, Madremana can always be depended on to have a fascinating and often thrilling way of delivering that message to the masses. The full result is someone who I feel is appreciable by any type of fan, new and old, and I write these things and try to give as precise of a recommendation that I can and hopefully I'm accurate, but I can now confidently say that if you're the oldest and most jaded Roots Reggae fan on the planet, you'll like her work. Similarly (actually not similarly), if you're fully new to the genre, you'll also be able to find something in what she does so well. Want an example? Let's take a listen to her new album.

'Good People' single [2013]

The first thing you notice about the tracklist of this album which may actually be a problem isn't a problem at all and, actually, at the time when I first saw it, I didn't think it would be. There're ten songs on this album and it has a running time of just over forty minutes. Yes, when it's complete you want more (and even if she made an album with two-hundred songs on it, you'd still want more), but this isn't a 'thin' album. Malika Madremana is someone who can accomplish a great deal in such time and does throughout the album. Also, every song here is very good (AT LEAST), so it definitely appears that it went through some fairly meticulous planning before arriving. When "it", the brand new album from Malika Madremana, "The Race" does arrive it does so on the strength of one of its mightiest moments, 'Mi Deyah'. I know this song, or at least a version of it by the name of 'I'm Prepared', from somewhere and the updated piece is full on magical!

"I was there when Columbus spread diseases

I was living in swamps with leaches

I was listening to Garvey's speeches -

To receive the message of my Fathers teachings

So what can you bring to me I haven't seen yet?

YOU COULD KILL ME A THOUSAND TIMES BUT I'LL STILL GET UP

You can't do nothing to me that I ain't seen

No disease

No bullets

No pain

I'M NOT AFRAID OF HEAVEN!

I'm still here

Yes mi deh ya!

And Madremana ain't going nowhere

Many will drop out, but I'm here to stay

I feel like I got scars from thousands of years

Now I'm here again by the grace of my Father -

Rastafari send HIS children to the nearest and farthest regions -

Of the earth, to replenish the youth with truth and rights

Message of salvation

So hold on!

We almost deh ya!

Hey Jah Jah children got nothing to fear

No man, no woman, no demon could take away the love of Jah Rastafari keeps us near

So evil beware

We got the fire of Jahova in wi stare

No dutty business, no wicked betrayer

Just Jah by our side

NEXT TIME!

NEXT LIFE!

SAME SOUL!

NEW BODY!

WE'LL BE DEH YAH!"

BOOM! GRRRR! The song opens things with an unexpected, but wholly appreciated and LOVED bite and edge to the album musically and in terms of its direction. I could take this one in so many different directions because it speaks on so many of them, particularly the Afrikan Diaspora and how oppressed people have maintained throughout history, but in any case - whatever you take from it - 'Mi Deyah' is MAMMOTH (but there is one song on this album I like even more)! Next up is the first single from "The Race", 'Good People'. I really like the 'nature' of this song and its premise and it really illuminates what I meant when I said that she has a really unique perspective on specific topics. This song is interesting early because instead of pointing out what is WRONG, Madremana does cover it and does acknowledge that things are not perfect, but she points to what is RIGHT in the world. There are still so many good people who will help you and good situations you can thrive in despite your current situation ["Don't believe the world is doomed"]. It is that intelligent marriage of acknowledging the bad, but highlighting and supporting the great which really made me a fan of this song and I think it will do the same to you. So! After telling us that she hasn't gone anywhere and that she knows so many good people, Malika Madremana needs one more thing during the opening kilometer of this race - she needs 'Someone to Dance Wit' (DUH! What else would she need!). I have to say that some of the most fun I've ever had has been in dancing by myself, but dancing by myself has never been as fun as this song which came as a complete, but an entirely welcomed surprise to my ears.

