Search - U Roy :: Dread in a Babylon

An unusual album

dkford | nyc | 09/21/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I'm not a reggae expert...though I've been a fan for nearly 30 years (yikes!), but there's one thing I'm sure of: this is not your father's nice, easy-going, Bob Marley-type of reggae. U-roy is like being sucked into a swirling vortex of trippy acid-induced Rasta fervor. If you suspect that your kid likes to smoke LOTS of pot and is one step away from joining the Taliban (just to be REALLY different), this might not be the best record to have near the Cheese Doodles. But if you want to hear a facinating historical artifact that somehow fuses the peaceful, lilting beat with jarring reverb and other "interesting" production tricks, this just may be the record you've always been looking for. Imagine Peter Tosh walking along the beach eating a Hershey bar. Now, picture the Strawberry Alarm Clock, same beach, eating peanut butter, and crashing into poor Mr. Tosh. I think you get the idea."

Used to U-Roy

K. Anderson | Irvine, Ca | 03/12/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"U-Roy's Dread in Babylon is another in line of classics for the unorthadoxed singer/writer. Even though its a rather old cd, many of its songs are used in soundtracks for recent films. I.e. High Tension, After the Sunset, and City of God. For those of you unfamiliar with his style I caution you before buying this cd. Be prepared for elonggated scats and pseudo-harmonic melodies. The structure of the songs follow the traditional syncapation more familiar with reggae, but he primaraly talks the listener through each vocal journery, never jumping octaves or escalating in pitch. If you're expecting a Bob Marley, Ky-mani, Buju Bantu or I-Wanye sort of musician, this is not the cd for you. If on the other hand you enjoy "live" sounding bands, with improvised melodies, vocals and tunes then you'll defeniately want to buy this cd."