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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent Steel Pulse, Long Overdue, Best Release In A Years, July 25, 2004
After seven long years, Steel Pulse had delivered a new CD 'African Holocaust' - a thematic extension of the band1s historic 25 years of innovative Reggae, unapologetic support of Rastafari and human rights, conscious lyrics and excellent musicianship. For the band and their music, the album is definitely a step in the right direction for many reasons and the listener, once again, can experience some of the classic unparalleled trademark 'Pulse sound' that the band delivered from 1979 to 1984. After wavering a bit in the 1990s with the Pop-heavy 'State of Emergency' and 'Victims', David Hinds and the band realigned their original direction and verve with 'Vex' [ which had some strong tunes but too much drum programming and heavy reliance on Rappers style roots ] and their last CD 'Rage N1 Fury' [ which had some excellent tunes, many of which I wish they would offer up live. ] First the pros - David Hinds has the most impressive, silkiest voice in Reggae that just gets better with time and he continues to write tunes based on familiar, important subject matter - global problems, politics, historical Black figures and unabashed praise of Rastafari. I was very pleased to see a real live drummer incorporated on the majority of the 13 tracks, long overdue, so proper Raspect to Wayne 'C Sharp' Clarke, as I feel there is no substitute for the sound of an excellent recording of great drummer playing at his best in an proper studio. An abundance of rich brass embellishes all the songs and the background vocals are perhaps the best I have ever heard on a Pulse release. Solid brass throughout, as usual, combines with impressive keyboards and guitar to result in an enjoyable listening experience for those seeking the vibe of classic Steel Pulse. Overall recording and production is top notch. See constructive criticism and related comments after an examination of each track...
1 - Global Warning: a call for attention to mankind1s continued destruction of our beautiful planet. Strong tune but I believe the elimination of the little constant 'wah-wah' keyboard pulse throughout the tune would let the tune breathe a little more...delivered nicely live in concert.
2 - Blazing Fire: a very dancehall oriented, quick tune. I wish Pulse would dispense with featuring guest DJ1s/Rappers/Vocalists on their CD's as David1s voice is one-of-a-kind, Selwyn1s is excellent and the background vocals are always spot-on. I would be far more impressed with if guest musicians [ Rico - Trombone, Jimmy Senyah Haynes - Guitar, Seeco Patterson - Percussion, etc... ] than the inclusion of somewhat 'trendy' modern Reggae sub-genre artists.
3 - There Must Be A Way: very strong tune, wonderful horn lines. David1s voice is mint ! with nice trumpet.
4 - Make Us A Nation: a good tune that is very similar to another Pulse song I can't quite place, kinda relies on the repetitive chorus a bit much...but a positive plea for us all to live together in peace and strive for prosperity.
5 - Dem A Wolf: a bit off the standard Reggae vibe with a 'poppy' sound that uses harmonica and bluesy keyboards, does not seem up to the caliber of many of the better tunes.
6 - No More Weapons: nice tempo with horns reminiscent of 19801s Aswad compositions. Welcome admonishment of the USA's joke of a "leader" [ cha! ] Bush. As for Damian Marley...see comments on track 2...please, David, Selwyn and band's vocals are enough.
7 - Tyrant: best tune on the CD, just love it! Perfect Pulse sound ! The key to this tune, besides being brilliant in lyrical content and musicianship, is the spaciousness to the arrangement...one can appreciate Alvin Ewen's clever basslines which carry the tune. More tunes need to be approached this way void of the overdone overlaying of other instruments. It sounds like the "Missing 9th Track" off 'Earth Crisis.' Totally appropriate sparse horns and perfect background vocals. The bridge is stellar and seamless...the subtle keyboards that support and help build it to its zenith is something to behold. Nice incorporation of some familiar Marley lines too....Bob would approve in a big way ! "Straight to the heart of Babylon" ...Indeed.
8 - Door Of No Return: perhaps influenced by the bands recent trip to Senegal and the Gold Coast of Africa quite familiar subject matter from Pulse, heavy wailing guitar from Adam Drake...tempo is a little Reggae/Pop-ish.
9 - Born Fe Rebel: yet another guest vocalist/rapper, overall tempo and feel is very similar to 'Black Enough ?' off Rage N Fury...a tribute to, as Bob would say, " the true revolutionaries." Not really into all the DJ raps....
10 - Darker Than Blue: my other favourite track on the disc, an interesting examination on skin colour and how brothers might regard fellow brothers and sisters with all the inherited shades and wide spectrum of diversity. With a tip of the hat to brother Curtis Mayfield thrown in, this tune has a nice easy pace embellished with tense hornlines and wonderful background vocals. The horns on the bridge are reminiscent of the mellow, responsive hornlines of vintage Van Morrison songs...very tasteful. Nice little percussive 'pull-up' /dub section at the end hints at the potential to "sparse it up a bit."
11 - George Jackson: a reworking of a Bob Dylan tune. Very safe interpretation with extremely pleasant vocals...cool atmospheric guitar from Focett Gray. Kinda plays on Sting's approach to his earlier Police compositions....very heavy, sad subject matter delivered in an upfull, pleasant, bouncy sort of way.
12 - African Holocaust: a solid song that really evokes the modern Pulse sound with terrific hornlines and a little solo singing by the honourable Mr. Selwyn Brown. Of all the guest vocalists/DJ's/ Rappers on the CD, the inclusion of the very authentically African Ivory Coast brother Tiken Jah Fakoly works very well and adds a very exotic flavour to this song - well done! My compliments to Sidney Mills for his excellent drum programming on this song. A wide variety of percussion enhances the track. The tune growns on you.