"I gotta call up on a Friday afternoon about a dance -

My girls were trying to bring me to

I took a chance, something I really never do 

But it had been so very long -

Since I had chilled

I work so hard to pay the bills and I was thrilled

To be kicking it in the party on the real 

I NEEDED SOMEBODY TO COME AND SEAL THE DEAL -

On the real

And it was so nice

I checked, the sound system's right

The place is packed up tight

I'm in the spot tonight

And I'm looking for some fun

It's Friday night

The moon is shining bright

Over the party lights and I'm looking for someone right

Now I got money in my pocket and I got family all around

But there is one thing that I am missing 

I hope he's somewhere to be found

I NEED SOMEONE TO DANCE WITH ME!"

When you hear this song, you are going to want to dance with someone! It may or may not be Malika Madremana (but it probably will be, though by the end of the song she does find someone, the kind of lion she likes, to dance with, so it does have a happy ending), and it surely won't be me, but be careful, don't hurt yourself and have a good time. The song is excellent and a fine changeup of the vibes on "The Race".

Still, to my opinion the finest moment on the album is the tune for which it is named after. 'The Race' is absolutely spectacular! I was very interested in the direction of this song (especially because it is the title track) and it did not disappoint in any way. The song is like a historical/social commentary which takes its name for the "race" as in 'human race' and how some people have actually turned it into a competition and, subsequently, have ‘false-started' - leaving the rest of the world behind. She embraces the sporting aspect of the foundational idea and expands on it BRILLIANTLY!

"Red flag!

Whistle or something!

Referee - ain't saying nothing

How can we catch up with something so far?

We're trying so hard and crying 'false start'!

Stop and restart the race!

Hearts can reset the pace!

Don't you know haste makes waste

Trip and end up flat on your face

You're disgraced

Cheaters never take first place"

That song is going to open a lot of eyes and I'll tell you - if you have never heard of Malika Madremana and want an idea of exactly what she is capable of, your journey here starts at 'The Race'. BOOM! The fascinating 'Let Mi Lion Roam' rounds out the first half of the run and while I definitely don't know for sure, the song seems to be a personal one for Madremana. It is based on being on the outside of the situation where she has someone who is unfairly incarcerated and how it affects those at home and what she goes through in trying to be helpful in the situation. Though it may or may not personal to her, it is entirely relatable and she eventually broadens it out and makes sure that the masses are able to find something familiar in several very clever ways.

We've reached the halfway point of "The Race" and head home beginning on another sharp and DEEP turn, 'Invisible Beauty'. Give me a minute with this one: Okay, first of all I think the song is ultimately about unity and stripping away things like 'race' [ethnicity and skin colour] and seeing the inner person for what they are. On top of that, this is a GORGEOUS piece! Sounding like an amalgam of one part Roots Reggae and one part Zouk, the beauty of 'Invisible Beauty' is immediately apparent, however, should you dig a little deeper, the gift you receive for your troubles is an even better song and one of the best here. Next up is the autobiographical 'Jah Is Wit Me'. Here, Madremana outlines what not only brought her to the musical world, but what [WHO] guided her in the direction of making the type of music that she does. Though fairly serious, I really enjoy what seems to be a loose type of feeling which is exceptionally clear on the tune's second verse where things just brighten up and you can literally HEAR the smile on Madremana's face while she is singing! 

"Now check it, something happened to me around age ten

One night I had to face a spiritual awakening 

And ever since that day I wasn't the same again

I FELT SO ALIVE!

MY VISION WAS BRIGHT!

MY SENSES WERE SO HIGH!

Now check it, some my call it 'blessing'

Some say 'it's a burden'

To have a conscious mind and a healthy wisdom but -

LET JAH BE YOUR GUIDE!

YOU KNOW HE WON'T LEAVE YOUR SIDE!

YOU KNOW HE'LL MAKE THINGS ALRIGHT!"

Things slow down a bit on the lovely and poignant 'Love Is Easy'. This song, as its title does suggest, is so simple and so straight forward and I think that is a quality which so much helps its presentation. If 'Love Is Easy', then it shouldn't take you through a great struggle to explain it to me and this very calming, yet powerful, piece really captures that moment very well. 'Tradition' finds Madremana giving honour to those who came before her and paved the proverbial way as well as the historical and present effect it has had on those so fortunate enough to be able to encounter it at some point in our lifetimes (Yes! She made a song about You and I). 

