4.0 out of 5 stars
The Ascent. . ., August 24, 2008
Concerning the artist in question here, I can't exactly recall the last time an artist has grown on me so quickly through an album to really become one of my favourite artists at the moment. Due to the natural nature and progression of reggae music (where releasing CONSTANT singles is not exactly an indication of a forthcoming album or an album at all for that matter), the typical way I get attracted to an artist is through a steady stream of singles which, although not ALL of them will be hits, will just easily lead me to recognizing the skills of the artist and I am essentially HOOKED from that point. Recent cases of this have included, of course, young LETHAL dancehall head Bramma de Bomba who is slowly showing (at least to me) the rather elusive skill of consistency in the dancehall; prior to Bramma there was the captivating Alaine (even though she did eventually forward her album, twice) and going even further back I'll draw on names like Lutan Fyah and even Vybz Kartel, such is the normal way of today's reggae. Usually. Even with the elder and more established artists, the situation tends to be similar in a case where at that point I would have almost certainly heard their names and heard some of their music and for whatever reason, I take a listen to more recent stuff (or even older stuff in some cases) and through a selection of singles, they can actually become amongst my absolute favourite artists. Somewhat recent cases of this would be names like Yami Bolo within the last year or two, Glen Washington (nice nice pieces from Mr. Washington I've been hearing), Steve Machete from a few years back and Bahamian veteran Monty G as well, who has been heading a small but well strong contingent of artists from the Bahamas (check Jah Hem). Just from the top of my head, thinking about an artist who would have caught my attention on such a MAJOR level due largely to the strength of an album alone: The first name on the list would probably be Pressure Busspipe, whose 2005 debut album, The Pressure Is On (which, incidentally, featured Glen Washington on the album's only combination) captured not only my attentions, but many in the reggae world, including Jamaican production ace Don Corleone who has since swept down and signed up the St. Thomas chanter adding him to a small dynamic group of artists, truly near the forefront of modern hardcore reggae. Pressure's case is so unusual for me and if you asked me to list a name of my current ten favourite artists, you could definitely expect to see his name and it's been that way since that very first album reached and more times that denotes something pretty special.
Apparently something else pretty special which I ran into just within the last year is the vibes of veteran UK vocalist Lloyd Brown, whose Silver album has obviously had such a wonderful impression on me. Even more downright odd is the case of Brown that I actually WELL knew of Mr. Brown prior to the Silver album and literally picked it up as somewhat of a `refreshers course' on his vibes and due to the very nice hype surrounding it (the album was celebrating his twenty-fifth year in the business) and it refreshed and impressed all at the same time. Silver was an album which was definitely impressive although it wasn't necessarily an album which caught the attentions of a flood of new fans unlike Pressure's case (obviously as the difference in the length of both artists' careers and popularity at the time of the respective albums); it really wasn't a landmark album for most people, even more odd. The bottom line in Lloyd Brown's case for me is that the man just really makes some SWEET SWEET music. You just CANNOT call yourself a reggae head and not appreciate the levels of Lloyd Brown to some degree. So powerful was Silver and Brown's vibes overall that he has not only did it lead me to more into the vibes of Brown, but also some of his peers. Just within the last year I've taken a greater look at artist who I was somewhat familiar with such as Bitty McLean, Peter Hunnigale and the WELL SOLID Peter Spence, opening up a WIDE array of even more sweet vibes as the UK artists tend to focus more on what would be long considered `old-school' but do so with a very technologically modern twist which is absolute delightful to listen to. Silver was actually Brown's eleventh album to date (and he already has number twelve loaded and ready to go shortly, more on that in a bit) which leaves ten other heaping full albums of very fine material (for the most part) to go through for me and I chose to start with the next one sequentially, 2006's Said & Done. S&D, like Silver (and the next one) came through Brown's own Riddimworks Productions and well rising UK staple, the respected Cousins Records from Donville Davis distributing (just as they did with Silver) (and the next one). Previously, of the two well known UK labels, essentially `major' labels for reggae music, Brown favoured to do the lion's share of his business with JetStar, who tended to focus more on local talent as opposed to their neighbours at Greensleeves who almost exclusively dealt with Jamaican artists and only occasionally with the locals (and to my knowledge, Greensleeves only involvement locally was helping with distribution with UK dancehall DJ Tippa Irie) and GS, also focused primarily on dancehall at their peak as well. Now, with Greensleeves under the VP Records' umbrella (and Brown has done business with them in the past as well) and JetStar having either closed or at the very least taken a SUBSTANTIALLY degraded role in the music, Brown has found a wonderfully willing sparring partner in Davis and Cousins who have absolutely no problem shipping Lloyd Brown albums annually to the masses. Said & Done compared to Siler, in retrospect, actually stands pretty well. It's much more of a `flashy' and `dynamic' album than the straight forward and heavy Silver and if you want to even call it BETTER than Silver, I'm not going to argue with you.
