Search - Jah Mason :: No Matter The Time

The Mason, Building Vibes as Usual. . .

Achis | Kingston, JA/Philipsburg, SxM | 04/30/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Artists like Jah Mason are one of the millions and millions of reason while I will forever attest that reggae music is without a doubt the strongest musical force in the entire world. When an artist of such quality and talent can come on the scene and a great deal of attention but never really crack into that top elite echelon of artists (and never actually really come close) it says something about the quality of reggae music (and probably even more about the stubborn yet ultra dependable nature of reggae fans). However, while he has yet to reach the status of his peers such as Sizzla Kalonji, Capleton, Luciano, Anthony B, Richie Spice and of course Buju Banton, Jah Mason belongs in a group with several other artists who maintain the quality of the vibes and arguably do just as much for the music as the aforementioned reggae stars. These artists are filled with prime artists and rising names alike such as Lutan Fyah and Turbulence on one side while Junior Kelly and Determine occupy the more veteran side of the vibes. They all have a wonderful place inside the music and routinely drop material of a very high quality and occasionally score with the bigger hits as well. One of the drawbacks, however, of not being in that top group of artists, on the professional side, is definitely promotion. While the ultra-active Sizzla rarely (and these days NEVER) releases an album which isn't staunchly analyzed and over analyzed by fans and critics all over the world (including yours truly); EVERYTIME Capleton comes close to releasing an official album the reggae world collectively holds its breath in anticipation, the same can be said for Buju Banton (and maybe even Richie Spice at this point as he has remained one of the few current artists maintaining the `less is more' method of doing albums still) and even the very active Luciano and Anthony B receive their fair share of push for albums, especially their big ones, but even the smaller ones to some degree. On the other hand is Turbulence and Jah Mason, I would challenge even the most hardcore modern roots head to name five albums from each artist to see if they could accomplish this. Jah Mason, Turbulence, Lutan Fyah and most recently Natural Black (who himself has a new album out right now, Naturally Black) all CONSTANTLY release albums which tend to go unnoticed by the reggae mainstream, yet with any bit of research one will surely discover the ridiculously high level of vibes these artists are consistently producing (especially in the case of Lutan Fyah and Natural Black over the past year or so) (and not so especially at all in the case of the `hot and cold' running Turbulence).



One of the best things about reggae on the album side and especially within the roots spectrum is the fact that because many of the modern artists maintain a very high level of prolificacy, artists are often afforded with the opportunities to work with a wide variety of producers and thus, achieving a broader and more fulfilling sound. Within the last year alone, Ras Shiloh has voiced albums for both legendary producers Bobby Digital (Coming Home) and King Jammy (Only King Selassie); likewise Natural Black has voiced for Jammy (Jah Guide) and even gone back home to the dominant Guyanese reggae label Vizion Sounds by Walter Fraser. And of course, in this situation, there's Jah Mason, it seems like such a long time has passed since Mason's last album, Life Is Just A Journey for Frenchie at Maximum Sound which was his only offering of 2007 after three the previous year. To date, Jah Mason has voiced albums for the likes of Frenchie, Reggae Vibes (Unlimited) for Jahmikes, Byron Murray (Wheat & Tears), Jah Warrior (Most Royal and even Bobby Digital (Working So Hard) and many others. I cannot think of any other type of profitable musical genre which would allow for such versatility in the vibes. Of course, there's a good chance you haven't heard of some of those albums (or any at all for that matter) which draws back to the issue of promotion, but musically speaking, Mason has been around the country block and back voicing for any and everyone who could match his vibes. And speaking of his vibes, if you have never had the opportunity to hear Jah Mason, he certainly has a unique, albeit quite straight forward style. His vibes are highlighted by a somewhat 'moody' approach to making music. While that isn't rare in itself, as you have certainly seen artists such as Sizzla and Turbulence over the years alternating between that fire breathing hardcore DJ style on one tune and then taking it back several dozen notches for the with a pure singing tone in the next song. Mason, on the other hand, is good for doing that in ONE song. His music tends to have an unpredictable nature to it because when he takes the easy approach he can produce absolute magic (check the wicked wicked Most High as well as All I Can See), his is equally efficient and tends to score greatest when he combines both styles (such as on what is probably his biggest hit to date My Princess Gone) and when he invokes the more fiery style, he has a higher pitch at times which even adds a new dimension of flames to the vibes unlike someone such as Capleton (his former mentor). Another label which has shown itself very capable of bringing out the some of the better vibes of the more laid back style of Jah Mason has been the ST. ANN'S born (BIGGUP ST. ANN'S!) Vikings Production. There is a VERY good chance that you may not have heard the first combination of Vikings and Jah Mason as it, the well solid Surprise Dem from 2004, was released to virtually no promotion at all and thus, very little fanfare, but it was a very good album, especially those who had vibed through the Unlimited album which was wholeheartedly more on the fiery dancehall style. Now, what seems to be a rather brief four years later, Jah Mason once again unites with Vikings for his first (and hopefully not last) album of 2008, No Matter The Time. If you were amongst the few who got around to getting the Surprise Dem album, you certainly won't be at all disappointed with No Matter The Time, as it actually tops its older sibling a bit and does so in fine style.