"Now I'm a sing my songs of culture

Yes, I'm a sing my songs of love

Like Jacob Miller, Peter Tosh and Bob Marley did, when they were singing to us long ago

Jacob said "forward ever and a backwards never"

We hold the riddim steady, keep the lyrics so clever

Can't sever - Jah children from righteous endeavour

24/7 culture we deliver

Not going to switch, even a little bit

No star, we got to go through with it

No war too big - we can conquer it

Our love can conquer it

Just follow we tradition

Tradition -

Stand for truth and rights and hold the under derision

Cause their mission's division

Rastafari stand firm

Sing ya song

Keep on coming like waves on the ocean

Like clouds, forever floating, many hungry minds are open

And the food that they're open for is word, song and spoken

TRUE WISDOM AWOKE AND IT'S GLUE FOR THE BROKEN"

BOOM AGAIN! BOOM UNTIL HURTS! The song is respectful, but it is also Roots Reggae revelry of the highest caliber and one of my favourite songs on this album and I won't be alone in that (if I am it says nothing about me and everything about the rest of you). Finally is 'Miles & Miles' which is only ninety seconds long and is as much of an instrumental as it is as a vocal song. Dub Vision is a band and they give a fine showcase of what they can do on the fittingly titled closer of "The Race", 'Miles & Miles' which also does have relevance as a lyrical performance because Madremana never wastes a track, especially not one as fine as this one. Also, speaking of instrumentals, I think that might be my only critique of this album. Mixing in a few, two or three, and maybe some dubs would have added to things in my opinion. And with someone as skilled and versatile as Malika Madremana, even the vocal dubs which're very popular these days would have been really good.  

Malika Madremana

Overall, “The Race”, as any, can be a tedious one. Malika Madremana can definitely challenge a listener, but she challenges us a good way. She wants you to come with an open mind and prepared to learn and prepared to ask questions and participate (if I recall correctly, she is, or at least used to be, a teacher). But at the same time, it isn't exhaustive and fans of her music, new and old, are likely to appreciate the mental workout. I do also want to make connections because 2013 has been a fine one for females in Reggae music. To date, the two best albums of the year, "New Name" and "Better Tomorrow" have come from Jah9 and Etana (with Queen Ifrica still to come). "The Race" is something on that level. It is also, to my opinion, the single best piece of work of Malika Madremana's career. Here, we find everything that she used to make a fan out of me pushed to a higher degree and now it's your turn! Pick up her new album, "The Race" today and enjoy what is sure to be one of the year's finest. Very well done!

Rated: 4.70/5

Big Cup Music

2013

CD + Digital 

Review #437

Modern Classics XXXVIII: "Reign Of Fire" by Capleton

"Reign Of Fire" by Capleton [VP Records - 2004]

As I've said in the past, when it comes to the absolute greatest of our artists we, very much, look to them to do great things and in doing so, when they do, they thrill us. It is never more the case when we get the opportunity to see and hear them do these things in or near the prime of their careers. When you take someone who IS truly great and you place them at their greatest the results are… not bad to say the least. 

"More Fire" [2000] & "Still Blazin" [2002]

Right now we're going to be taking at a look at something and at someone who perfectly exemplified this situation. Capleton is a legendary artist and at one of the various peaks of his storied time making music he did something very unique and very rare. In a succession of three albums 'The Prophet' would drop three which were amongst the very best the genre has ever had to offer. On top of that, despite several of his peers such as Beenie Man, Elephant Man and, of course, Sean Paul, having major international deals around the same time, Capleton's releases were (much, MUCH better) respected in mainstream circles as well and while he may not have been as commercially successful, unless I'm REALLY overlooking something, this genre has never birthed a mainstream album which has earned more respect for its star than these three did for Capleton. The first of them, 2000's "More Fire", was the best of them and one of the best five albums I've ever heard. Then there was "Still Blazin" two years on, already a Modern Classic on these pages. Two years after that was an album which would wrap up the trio and simultaneously cement one of the greatest 'reigns' Reggae music has ever produced. It now joins its brothers as a certified all-time great: "Reign Of Fire"

