Burnin'!, 16 Oct 2002

By	Jim Barker - See all my reviews

Well, that was the idea. But one listen to the nineteen tracks on show here and you know why Sir Coxsone decided to abandon his original plans. Hey, the grooves on this disc are so rich, dense and thick that they should come with a calorific content table. Featuring the best MUSICIANS the beautiful island has ever produced (Don Drummond, Tommy McCook, Ernest Ranglin and the peerless, immortal Jackie Mittoo) and enough variety to decisively prove once-and-for-all that "all reggae does NOT sound the same", this is the soundtrack to that Indian Summer which, ironically, decided to end the day I bought this album.

Highlights are many. "Shockers Rock" is exactly as its name suggests - a two-part, haunting ska (and almost dub) instrumental with enough twists and turns it could be a fairground ride. "Jericho Skank" is unbelievably fantastic (as it should be with Jamaica's two best musicians on it), and regular Soul Jazz devotees will undoubtedly salivate in delight with the inclusion of Cedric Im Brooks and Sound Dimension cuts. The album may sound samey to some newcomers, but as the winter nights draw in, the rain buckets down and it gets dark before you finish your day at work, this is the perfect album to put a smile back onto your face.

All in all, another fine Soul Jazz product. Not as varied as their Dynamite series (all of which are completely essential, regardless of your musical taste), but excellent all the same. Studio One Dub anyone? We can but hope...

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