Max Romeo and the Upsetters - War Ina Babylon [1976]


Max "Romeo" Smith came into the world on November 22, 1947, in St. D'Acre, Jamaica. Romeo's early work with The Emotions gave no indication of the salacious and political directions his music would take later in his career. And after the shock value of songs such as "Wet Dream" and "Pussy Watch Man" wore off, the singer established a reputation for being one of the most influential artists in the roots scene. Hooking up with producer Lee "Scratch" Perry and the studio collective loosely known as the Upsetters proved to be a wise move for Romeo. Perry's swampy production sounds complemented Romeo's vocals perfectly. In the early 1970s, Romeo got involved with the socialist PNP party, which opposed the conservative JLP party, which had run the country since independence from Britain in the Sixties. Much of the reggae music produced at the time, particularly songs with lyrics that made reference to the biblical Old Testament, was political code to rally the Rastafarians' socialist troops. Fast forward a few years, during which the two political parties have had a variety of violent spats and the PNP's power is consolidated in a second electoral victory. During this era, the Romeo-Perry team issued a variety of singles with potent political undertones, such as "Sipple Out Deh," and "Three Blind Mice." At this juncture Romeo came to the attention of Island Records, who dropped a remixed version of "Sipple" into the marketplace as "War in a Babylon." The single had as massive an impact in Britain as it had in Jamaica, reverberating across two island nations experiencing economic and political turbulence. The album War Ina Babylon marked the zenith of the Perry-Romeo relationship, as well as being a career-marking record for both elements of the team. Unfortunately, the duo had an artistic parting of the ways following the album's release, which absolutely had a detrimental impact on Romeo's career thereafter.

5

Max Romeo & the Upsetters - War Ina Babylon [1976]

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King Crimson - Night Watch [1998]


Fans of the legendary King Crimson should be thankful that co-founder and mainstay Robert Fripp has such an obsessive pattern of archiving the Crims' various live performances. This late 1973 gig at the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam features the most hailed Crimson line-up of Fripp (guitars), John Wetton (bass/vocals), David Cross (violins, etc) and Bill Bruford (percussion), in a furry of musical bliss from the frightening to the beautiful, from the ominous textures to the shadowy lines, from the words of anger to the words of mourning. "The Night Watch" is, simply put, one of the greatest rock concerts ever caught on tape. Today, live albums have become stop-gap releases more than ever, available mostly through TV offers, with a tacky keychain or poster thrown in. And unfortunately, since this performance was released over twenty years after it happened, it will probably only be seen by many as a nostalgia release. But we know better. King Crimson blew fans away with their studio albums, but as a live entity they were an unmovable mountain. Despite all its mind-boggling complexity (and Fripp's own criticism, evident in his extensive liner notes), this band invaded whatever venue they were scheduled and produced a sound that could fill a stadium yet still possess enough grace to fit in a concert hall. Selections such as 'Easy Money,' 'Lament,' and '21st Century Schizoid Man,' would have made a stadium audience stamp their feet and hold lighters high in the air, while 'The Night Watch,' 'Trio,' and 'Fracture' mesmerized those in the more intimate venues. If you only buy one live album by King Crimson (there are many), "The Night Watch" is perfect. Around 26 minutes of these exact recordings were supposedly used for the "Starless and Bible Black" album (after overdubbs and studio polishing), but nonetheless, "The Night Watch" is a moving piece of history from these musical heroes.

4.5

King Crimson - Night Watch [1998]

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