13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
A Missed Opportunity......, September 6, 2008
This review is from: Truth & Rights (Dlx) (Ocrd) (Audio CD)
Straight off the bat I have to say Johnny Osbourne's "Truth and Rights" is without doubt in the top 10 reggae albums ever but this 'expanded' CD reissue really doesn't do it justice. To quote Honest Jon's Records on the subject, "Talk about an open goal, with so much great Johnny Osbourne at Brentford Road still un-revived, this comp is a miserably wasted opportunity. Honestly, pretty pathetic -- but still, a few extras and (dodgy) extendeds...". Couldn't put it better myself but it gets worse on track 4; 'Jah Promise' one of the best tracks on the album there is an audible tape glitch 1:18 minutes into the song (sounding like the source tape momentarily being rewound). This is utterly disgraceful in a CD that claims to be "remastered from the original tapes" with no caveat emptor about sound quality (sound restoration has come such a long way that such glitches can easily be eliminated) and marketed at a full price. Honestly Heartbeat Records really needs to tighten up their act since their last Studio One compilation "The Gladiators: The Studio One Singles" had an incorrect tracklisting (which I believe has now finally been corrected). It is a real shame with the supremely rich Studio One catalogue to choose from that they are so hit-and-miss with some of their stuff being admittedly brilliant (eg. the "When Rhythm Was King" compilation) but other stuff so slip-shod (eg. the "Six The Hard Way" compilation, a real dog's dinner that one) and doubly a pity now it seem that the UK based Soul Jazz label appears to have given up issuing Studio One product perhaps thinking the well is dry (in which case they'd be wrong).
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