Customer Reviews

Brutal

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maximum respect to black uhuru for this 1986 effort!! it's sad to lose michael rose, but a young junior reid takes control at lead vocals, and the rhythms are unstoppable. don't listen to them wha seh "great train robbery" is the only interesting cut. "let us pray", "conviction or a fine", "dread in the mountain", "fit you haffe fit" -> all crucial cuts. to i mind, it is these that bring the true conscious natural reggae beat to the massive who care to listen. true "city vibes" and "reggae with you" are less that perfect, but you cyaan't escape this sound when you hear it. big up black uhuru for this album.

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This album had the unfortunate fate of being created after a series of some the greatest records ever made. Think Sinsemilla, Red, Anthem, Guess Who's Coming to Dinner and of course Dub Factor to name a few. Yeah, Michael Rose probably left for the usual rockstar cliches and his empty lead voice spot would be a huge hole. Most bands would of dropped to their knees in tears about this time. Sure, nobody but Rose could cook up those vocals over a Sly and Robbie riddim. Truth be told, Junior Reid brought something good to the table too, so it's not like he arrived hungry and empty handed. It's not like Black Uhuru doesn't reinvent itself every few years anyway, so this change shouldn't of kicked up that much fuss. Sly and Robbie continued charging down that same progressive path. Some folks may complain about the very 80's drum sound. I still hear this record like I heard it when Brutal was new. So for me it is not dated one bit. Only advice I can give is to keep a sharp eye out for the double disc with the dubs. RAS records and still in print.

For reggae first Grammy award winners, Brutal the album and the selection Great Train Robbery may be one of Uhuru's classic recording of all times.
Like "General Penitentiary" and "Guess who is Coming to Dinner" Uhuru's' style remains consistent poking lyrics at Jamaica's social conditions and specifically the reggae underground in the Big Apple. Funny "Hold up in Harlem" was no joke for those who knew the group and its history.

Great Train Robbery was actually the cover song and title for the album, until Brutal was selected as the real message for the time. Brutal restated the social conditions in Jamaica during 1970's and the IMF's austere conditions for all developing countries that did not follow the path of globalization.

Waking to a wet dream was going to bed hungry and dreaming of holding the bag only to wake and find life the same, no rent, no food, no hope only debt and despair....Brutal - Junior Reid style

LSD

It's been a long time sence I have listen to a good sounding aray of reggae music.I rate this CD to be one of the top rated reggae sounds around. I am a HUGE fan of Black Uhuru.I van truly say that you are one in a zillion. BIG UPS!!!!!!!!

No soy fan del reggae, pero Brutal es el must del reggae que he escuchado. En Uruguay el sonido Black Uhuru recién se hizo conocido a partir de la difusion en las FM de Brutal a fines de los '80. La canción mas difundida , y que aún se escucha en las radios, es "Dread In The Mountain", que aquí es un clásico como "Jammin" de Marley o "Johnnie B.Goode" de Tosh. Brutal quizas no sea la esencia de Black Uhuru, pero es muy bueno el trabajo de Junior Reid en los vocales. "Great Train Robbery" suena magistral. Highly reccomendable!!! Buy it now!!!