Customer Reviews

Humble African

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

There are some great tracks on this disk. Lots of roots sprinkled with a little dance hall and even a tune with some pop overtones (Fishes to Fry). Almost 30 years as a band, these guys are still making great reggae music and writing a variety of music, most with a healthy edge to it. Most of the cuts are strong and yes even the pop tune is great. A great vehicle for getting the word out and yes making a little money. Keep the great music coming. After listening to this, one realizes that reggae music is still very much alive.

Humble African is what Roots lover crave! A must for the collection!

Culture's latest album, nearly an hour in length, has everything but the kitchen sink, and this lack of focus hurts what could have been a strong latter-day effort. "Humble African" gets worse as the CD goes along. The opener, "Why am I a Rastaman?" and the second song, "Revolution", are awesome. Also early on are the gentle, unusual "Rolling Stone", and the cool title track. The duet with Marcia Griffiths, one of the I Threes in The Wailers, isn't bad ("Where is the Love"), but would stand out more on an album that doesn't start to drift as this one does. Still, it's good through "Poverty", "Too Much Ginals" (what's a ginal?) up to the 11th track, "It's Hard to Live." Joseph Hill probably could have stopped there, because the last four tracks aren't much. "Fishes to Fry", is a sort of pop dance track that, like the next cut, "Home Grown" is not written by Hill. "Home Grown," one of three tracks with guest vocalists joining Hill (a bad trend), is certainly not reggae and doesn't work on a Culture album. "Poor People Hungry" features Tony Rebel (I have no idea who that is) in a dancehall number that I'm not fond of. Hill obviously is trying to branch out, but I can't stand dancehall reggae. The final track, "Nah Stay Inna Babylon" doesn't do enough to redeem the disappointment of the previous three tracks. So, some strong points, especially for an album this late in Culture's career, but I miss the backing vocals of Albert Walker (Culture has long since stopped being a "group"), there are too many different musicians and mixers involved to make this a consistent effort, there are some things that Culture shouldn't have tried, and at least four too many tracks. Decent? Sure. Five stars? Absolutely not. Three stars? Barely. If you want the best of Culture, try "Two Sevens Clash", "Harder than the Rest", "International Herb" or even "Good Things".

Roots reggar nuff repect- max to the mind! Humble African blew me away- It is among the best 5 reggae songs Ive ever heard in the last few years. Haunting, inspiring, nuff words nah respect da Culture! 5 stars!!!!!

As a long time reggae fan, like many I have become very hesitant to by new reggae cd's because while most new albums from my favorite singers have two or three great tracks the rest aren't so good. Lately i've just been listening to samples on Amazon and buying the MP3's for the songs I like, better to spend .99cents than pay for a whole album. I would HIGHLY reccomend buying the title track HUMBLE AFRICAN it is simply amazing, i would even go as far as to compare it to Bob's "Redemption Songs", just like Bob recorded redemption song before his death, Joseph Hill may he rest in peace died shortly after this album was released, the song is very powerfull and seems to sum up his carrer as a amazing rootsreggae singer, check it out!!!!!!!!!!!

Mais uma vez Joseph Hill e sua "reggaemusic" despontando como uma das mais formidáveis bandas de Reggae do mundo. Keep this felling!

..until I heard dis. I thought One Stone was the best there could be. I LOVE, ADORE One Stone. So I guess I said my point about Humble African: IRIE!!! (My 3 year old son JOSEPH ADRIAN think One Stone is the best of Culture, I say that 'cause I respect it)

As always with this trio, Culture continues to deliver the goods on this no holds barred exposition of their deep roots and message style of reggae.

Their harmonies have slipped a tad over the last 20 years, but that matters little when hearing them in all their glory, belting out the truth on titles like the beautiful "Humble African," "Going Home," "Never Give Up," and my favorite track on the cd, the biting "Nah Stay Inna Babylon."

Another excellent cd by one of roots reggae's most gifted groups.