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- From: robert@cse.fau.edu (Robert France)
- Newsgroups: rec.music.reggae
- Subject: Re: Anyone like Steel Pulse?
- Keywords: wanted recommendations similar to Steel Pulse
- Message-ID: <1992Dec31.142930.16231@cybernet.cse.fau.edu>
- Date: 31 Dec 92 14:29:30 GMT
- References: <martin.725564029@marsh>
- Sender: news@cybernet.cse.fau.edu
- Organization: Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL, USA
- Lines: 53
-
- In article <martin.725564029@marsh> martin@cs.curtin.edu.au (Martin Dougiamas) writes:
- > ...
- >One of my favourite albums is a Steel Pulse compilation CD that
- >contains the following tracks:
- >
- > Sound System, Babylon Makes the Rules, Don't Give In, Soldiers,
- > Prodigal Son, Ku Klux Klan, Macka Splaff, Drug Squad, Reggae Fever,
- > and Handsworth Revolution.
- > (Island Masters, 1985, IMCD 33)
-
- They have a live album out now (commemorating the rastafarian centennial).
- They did some of their early stuff on that - not as good as the studio
- recordings but good if you're looking for some live versions (the KKK
- and Soldiers live versions are great!).
- >
- >I've tried to find more reggae as meaty, but in the main I've been
- >repeatedly dissappointed... Bob Marley has only a few things
- >as good (IMHO) and even Steel Pulse have changed in recent years
- >and have gone all electronic drum machines and ragamuffin (ugh).
-
- Steel Pulse's last album was a disaster as far as I was concerned! Even
- the hit single Taxi Driver did not appeal to me (I like the dub version
- on the CD though!). Comparing Steel Pulse with Marley and the Wailers, hmmm -
- Steel Pulse is a much tighter band musically, Marley's main appeal (at least
- for me) was in the looseness and simplicity of his music - it was earthy and
- packed with emotion, to the point that his raspy voice became a natural part
- of the rhythm. I've often heard Europeans and Americans state that
- Marley could not sing and wonder how his music could have such appeal -
- they miss the point! It's not a question of his technical singing ability,
- it's more his ability to put LIFE into the words - can you imagine `No
- Woman No Cry' sung by say Lionel Richie or Luther Vandross (arghhh!)?
- Ofcourse we had Eric Clapton do `I Shot the Sheriff' but his rendition
- does not breathe the same life into the words as Marley's original.
-
- >
- >Any recommendations from you people that compare favourably against
- >Steel Pulse at their best?
-
- Early Aswad stuff is great. They are a British reggae group. First album I
- heard was sometime in the mid eighties (one with African Children, can't
- recall the name - it was a live album - great stuff!). I
- think they have a compilation of their early hits (including
- Bubbling, Nuclear Soldier, Cool Nuh (my favourite), Wrapped Up, etc.).
- They've gone the usual commercial path of late, but their music now is much
- more appealing than current Steel Pulse and Third World music.
-
- Robert
-
- --
- Robert B. France | Tel: (407) 367-3857
- CS&E Dept, Florida Atlantic University, | Fax: (407) 367-2800
- Boca Raton, FL 33431-0991 | email: robert@cse.fau.edu
- ===============================================================================
-