  The Music

"Reign Of Fire Medley #1"

#1. 'Jah Is My Everything'

Despite the fact that several more songs on "Reign Of Fire" have sense risen a great amount and the fact that the second song on the album has, itself, become a modern classic, my personal favourite tune on the album has always been and remains its thunderous opener, 'Jah Is My Everything'. There is just something so ROYAL about  the tune which gives it this totally different very appreciable quality to it. The tune was a praising piece, but it was one which was interesting because at its core the point was 'I/You must do better because' - "Jah is my everything!". It really pushed up THE highest standard and simultaneously, at least in my opinion, produced an amazing song under the master handiwork of the legendary Bobby Digital who produces several songs on this album. 

Best Lyrics: "There is no stumbling block that HE can't move. And always remember who prepare your food. And there is no fear HE can't cast away. Live an upful life and neva let yah life be lost away. There is no problem HE can't solve, so inna certain things no bodda get involved. Well Rastafari is the ultimate and HE alone can get all these problems resolved"

#2. 'That Day Will Come'

The single biggest commercial hit carried by this album, Capleton's cut of the MASSIVE Hardtimes Riddim, 'That Day Will Come' did mighty things and became a signature moment of The Prophet's after the turn of the century. The actual song was a social commentary, but it was one which was technologically state-of-the-art and really a great representation of the type of music that Capleton is capable of. You'll, theoretically hear dozens of songs like this, but his will still be amongst the very best for a reason which we'll certainly discuss more in closing. BOOM!

Best Lyrics: "THAT DAY WILL COME [!] WHEN I SHALL STAND AND SEE ALL THOSE WICKED MEN, IN THE FYAH GETTING BUN! THAT DAY WILL COME [!] WHEN THEY WILL TRY TO ESCAPE AND THERE WILL BE NOWHERE TO RUN!"

#3. 'Wise Up People'

Another Digital-B production, 'Wise Up People' is a tune which never really got the full attention that it would've deserved based on its quality. This song was fantastic and, perhaps, one of the finest lyrical displays during this 'reign'. The song was very much one which walked more than one side of things. On one of them Capleton was observant and condemning of the ills of society and those who're behind them. But on the other he was also critical of people who do nothing to change their situation and refuse to 'wise up'. A very interesting song and one which definitely warranted quite a few spins and still does (and that riddim on this song was MAD!). 

Best Lyrics: "They try to distort the minds of the youth yea. By disguise and disregarding the truth yeah. They neva even teach dem how to plant a seed, to grow a tree, to bear a fruit whoa. Alright then - dem give dem big gun fi shoot yeah. Try to turn di woman dem in prostitute yeah whoa. Rastafari couldn't be mute. Wi haffi bun this fyah cah wi nah follow suit"

#4. 'Or Wah'

On the surface, the purpose of a tune like 'Or Wah' is crystal clear. It is a hype song, it's built for hype and to have a good time to listen to on Renaissance's Stepz Riddim. HOWEVER, have you ever really listened to this song? I mean REALLY?! If you have then you know that despite its apparent and deserved label of 'dance song' or something like such, it was a BRILLIANT display of lyrical superiority in every way - but you're likely to never hear that discussed… but I just kind of did, didn't I? Hmmm. LYRICS! 

"Go fi St. Mary fi marry dem or wah!

Go fi Portland fi land dem or wah!

Go fi St. Ann fi and dem or wah!

Go fi St. Thomas fi mas dem or wah!

Go fi Trelawny fi lawn dem or wah!"

Best Lyrics: "IF THEY DON'T - CHANGE, WE GONE DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT! OR REARRANGE, WI GONE DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT! DON'T CHANGE, WE GONE DO SOMETHING ABOUT - If yuh continue do it, them mi seh wi ahgo slew it cah wi tell yah nah fi chat, nah fi chew it, don't be stupid - OR WAH!"

