Search - Linton Kwesi Johnson :: Bass Culture

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Chris Petersen | San Jose, CA USA | 03/09/2005

(3 out of 5 stars)

"I bought this album in college when I was exploring the reggae world. I had explored the mainstream bands from Jamaica - Marley, Tosh and Cliff. I started exploring offbeat reggae and would occasionally pick up some gems. This album was very different. I found myself enjoying his style the more I listened to it. Johnson is equally a Poet and a Musician. He speaks more than he sings. However, the band he has is quite good. He has a really good deep voice as well. I was intrigued enough by his music/poetry to go see him live at UC Berkeley campus. I don't remember much about it though. It wasn't a bad show bad as I recall. I don't remember his band being nearly as good live, as on the studio album. It was probably a different band. He was very political and fit right in at Berkeley.



There are a couple of standout songs on the album. The song "Inglan is a Bitch" is good and Loraine is excellent. The rest of the album is pleasant enough.



If you're into poetry, I believe this album is a worthy purchase. If you're a reggae fan, I would consider this a bit on the fringes. If you would like to explore this artist, this would have to be one of his best efforts. If you're not into reggae or poetry - skip it."

Sublime moments of dub poetry

Mitch Bernstein | New York, NY United States | 02/09/2002

(4 out of 5 stars)

"yeah, this is some nice *$#! with Linton mixing up a more mellow tone throughout the album. its definitely not as militant as his first two discs, but that doesn't make it better/worse. As always, the lyrics/poems are top-nahtch... Street 66 has a couple of dreads fixing for a fight with the fuzz, and the final tune moves beyond the dub roots to embrace free jazz... definitely a winner.If you already know LKJ, you'll love this disc...if you don't start with the anthology double disc which has all of these tracks + 2 other albums, dub cuts and great liner notes."

A classic

Ian R. Bruce | Natick, MA United States | 11/08/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Johnson is a "dub poet", so don't expect the lilting sweetness of much popular reggae - his songs come with a message, and his lyrics transcend the genre.

That said, this is a wonderful album filled with great songs that still sound fresh and relevant 25 years later. Buy it."