Best of Reggae Live [LIVE]

Frankie Paul

Product Details

• Audio CD (April 24, 2001)
• Original Release Date: April 24, 2001
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Live
• Label: Innerbeat Music
• ASIN: B000054OWO
• Also Available in: Audio CD
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #781,917 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars "Goin' downtown on Reggae Street", March 16, 2005

By	Tom Plum "TC" (Roswell, NM United States) - See all my reviews

Not always easy to line up CDs by Tabby, Bunny, Judge, THE MIGHTY DIAMONDS; on this CD they share space well with Frankie Paul; the Jamaican Stevie Wonder. If this were back in the days of long playing records, you would say side one is by Paul and side two by the Diamonds. This CD is part of a series of "The Best of Reggae Live" with an extensive number of other releases, including some by Dennis Brown & Gregory Isaacs. One problem with Reggae is truly, there is so much good music out there; from I-Roy to U-Roy, a person can enjoy one performer and wish to explore that band and ignore other bands and not intentionally either.

I would assert the production and recording of these concerts are very up to date and this seems confirmed by other reviews. Hence, the Diamonds are well known for harmonies and they do stand out well here, particularly the earnestness in Donald "Tabby" Shaw's vocals. Not always that easy to find the Mighty Diamonds better works, a good rendition of "Reggae Street" is on this CD and most of the others equally do well. Maybe other big hits should have been included; but I am not too critical the album ends on a peppy note with "Kinaki" which combined with that Swahili type of name comprises of a rhythm that seems similar to some King Sunny Ade types of musical endeavors. There past hit "Heavy Load" is performed with their great seriousness and social consciousness and then blossoms into "Party Time" shining like the JAmaican sun itself.

I will say, somehow in the audio for both artists represented, some whistles, meaning the kind a traffic cop might blow show up from time to time in the background. Maybe this is common at some concerts nowadays. It is a bit of a distraction at first, though now I think I've grown used to them.

As for Frankie Paul's half, the crowd appears to rollick quite a bit with the show. Unfortunately, the CD does not list where and when these concerts are from. We can not know if these acts performed together for a show one night. That AM hit, "The Closer I get to you" is Paul's first, dancehall vibes can be found, his last song is "The greatest Love Affair of them all" vs. the well known "Greatest Love of them all" song and has Rasta references.