#5. 'Real Hot'

Reaaaaaaaal hot! If you take 'Wise Up People' and 'Or Wah' and combine them, what you'd likely end up with would be something which would sound a great deal like 'Real Hot'. Utilizing South Rakkas' Red Alert Riddim (biggup South Rakkas), the tune was well hype and reallllllll hot! But it also had a point to make and wasn't this loose and breezy type of piece which just packed a dance floor. Again, if you really tune into what is being said in this case, you're going to find a new way to enjoy a tune which has probably had you moving for nearly a decade. 

Best Lyrics: "Di fyah bun fi a reason. Yow, tell di wicked man dem gwan charge fi treason. Yow, di corruption mi tell dem should be leavin'. Yow, wid Selassie I dem nuh fi get even"

#6. 'Ton Load'

BOOM! The album's obligatory ganja tune, the MAMMOTH 'Ton Load', was another highlight on this well lit album. Again, this is something I'll speak to more in synopsis, but there is a shining quality to this song. Certainly that has a great deal to do with Bobby Digital's One For The Road Riddim underpinning the tune, but Capleton clearly does his part as well and he does to the tune of, arguably, being one of the finest tunes of its kind that he has done at any point of his career. 

Best Lyrics: "Serious, mi serious and mi nah mek no fun. Officer, if you even si mi wid a ton, don't even worry yuh cranium. Don't even think I'm smuggling none. Cause if you want some, you can still get some. A dis mek di economy no pop dung. A dis lift nuff ghetto youth outta di slum. Welcome! New York when mi come - di whole a di ghetto youth dem seh di almshouse fi done. Dem don't want nuh coke. Dem no want no opium. A di highest set of grade di whole a di ghetto youth dem ah bun. Babylon mi seh yuh kingdom gone dung!" MAD! BOOM! GRRRR! BREAK SOMETHING! DAMN! 

#7. 'Steppin Up'

Loved hearing 'Steppin Up' for the first time in how long because it's a great song and… of course it allowed me to deviate from the task at hand by bringing back on my radars the wonderful track which supports it, Da Good Times Riddim courtesy of Grillaras (big riddim, Jah Mason, Chuck Fenda, Determine, Norris Man, Turbulence, the Bushman, Lutan Fyah, the late Daddigon, of course UT Ras and even Moses I and Military Man all were on it). The riddim was top notch as was the tune over it. Here we find Capleton going in somewhat of an unusual direction - in setting a solemn mood to deliver what was an inspirational piece of instilling and establishing confidence and sel-esteem in the masses. Fittingly, the piece also had a bit of 'quiet confidence' in itself as well and was subtly fiery as well. 

Best Lyrics: "Mi seh self-awareness. Don't get careless. And anytime wi talk - don't be earless. Rastafari is the natures of life - ever bless. From the north, to the south - the east and the west. Well, remember babylon promise more and dem still pay less. And dem tell yuh seh dem care and dem prepare less. My achievement is mine so I have to invest. Forward I'm going, I no care less"

#8. 'Never Share [Burn Dem]'

Capleton meets The King via Bobby Digital who updates the classic track from 'Forever Loving Jah' by Bob Marley for 'Never Share'. This song is a mighty one which I hesitate to call a 'social commentary', even though that's probably the best way to describe it. The hesitation comes through this kind of environmentally conscious nature of the composition as Capleton makes all well aware that he has been made aware and is pissed off at exactly not only how the people of the world are being treated, but the actual planet also. The results are extremely impressive and not to be skipped over quickly. 

Best Lyrics: "Seh dem ah prepare di youth dem table and dem alone ah eat di food. Tell di youth dem no bring no trouble still dem send dem go rude. If you love life so much then how the gun include? Neva waan dem fi die, well ya send dem go intrude. Violate dem wid di cable, waan fi tun dem inna dude. Tun di woman inna prostitute, yuh waan dem walk round nude. Dem diss Emmanuel a judgment mi include. Rastafari seh di wicked man caan walk inna wi shoes"

#9. 'Undeniable'

TEARS! I didn't call it the best song on this album and I don't even know that I'd call it second (though I probably would these days), but I have to say in regards to 'Undeniable' (which was produced by a label of the same name), it may just be one of my favourite songs from Capleton ever. It was constructed to observe and give praises to the power of  His Imperial Majesty and it does that with this electrically charged and infectious vibes. I LOOOOOVE this tune and having not heard it in a minute and now hearing it back again has only added to the feeling. 