The well packed Said & Done gets off to a well rolling start. After a brief intro (which is TRULY an intro with a female introducing our star for the evening), things get going with the very nice Can't Get Me out, one of the real signature tunes of the album and (I THINK) a previous single as well. The song literally plays out as a testament and ode to Brown's longevity in the game and does so wonderfully! If ever there was such a simple thing to be boastful (or just simply factual) about for Brown, it would definitely be his experience in a game where faces come an go even more so than riddims and Brown delivers a message stating he's been around for such a long time, he's not a rookie (and definitely not falling for rookie folly) and he's simply not going anywhere anytime soon (the song is somewhat of a `title track` for the album as it explains all that he has said and done). Indeed! One of the biggest vibes on the album. Next up is the wonderfully vibrant U're Not Alone which sounds oddly familiar be it the nice bouncy almost ska-like riddim or just the wonderful message throughout as Brown reminds all that in our darkest days, we are NOT alone. Completing the very solid opening (and setting the table for the album's overall finest effort) is the first pure lover's tune of the album as Lloyd Brown drives a VERY clever and MATURE sexual vibes with Luv Me Long. You could vibe Vybz Kartel, Beenie Man, Spice or whoever and hear one type of definitely less `grown' sex song but Luv Me Long is one for the older crowd who REALLY know what's going on in the area! Said & Done really does get started off nicely and I make it a point to say, in contrast to the Silver album, which almost seems headstrong and determined on making its point, Said & Done, throughout, takes a few very nice twists and the vibe of the two albums really show a great contrast of vibes and something you'll only find from someone of Brown's experience and skills.
That being said, perhaps in even a more unusual set of circumstances, the tune here which most catches my attentions is easily the most gimmicked on the entire album. The tune, So We Deal Wid Dem is the only official combination on Said & Done and features non other than Jamaican lover's rock legend Beres Hammond alongside Brown but does so in a weird fashion. The tune links Brown's vocals with Hammonds from the previously voiced POTENT 360 Turn and the results are MASSIVE! The original tune (which you can find on the Reggae Gold 2003 album) was more than enough on its own merits and remains one of my favourite (underplayed) Beres Hammond Tunes, but Brown takes it and makes it his own over the same Hammond and Willie Lindo produced riddim and you'll rarely hear so much talent and experience on one such tune and they both deliver (now I'd LOVE to see an official combination between the two). Unsurprisingly, on the whole Said & Done is an album highlighted by the big lover's tunes throughout. On paper, the one which catches the most attention is definitely Let Me Love You, which is a remake of an American tune (I believe sung by Mario), and Brown really makes it work. To be honest, I don't really LOVE the original (although it is a very smooth song), but it doesn't at all bring the vibes down as Brown CLEARLY outshines the youth (big respect to Mario still). Let Me Love You is topped by the syrupy sweet classically vibed In Love. In Love is the type of tune which actually makes Brown himself, I don't think there is an artist on the current scene today who could sing the song so sweet, but if you take it and drop it in the 1970's, it would sound right at home. Truly combining the eras and truly doing a nice job at that. Still it is the final lover's piece on the album, the downright dazzling You Do Something To Me, a remake of a Paul Weller tune, which really is at the forefront of all on the album. Brown really does make some unusual, but very nice,...
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