Search - Reid, Carlos :: Firehouse Clash

WOW!

chimichanga2000 | SAN DIEGO , CALIFORNIA | 07/29/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"WOW, WHEN I HEARED ABOUT THIS ALBUM THAT JR REID & DON CARLOS PUT TOGETHER I WAS STUNNED AND JUST AS I THOUGHT, IT WAS TRUE THIS IS A ONE IN A MILLION. IT'S GREAT, THE WHOLE ALBUM ROCKS... THIS IS WHAT ALL YOU ROOT'S FALLOWERS HAVE BEEN LOOKING FOR. BELIEVE ME "FIREHOUSE CLASH" IS THE BOMB! ITS AS GREAT AS THE BLACK UHURU (RED) ALBUM, LIKE THE BOB MARLEY (KAYA)IF YOU'RE DEEP INTO ROOTS THEN YOU MUST HAVE IT"

Chanting with Jah Men

Jason Robey | Silver Spring, MD USA | 02/28/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I'm a big, big fan of roots reggae, and this little-known album is one of my favorites of the 80s era. So who are these guys, and why are they on a joint release? Don Carlos was one of the founding members of Black Uhuru, back in 1974, but he only stayed with the group for one single. Otherwise, he's enjoyed a long and successful solo career as one of the mellowest voices in reggae. (He briefly rejoined his old group in the early 90s.) This compilation was released the same year that Junior Reid replaced Michael Rose as throat for, you guessed it, Black Uhuru (1986). In order to promote Reid, four tracks from a failed 1981 recording were chosen and paired with some previously released - and a few unreleased - Carlos tracks.It's a slipshod way to compile an album, but the results are sizzling. The killer track on this album is "Chanting", one of the best roots reggae songs I've heard. If you appreciate Jamaican culture and Rastafarian religion, you'll just light up for lyrics like "natty dreadlocks in the mountaintop" and "see the natty dread fire just blazing". (Then there's something about "banana and plant" that sounds really perfect, but I can't make it out.) The song will place you in the heart of Jamaica, if you let it.The other Reid tracks are not nearly as deep, but that's OK because they're all very good. The track "Woman Change Your Ways" was a single in the UK and is a bonus for this CD. I prefer this, the Reid half of the album, but it's consistent all the way through.Though none of the Carlos track approaches "Chanting", overall they're deeper lyrically than the Reid songs. The standout Carlos tracks are "Living In the City", "No Trouble This" and "Black History", a bonus track. Unfortunately, this release includes a weak version of "Spread Out". It's much too happy and bouncy; I prefer the dread version (which I believe can be found on *Raving Tonight*).I would recommend this purchase only if you're already into Black Uhuru. It would be a logical purchase behind *Sinsemilla* and *Red*. I believe any roots reggae fan will cherish this one."