Best Lyrics: "First to commence: Do you remember Geneva Conference? Di whole a dem shook, in HIS presence"

#10. 'Sunshine Girl' featuring Stephen Marley

If 'That Day Will Come' isn't the most immediately recognizable moment on "Reign Of Fire", then surely that distinction belongs to cool 'Sunshine Girl', the album's only combination, linking Capleton with the venerable Stephen Marley. Part kind of fun song and part love song, there was a real substance here as well and was yet another dynamic pairing between Capleton and The Marleys. Also, it is worth mentioning the kind of 'easiness' of the track. I wouldn't call it 'mainstream' in the slightest (though you could probably say that a song featuring _______ Marley (any one of them) has that type of an appeal inherently) but pretty much anyone could welcome a tune like this in my opinion. 

Best Lyrics: "Woman yah hot like a sun so mi seh mi haffi feel yah. And right ya now, mi seh mi ready fi go seal yeah. And no boy can bargain or deal yah. And now di prophecy, mi haffi go reveal yeah. Right ya now mi seh mi ahgo seven seal yah. Mi have di blessing and mi ready fi go heal yah. Yah waan mi sunshine, no boy can kneel yah"

#11. 'In Her Heart'

Big credit goes to Alozade whose ridiculous (in a good way) Chrome Riddim backed 'In Her Heart' which was definitely the best tune on that riddim and probably its most popular as well… definitely its most popular (as I look at the tunes on it). The song is also crazy (also in a good way) and difficult to put down long-term or short-term and, like an earlier tune or two, it once again combines a show with substance. Capleton says poignant things here about what GOOD women simply will not stand for and, by extension, how certain men need to get better at… pretty much everything. 

Best Lyrics: "She love di way mi wine in it. Tell mi seh fi seek and mi search weh mi find in it. Ask if a platinum or a goldmine in it. Right ya now she mi tell mi seh she want mi fulltime in it. Daughter, mi son then mi really haffi shine in it. So she put a fyah pon di boy Joe Grind in it. Right ya now she seh a mi alone incline in it. So mi gather all mi strength and mi timing it, timing it"

#12. 'Who Yuh Callin N****'

Across the musical crack that was Black Chiney's Kopa Riddim, Capleton dissected disrespect in a frenetic and most memorable style. Here was another piece which offered elements (called 'the Kopa') which would ensure that listeners would find themselves unable to sit still in its presence but, also and as its title suggested, find themselves being educated in a major way on how NOT to address Capleton. 

Best Lyrics: "If unuh wan mi get dangerous, just pop off yah gun first. Then si a who fi face ahgo buss. If unuh waan mi g et dangerous, then chat off yah mouth first. Ya come in like a woman an ah cuss"

#13. 'Open Your Eyes'

'Open Your Eyes', another Grillaras produced selection, is a tune which has wonderfully kept my mind busy in analyzing and going through for the sake of this post. There're so many fascinating aspects of it which go to construct its central theme to my opinion and ultimately where I am is in appreciation of it as an EDUCATIONAL piece in a very different way. Capleton definitely is saying that the masses need to be educated and informed, but this isn't the type of instruction that you'd not find in an institution of learning. Instead, 'Open Your Eyes' speaks on the knowledge of the individual of the individual. It is built on the concept of self-awareness, first and foremost, before going in a variety of different directions, all of which are brilliant and make for one scintillatingly informative moment on "Reign Of Fire".  

