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Old 04-25-2009, 01:46 PM   #202 (permalink)
Bulldog
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5. Steel Pulse - True Democracy (1982)

1. Chant A Psalm
2. Ravers
3. Find It...Quick!
4. A Who Responsible?
5. Worth His Weight In Gold (Rally Round)
6. Leggo Beast
7. Blues Dance Raid
8. Your House
9. Man No Sober
10. Dub Marcus Say

I always find it hard to review reggae with sounding like some raddish who has no idea what he's on about but, nevertheless, I'll do my best to do this album justice - officially my favourite reggae album of all time. While I could just as easily call their 1978 debut, Handsworth Revolution, a classic (it is the album that got me into reggae music and all), Steel Pulse's fourth album here stands for me as the pinnacle of Birmingham reggae (don't even get me started on that joke of a band called UB40). To put this album into a bit of context, with their aforementioned debut, Steel Pulse had caused a few ripples in the music industry and had gained a sizeable cult following, and had even supported Bob Marley and Burning Spear on tour. They'd become known for using much more of a polished studio sound than their roots reggae contemporaries, as well as peddling very politically-motivated, anti-apartheid songs (it doesn't take much of an imagination to think what they'd be on about for a song called Ku Klux Klan for example). As yet, though, mainstream success had eluded them. In hiring legendary producer Karl Pitterson (who had albums such as Bob Malry's Exodus and Peter Tosh's Legalize It under his belt, as well as Steel Pulse's first two albums), the band attempted to find a more mainstream sound as well as, in lead singer David Hinds' words, "your earth-man style and your militant style". It's the best way to sum this album up in a stylistic sense. From the bare bones of the instantly-recognisable reggae backbone, True Democracy employs an eclectic mix of upbeat dance rhythms, political and social commentary and a state-of-the-art feel that sets it apart from the sound of contemporary Jamaican reggae of the day. It's mainstream yet militant, preaching yet unpretentious, and one of the absolute essentials on top of that.

Chant a Psalm is the raucous album opener; its terrific, danceable rhythm and smooth, polished sound a fitting precursor to the album that lies ahead. It also doesn't sacrifice the straight-faced, political commentary which dominates a lot of Steel Pulse lyrics with Hinds, with his wonderfully rich voice, calls for us to "invoke our angels" citing Biblical figures like Moses and Elijah for that extra punch. Ravers is, fittingly enough, a track which carries Chant a Psalm's dance rhythms and studio ethics across, and would become a signature song of early 80s reggae, as well as a disco standard. Rolling into view on the back of some irresistible guitar licks, Find It...Quick! is a similarly anthemic and uptempo tune, and one which lyrically carries the same sort of social and political weight, as Hinds says the answer to the "violence on your box at home - shouts and screams - from your neighbours next door - vandals prowl the dim lit streets" is love for your fellow man. A bit naive really, but another brilliant piece of reggae nonetheless.

From a Who Responsible? onwards the album's lyrical theme takes a turn towards the angrier, this being a commentary on the unsolved crimes against black people in England and America over a slick rhythm and efficient band performance. Worth His Weight In Gold (Rally Round) is another rhythm-oriented piece of music with mainstream appeal which carries another angry, militant lyric at its heart, this one calling for Africans to "repatriate" in a diatribe against those who "took us away". It's another example of reggae at its finest and is, seeing as the album title is in the lyric, a very strong centre-piece for it.

Starting with Leggo Beast, the lyrical theme goes into the direction of several social diatribes, all the while maintaining the glossy, accessible finish that dominates the music. Apparently, 'leggo beast' is a slang term for lazy women, which makes for an interesting rant over the top of yet another terrifically catchy and harmony-laden tune. Blues Dance Raid concerns another area of black British life in suburbia, this time the police breaking up blues dances or boogies - an early 80s, reggae-oriented form of a rave. The beautiful Your House is the sore thumb of the tracklisting in many ways. For a start all the songs on True Democracy were written and sung by David Hinds except for this one, which was written and sung by percussionist Phonso Martin. Aside from his brilliant percussive contributions to a classic reggae album, this anthemic love song sounds a lot like the kind of thing you'd expect from a Bob Marley record. Holding no political weight whatsoever, it could so easily have been a weak point but is, on the contrary, one of my favourite reggae songs of all time and doesn't hinder the album's quality at all. Man No Sober is another example of Hinds dealing with a subject matter which reggae doesn't typically deal with, this one being a rant about "the drunkard who staggers around - the alleys of cities and towns - his sorrows he tries to drown" and the "solutions to his problems" which "can never be found" over another infectious and rhythm-heavy backing track. Dub Marcus Say is a dub remix of Worth His Weight In Gold and puts the lid on a very fine album indeed.

An album which, to me, is Steel Pulse's finest and most consistent effort. Whereas their earlier work is just as meritable, True Democracy sees Karl Pitterson's production creating a much fuller and uptempo sound and, therefore, a much more accessible one. Such is the reason if I had to recommend one classic reggae album to someone who's never heard any good reggae before, I'd go with this album. Another reason it's impossible to hate this album is because, while softening their approach in order to gain a more mainstream audience, Steel Pulse still explore the deeply evocative, militant and thought-provoking lyrical matters of social and political commentary, with Hinds incorporating some unusual subjects into his lyrics. As well as all this, Pitterson's splendid production allows each band member (particularly percussionist Phonso Martin) to really stand up and make themselves heard. All these factors are the building blocks to a classic reggae album, and one I couldn't give enough praise. Brilliant album. If you've ever thought about getting into reggae but aren't sure where to turn, I recommend this.


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