L.k.j. is vastly under rated
marty-b | toronto ontario canada | 09/21/2000
(4 out of 5 stars)
"L.K.J., or, Linton Kwesi Johnson, is a Jamaican vocalist/dub poet. When he started doing 'dub poetry' there was no such term: he is an originater, not a follower. He taught at Oxford University which may get in the way of his 'street cred' but shouldn't. He talks politics, he talks trials and tribulations of British West Indians, he talks about all kinds of stuff in a compelling and thought provoking way, listen, and you will be seduced. The music backing his singing and speaking is uncompromisingly great reggae. L.K.J. is not for intellectuals only: you can put his records on when you're stoned and need some solid reggae grooves to accompany you on your trip. I am a fan of artists such as Augusttus Pablo, King Tubby, Lee Perry, the Scientist, the Mad Professor, Prince Far-I, Tappa Zuki, U-Roy, Bob Marley, the Wailers, the Skatellites, Roland Alphonso, Leslie Kong [a producer], and et cetera... I'm dropping all these names so the reader will realize that my recomendation is not naive, I know good music when I hear it and you MUST hear Linton Kwesi Johnson. He is one of our culture gods. He'll move you and shake you. ALL his releases are good. It's 3 o'clock in the morning as I write this and I'm neither too bushy tailed nor bright eyed. I was browsing around on the net and I came across this LKJ album with no reveiws and I thought I'd do the world a favour and recommend LKJ to whoever may come across this 'review' because really his records are very cool, quite righteous, and goodgoodgood. You have nothing to lose by buying a any lkj product that comes your way. I'll make one specific suggestion and that is that you do whatever it takes to hear his '[Dem A] Black Petty Bourgeois'. The friggin' horns on that tune are amazing [HOLY AGGROVATORS!]and everything else also falls right into line, the bass, the drums, the guitar, A MASTERPEICE."
Very much worth buying
Douglas H. Watts | Augusta, ME United States | 11/11/2000
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Dread Beat An' Blood is a once in a lifetime record. It is not well known because its subject matter is very dark -- an explicit depiction of government supported racism and police brutality in 1970s England from the view of a person who witnessed and was subject to it. It is a miracle this record is still available. The reggae music that accompanies Linton Johnson's lyrics is some of the best that has ever been performed in the genre. I first heard this record in 1984 as a reggae DJ at a college station and today, 16 years later, the words and music are still relevant and fresh. Most overtly "political" music quickly gets old and outdated with time. Somehow, LKJ and his musical collaborators concocted these songs so that they have not aged with time. How they did this, I don't know, but they did it. I cannot recommend this record too highly."
Track Listings (10) - Disc #1