Best Lyrics: "Open your eyes, looking around - tell mi what you're searching for. HAVE YOU EVER SEEN JAH BEFORE? Better take a closer look yeah. Open your eyes, looking around - tell mi what you're searching for. Have you ever found love before? Better take a closer look yeah"

#14. 'Leaders Let The People Down'

'Leaders Let The People Down' is another one which is well ripe with discussable points and imagery, though in this case it is a bit more straight-forward. This song is one about the powers that be not behaving in a positive manner and setting a wholly improper example to the masses. Not only that, but here is where its 'twist’ emerges: Capleton also speaks on those same powers eschewing their responsibilities and pushing the blame in other directions:

"The bigga heads ah let di people down

Try to blame it on the Dancehall and the artists and the sound"

Best Lyrics: "Babylon ah speak di words, but wi no love how dem sound. Cah dem same one ah turn it inna gun town. Nuff ghetto youth dem turn inna gun clown. Gun shot ah tear off dem head crown. Well every other day a next body dem found. Well inna dem owna blood, mi si seh dem drown"

#15. 'All My Life'

BOOM AGAIN! Bobby Digital returns for the penultimate time on "Reign Of Fire" to aide Capleton in delivering yet another stellar effort in 'All My Life'. Unsurprisingly, the current stretch continues and here we have another tune which has continued to 'develop' for me throughout the years really. Where I am with it now is hearing it as somewhat of a similar creation to the previous 'Open Your Eyes'. It speaks on self -awareness and, even more importantly in this case, SELF-ESTEEM. Capleton almost speaks of his own appreciation of himself in inborn concepts ["ALL MY LIFE - I've been strong"], but he doesn't seem to distance himself from those of us who have had to grow and mature a bit. 

Best Lyrics: "Strength up yourself this time. Never let dem blow your mind. If you don't seek and search then how yuh gonna find? How you gonna find? Rastafari is divine. Sun come shine. Moon come shine. And the stars keep twinkling every time"

#16. 'Standing Ovation'

Capleton is offering a 'Standing Ovation' to all of the wonderful women of the world [Hey Mama!] [Hi Mama!] on this equally excellent song. 'Standing Ovation' didn't get the credit it was due and, in this particular case, I'm not sure why. From a sonic point of view, while it wasn't as crazy as 'Real Hot' ["Realllllllll hot!"] or 'Or Wah'. 'Standing Ovation' sounded fantastic and, of course, the message was high and relatable to… everyone with an even remotely decent Mother. For me it took awhile, but it has become a favourite of mine and every time I hear I'm reminded precisely why. 

Best Lyrics: "Well anytime you surface, mi seh nuff a dem hurt. Its like dem forget seh that you is Mama Earth. If there is a God there must be a Goddess of the Earth. If nuff a dem did really know what life is worth - then dem woulda really look for theirs on earth. Caan diss di woman inna di blouse and skirt. A SHE GIVE BIRTH TO SELASSIE I THE FIRST!"

#17. 'Remember The Days'

Though he definitely has had his moments, love songs have never been a real specialty of Capleton’s. Because of that and just how much I have loved this tune over the years, I can confidently say that the final Bobby Digital produced song on this album is one of my favourite of its kind that he's ever done and if I REALLY thought about it and called it his best, I wouldn't be greatly shocked on that either. 'Remember The Days' was cool but intense and it was broad but precise and it was a magical moment on the latter stages of this album. 

Best Lyrics: "Wid dem one bag a envy and dem one bag a grudge. All dem ah talk, woman dem caan stop wi love. Mi seh all dem ah talk, you have di spark fi my plug. And all dem ah talk mi have di water fi yah tub. And all dem ah talk mi have di arm fi yah hug. And all dem ah talk you have di heat fi my love. So burning out dis envy and burning out dis grudge. One heart, one love!"

#18. 'Fire Haffi Burn'

The album is called "Reign Of FIRE". You'll find fire throughout it in the form of intensity and of hype, but on 'Fire Haffi Burn', Capleton brought out the much expected lyrical fire on a track which had this incredible BUILDING of intensity and even precision as The Prophet blazed in all warranted directions.

Best Lyrics: "Dem caan select wi inna dem selection! Dem caan elect wi inna dem election! Dem caan direct wi inna dem direction! Caan infect wi wid dem infection!"

#19. 'Jah By My Side'

Capleton goes all Tony Rebel on one of the biggest songs on the album, 'Jah By My Side'. Another song which will help me sum things up in just a second (I can't believe I'm almost finished with this - This was FUN!), 'Jah By My Side' blended an unconquerable sound with a just as pillaring message to make for a massive piece. You can listen to this one and nod your head and move your entire body and think nothing of it or you can slow things down just a bit and enjoy something very important which is being said… kind of like this entire album… kind of like Capleton, in general. 

