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ALBUMSVarious Artists, Trojan Country Reggae
Artist: Various Artists Label: Trojan Cat#: TJETD365 Released: 2007-07-23 REVIEWJamaica’s love of traditional country & western music has long been one of the island’s biggest secrets. So much so that tourists are often surprised when the cab driver meeting them at the airport happens to be playing Don Williams instead of Don Carlos.
Yet from a purely musical point of view it makes perfect sense. Both reggae and country have much in common – being for the most part simple songs of love, poverty and faith - as do country and US Southern Soul; a huge influence during reggae’s golden age.
With the release of this, the latest in their series of Box Sets, the compilers at Trojan make the connection explicit, tracing the history of the country cover in Jamaican music from The Skatalites “Occupation”, (using the iconic horn motif from Johnny Cash’s “Ring Of Fire”) right through to the late eighties and Boris Gardner’s chart topping “I Want To Wake Up With You”. All in all, it makes for a fascinating and rewarding listen whether you’re a fan of just one genre or both.
The ska and rocksteady eras are dealt with fairly quickly, and it isn’t until the fast paced rhythms of the early reggae period that the country version really takes off. Hortense Ellis gives a sprightly interpretation of Floyd Cramer’s “Last Date”; Marlene Webber does justice to “Stand By Your Man”; while Bob Andy’s manic take on “Games People Play” – almost identical in melody to The Maytals “Bla Bla Bla” – is the stand out track of disc one.
The beat slows down on disc two for Ken Parker’s version of Jim Reeves “Guilty” (the original is one of the island’s best-loved songs of all time) and the sweet voiced David Isaacs’ irresistible Lee Perry produced “Just Enough To Keep Me Hanging On”. Disc three takes us from Toots and co’s rousing rendition of John Denver’s “Take Me Home Country Roads” to bouncy ‘uptown’ reggae (Hopeton Lewis’ “Don’t Take Your Guns To Town”), mid 70s flying cymbals (John Holt’s “Before The Teardrop Falls”) and militant double drumming (Delroy Wilson’s “Green Green Grass Of Home”).
The sleeve notes, by Chris Bolton of Country Music People magazine, are exemplary in their detail and insight, avoiding the aggressive fan-boy polemic that blights so much reggae criticism in favour of informative appraisal. One fact he doesn’t mention, though, is that a version of the penultimate track, “Someone Loves You Honey”, showed up on Junior Kelly’s 2005 album “Tough Life”; proof positive that the spirit of country in Jamaican music lives on.
So if you thought reggae was just about rebels, rastas and revolution, take this charming musical journey and let it change your mind. You have to be in the right mood for so many sentimental ‘tearjerkers’ but, for all true students of musical history, this set is a must.
Angus Taylor (2007-07-20)
Artist: Various Artists Label: Trojan Cat#: TJETD365 Released: 2007-07-23 REVIEWJamaica’s love of traditional country & western music has long been one of the island’s biggest secrets. So much so that tourists are often surprised when the cab driver meeting them at the airport happens to be playing Don Williams instead of Don Carlos.
Yet from a purely musical point of view it makes perfect sense. Both reggae and country have much in common – being for the most part simple songs of love, poverty and faith - as do country and US Southern Soul; a huge influence during reggae’s golden age.
With the release of this, the latest in their series of Box Sets, the compilers at Trojan make the connection explicit, tracing the history of the country cover in Jamaican music from The Skatalites “Occupation”, (using the iconic horn motif from Johnny Cash’s “Ring Of Fire”) right through to the late eighties and Boris Gardner’s chart topping “I Want To Wake Up With You”. All in all, it makes for a fascinating and rewarding listen whether you’re a fan of just one genre or both.
The ska and rocksteady eras are dealt with fairly quickly, and it isn’t until the fast paced rhythms of the early reggae period that the country version really takes off. Hortense Ellis gives a sprightly interpretation of Floyd Cramer’s “Last Date”; Marlene Webber does justice to “Stand By Your Man”; while Bob Andy’s manic take on “Games People Play” – almost identical in melody to The Maytals “Bla Bla Bla” – is the stand out track of disc one.
The beat slows down on disc two for Ken Parker’s version of Jim Reeves “Guilty” (the original is one of the island’s best-loved songs of all time) and the sweet voiced David Isaacs’ irresistible Lee Perry produced “Just Enough To Keep Me Hanging On”. Disc three takes us from Toots and co’s rousing rendition of John Denver’s “Take Me Home Country Roads” to bouncy ‘uptown’ reggae (Hopeton Lewis’ “Don’t Take Your Guns To Town”), mid 70s flying cymbals (John Holt’s “Before The Teardrop Falls”) and militant double drumming (Delroy Wilson’s “Green Green Grass Of Home”).
The sleeve notes, by Chris Bolton of Country Music People magazine, are exemplary in their detail and insight, avoiding the aggressive fan-boy polemic that blights so much reggae criticism in favour of informative appraisal. One fact he doesn’t mention, though, is that a version of the penultimate track, “Someone Loves You Honey”, showed up on Junior Kelly’s 2005 album “Tough Life”; proof positive that the spirit of country in Jamaican music lives on.
So if you thought reggae was just about rebels, rastas and revolution, take this charming musical journey and let it change your mind. You have to be in the right mood for so many sentimental ‘tearjerkers’ but, for all true students of musical history, this set is a must.
Angus Taylor (2007-07-20)