You really have to be paying attention to the music to catch albums such as No Matter The Time and you will definitely be rewarded for your efforts. Over the past year or so Vikings has been doing pretty big things. In 2007 St. Mary's native Black Panther became the second artist to release an album for the label with his (SUPER MEDIOCRE) Give Some Love but the real highlight of the year from Vikings was a wicked compilation, Rasta Legacy Vol. 1. The disc showed some of the strongest Jamaican talent alongside some of the strongest French and French West Indies talent over Vikings' riddims. Now, they come back with what is undoubtedly their highest profile release, No Matter The Time from Jah Mason. After a brief intro (which is quite nice actually) things get started with the very solid Fussing and Fighting. I have to admit the tune caught me a little off guard for some reason, be it just not paying proper attention or whatever, but Fussing And Fighting really comes in strong and maintains the level throughout. Bubbling nicely over a very strong and somewhat complex riddim, the tune finds Mason delivering a fine message to ignore the little things, the little arguments and just focus more on the positive and more on the love. So big actually is the tune that if you would want to call it the absolute biggest tune here, I probably wouldn't argue with that. Just as you shouldn't argue with me when I tell you flat and simple that THE biggest tune here follows Fussing and Fighting in the form of the downright ADDICTIVE Black Star Liner. When I looked down the Tracklist for the album two song titles really caught my eye as something to definitely vibe on perhaps a bit more than usual (and those are aside from the title track which is what I normally do). The tune just has a COOL vibes to it which is something else which Mason can still do with his voice despite being as ever-changing as he is. Combine that coolness with a classic vibes on the riddim and Mason himself in TOP form delivering a wonderful ON POINT flow on a message of, of course, large scale repatriation, "Black Star Liner sailing, straight to Ithiopia, got to get on mi nah go flex like no joker!". Just an all around big vibes, its really the type of tune which, again, with proper promotion could really do some damage, I could see a video for definitely and further promotion, but regardless. Musically speaking, Mason's Black Star Liner is an absolute winner. Finishing up the opening of No Matter The Time is a tune which is quite familiar (a little TOO familiar actually) to me. As I mentioned, No Matter The Time is the second time Mason has done an album for Vikings, the first was Surprise Dem. Too Hot Fe Dem is a tune which was on Surprise Dem and returns for No Matter The Time. I can't imagine why that would have happened (although it is a BIG tune, and its not out of the realm of possibility that someone at Vikings just LOVES the tune) but, again, there's a good chance you've never heard it before and it is nearly MASSIVE, definitely one of Surprise Dem's best efforts and now one of No Matter The Time's best sameway.



As I mentioned the title Black Star Liner had caught my eye, the other tune which did as well comes very late in the album and is one of the real changeups on the album and also a winner. Precious Stone finds Mason combining a PURE melodic singing style for the chorus with a rock and stone style flow on the verses for one of the more addictive and quietly hard pounding (the riddim sounds like an aggressive dub surrounding a light one drop) tracks on the album, it has definitely been one of the tunes on the album which has received the most plays in my speakers. The title track itself is an absolutely beautiful effort from Mason where he shows yet another style in the vibes. Although he doesn't use it often (and not nearly enough) Jah Mason has a STRONG singing voice. I don't mean strong in terms of being GOOD (not that its bad) but strong as in firm and aggressive and whenever I've heard him employ it, its always worked. No Matter The Time is no exception and he is definitely aided with some lovely background vocalists as well who just add to the vibes in a song which builds itself to a melting point and then rails it back a bit, then builds the vibes again. The type of song which NO ONE else could make besides Jah Mason in the vibes. Another tune here which SOUNDS quite familiar (although I haven't figured out why just yet) is Free Up The Knowledge, a big tune. Free Up The Knowledge is one of the more aggressive vibes on the album (and I would have loved to see a straight dancehall track mixed in here somewhere) and it levels off the vibes, it actually sounds like early Mason where he had the kind of free-wheeling style of lyrics and it always worked! Now, that style is still there, but it sounds a bit polished, again just adding to the vibes, but Free Up The Knowledge is a big tune telling people to make sure and be careful what they are learning, what they are taking in and definitely what they are passing on. Two tracks which standout later are definitely Burn Dem Still and the closer, Give Thanks. Burn Dem Still has a different sound but when it gets going is another aggressive powerhouse rootical track, another tune going back to early Jah Mason, almost like he's making a point to one person and he sounds almost EXACTLY like Capleton on the tune. Give Thanks is an excellent way to send the album out with probably the most jovial tune on No Matter The Time altogether. If you're looking for that big heavy bouncing dance floor driving one-drop, you have to wait to Give Thanks which says to be thankful for WHATEVER good things you have, definitely a wonderful message. I have to mention two negatives as well, the first being Burn Dem For A Purpose, certainly not a bad tune, but its yet another tune from the Surprise Dem album and Go To Be True is just BAD, definitely could have done without that one.



Overall, it's a Jah Mason album and its definitely everything you've come to expect from `a Jah Mason album'. I would say its definitely more for the roots heads out there just as Surprise Dem was. I would love to Jah Mason continue to make albums and just singles (AND RELEASE THEM) for Vikings in the future as it has been a nice vibes so far, but I think there is still room to go. By my count, since his very first album, 2002's very nice Keep Your Joy (still one of his best) for the now defunct Ghetto Technology, Mason now has eleven solo studio albums. My absolute favourite of them all remains the downright brilliant Never Give Up for On The Corner while others such as Keep Your Joy and Wheat & Tears vie for second place. I'd place No Matter The Time directly in the upper/middle of the albums, its definitely solid, it's a step above Surprise Dem in terms of what was accomplished in the vibes (although if you asked me about that tomorrow I may change my opinion) and it definitely would add to the collection of any modern roots reggae fan. IF ONLY YOU CAN FIND IT!"