Best Lyrics: "Jah is gonna be by my side to give di wicked man a surprise. Jah is gonna be by my side, yes I have to stay alive. Jah will have to be by my side, so my kids and my wife will survive. Jah is gonna be by my side my family fi stay alive"

#20. 'Number One Song'

And finally on "Reign Of Fire" is a tune which seems to, very much, be a piece of the moment. I'm convinced that one day in 2003-2004, Capleton woke up one day and was alerted that he had the #1 song, thus was born 'Number One Song'. The actual song is kind of relative, because it is, essentially, about all things positive and just enjoying yourself. Of course it is not THAT simple and Capleton's idea of enjoying himself is destroying his way through oppressive society (if we could all think like that…), so you get the kind of varied approach that you expect. If I haven't mentioned it also (and I haven't ), ‘Number One Song' is an excellent song. 

Best Lyrics: "Well Mama Earth ah prove herself, seh she couldn't be wrong. And this coulda neva be no disillusion. Reality was my only conclusion: Burning babylon! Well now I've got to get this thing together. Defending my sisters and my brothers - from all those evil endeavours. Love is the ultimate that's all I need to treasure"

Synopsis

"Reign Of Fire" Medley #2

The point I've been wanting to make here (but I'm happy for myself that I did actually write this thing in order this time) (at least I think that I did) is one which is related to the three albums at which "Reign Of Fire" was the end and, by extension, Capleton's music in general, when he is at his best. Like several others, Capleton is someone who I don't really feel gets enough credit for what he has done and what he is capable of. We look at him as being this fire-breathing figure who casts fire on any and every one who exists in negative and filthy ways and, to an extent, that is what he is. It is an image which he has organically cultivated throughout his career and, even today, it persists and fits, and I don't think he minds that at all. HOWEVER, when we listen to his music, I believe that often times it is that burning force and passion which can distract for THE thing which I feel has made him successful and a bonafide legend in Reggae music. 

Capleton is one the most skilled talents in the entire history of Reggae music. 

I say things regarding skills and abilities and I stand by them, but in his case, given his history and longevity, he registers on an even higher level than most but, with that being said, there exists virtually no one who I would say is FAR more talented than he is and that is why I feel that "More Fire", "Still Blazin" and subsequently "Reign Of Fire" were and are so respected. Collectively they represent three of the finest displays of talent in the modern history of the music. In the particular case of "Reign Of Fire", there're several moments which stand out as pieces which so vividly display what Capleton can do and how, exactly, he does it. 'That Day Will Come', obviously, is one of them. The tune received such a large amount of attention and recognition in its day and while it deserved it, I wonder how many people who love the song love it because of this amazing merging of song and riddim, from a sonic perspective and how many have tuned it in on a lyrical level. And it was different here because, personally, in contrast to its two predecessors, "Reign Of Fire" was a 'slower' album. It wasn't one which was as immediately gratifying and, for the most part, it didn't leap out at you in the same way that "Still Blazin" and definitely "More Fire" did. And it was a PERFECT way to conclude things because of its style in my opinion. The mightily forceful side is one which had been explored and re-explored into perpetuity throughout the first two albums and it was just a nice idea to musically take the foot off of the gas for an album, which was what "Reign Of Fire" did. 

Looking back now, things definitely have changed since then. "I-Ternal Fire" was definitely a good album, but not on the level of the three prior to it and certainly the six years in between it and this album had something to do with it and that would be the final time (presumably) that Capleton would make an album for VP Records who did all three of the great ones. So while this album didn't conclude an actual 'reign', it definitely did give it some semblance of historical perspective and, basically, lock it off for analysis. And in analysis: We've never seen anything like them and are unlikely to ever see it again. "More Fire" was one of the greatest albums of all time, "Still Blazin" was also and on that same level was "Reign Of Fire": A bonafide Modern Reggae Classic!