13 - George Jackson: a man who figures greatly in several Pulse tunes and obviously has had a tremendous influence on David Hinds. David1s vocals are great on this and the subtle reuse of some of the original Uncle George lyrics is cool. My only minor issue with the song is that after one or two listenings, the repetitive mantra of "jackson...jackson" can wear on you a bit.
After a long wait, I am pleased with the depth and final overall Œvibe1 off this release, but, being the well-informed longtime Pulsehead that I am, I would like to offer some humble suggestions and constructive criticism. [ Please note, I love Pulse and it is David + Selwyn's band and they have, can and will do what they like...they are totally back on track and quickly 'getting back to me roots.' So please take my comments with only positive intentions and the blessings of Jah Rastafari....itinually ] Keep using real, breathing, kaya smoking drummers to build the foundations of the majority of your tunes... yes, I realize it is easier and convenient to use drum loops in Pro Tools or Logic while constructing the songs, but there is no substitute, especially on the final effort, for the real drum sound. Like ancient African Wisdom dictates: " the life and energy of the drummer lives half within the drummer1s soul and half within the drum he plays." I totally love the classic sound of vintage keyboards used in a wide variety of Reggae recordings - the Hammond B3 organ, the Rhodes Piano, and a straight piano sound - all of these lend a certain definitive "roots vibe" to the straight skank and the subtle bubble. I appreciate the little clever, hi-tech synthesized sounds but a balance and equal distribution of both wonderful worlds is key. [ pardon the pun ] But overall the keyboards are brilliant. The horn sound on African Holocaust is very, very direct sounding....hard to explain, if you listen to a lot of Jazz, those artists tend to put great effort into capturing the warmth and richness of each individual horn and respective ensembles of combined horns. Obviously this is a complex combination of things: the artist's delivery, the horn itself, the microphone, the amp [ if used ] the recording medium, etc...perhaps it is just the digitalization of everything at the end but since I know Pulse does use some 2 inch analog equipment, perhaps working towards a even richer, deeper, fuller horn sound with warmer mics and such would improve on an already impressive overall horn sound. Digital tricknology is great and makes recording, editing and mastering SO much easier but there is something to be said for Analog, that certain warmth, the richness, a tangible organic feel to the instruments and the music. Something to keep in mind.
I like African Holocaust and look forward ever, backward never to the next release....which will hopefully only take 2 or 3 years. Jah willing! The written text in the CD insert sleeve should be read and reasoned upon by all interested in Black culture, African + Global history and those people interested in a genuine perspective on why, as Marley would say, " man to man is so unjust." My compliments to Lee Jeffcoate @ Backstreet for the most creatively designed Steel Pulse cover, jacket, and insert ever. Very well done, no expense spared I can tell ! Well, aside from their continuing non-stop touring and killer live shows, I hope to see a long overdue Steel Pulse Dub CD [ I already have a title in mind : HARLEM BULLET ] and the expected DVD, which, if in 5.1 surround sound, should just blow my mind.....
peace to all and Jah Bless
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Steel Pulse's full return from The Dark Side, July 30, 2005
By the late 80's it appeared that Steel Pulse had lost it's edge. With such horrid releases as 1988's "State of Emergency" and 1991's "Victims" the band's turn to the Dark Side (synth pop dance music) seemed to be complete and unrecoverable. It seemed as though they just simply couldn't, or refused to, try and recapture the focus that had produced their classic, and arguably best album, "True Democracy."
They showed faint signs of recovery with 1997's "Rage and Fury," but their style still carried the baggage of their previous couple of offerings.
With "African Holocaust," Steel Pulse has finally come full circle and have put out an album that ranks up with their powerful early works, "Handsworth Revolution," "Tribute to the Martyrs," and the aforementioned "True Democracy." Just as Anakin Skywalker finally realized the ills caused by his turn to the Dark Side in the Star Wars saga, Steel Pulse appears to have once again recognized what was good about that early work: Solid melodies with a substantial consciousness in the lyrics.
To some, the message might seem a bit rough. The clear political message of such tracks as "Darker Than Blue," "Door of No Return" and the title track among others might be a bit hard to swallow, particularly to unsuspecting Babylonians. But even those folks will have a tough time keeping their feet from tapping while being scolded by David Hinds. On the other hand, true Steel Pulse fans will quickly recognize the style that first put the band on the map.
With "African Holocaust" Steel Pulse emerges from their long journey into the wilderness a much more powerful band. It really seems that their long absence from roots reggae had built up so much pressure that once they decided to release it, it caused such an explosion of music and message that their return to their early form is undisputable.
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Better!, September 21, 2004
I've been a hard core early SP fan for years. I think David Hinds in an amazing songwriter, arranger, and performer. Their first five recordings (Tribute, Handsworth, Reggae Fever, True Democracy, and Earth Crisis) are a must in any reggae collection. Their latest efforts have been less than average. Bad synths, drum machine, pop driven crap that I've always felt was anti-reggae. I was pleasantly surprised when I picked up African Holocaust. You can definitely feel the vibe of old Steel Pulse in most of the songs. There's some pop stuff in there but the recording as a whole is worth listening to. What's the deal with synths and drum machines in reggae anyway???
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