Reintroductions
With the advent of warmer temperatures, what better time to enjoy a reminder of the classic roots tunes that go hand in hand with the hotter weather? In light of this, it’s good to know that the powers that be have our collective backs with the reissue of Culture’s 1978 lava rock, Africa Stand Alone, produced by Jamie Hatcher and Seymour Cummings of Dragon Productions. Culture’s “if you don’t know, now you know” string of reintroductions to their unshakable catalog follows February’s, 25th anniversary commemoration of Humble African, preceded by last year’s re-release of Good Things, quite possibly their most cherished album outside of the iconic Two Sevens Clash. Led by the uber-talented troika of Joseph Hill, Albert Walker, and Kenneth Dayes, not much needs to be said about Culture, that hasn’t already been said. Throw on one of their long players and you’re guaranteed to be immersed in top-tier musicianship, poignant songwriting, and some of the best singing the genre has to offer.
Absolutely Scorching
Choosing which albums to formally reissue, when you’re dealing with artists who have over 30 albums as Culture does is many times an inexact science. Critical acclaim, inclusion of chart-toppers, and oftentimes the fan’s supplication can play a role as to which one gets the call. Sometimes it may just be an interesting back story surrounding the album that can make it worthy of highlighting and that seems to be the case with Africa Stand Alone. Considered a bootleg in terms of Culture’s discography, its release was done surprisingly (and shadily) without the group’s knowledge and released in the United States via flash in the pan April Records before the group could offer its official stamp of approval. Not exactly a way to build good faith with the hired talent, but thankfully, fans of reggae are none the worse for wear as this collection of chunes is absolutely scorching.
Highest Level
Leading off with the sublime Love Shine Brighter, the tone is set for what long-time fans are already well accustomed to, roots reggae done at the highest level. Generally, the good thing about reissues is the sound is more often than not spruced up from the original pressing to appeal to a wider audience, although I, like many of my fellow staunch tunesmiths don’t mind that less refined sound regularly attributed to late ’60s and ’70s recordings from Jamaica’s top recording studios. It’s good however to hear a much cleaner sound by which to appreciate the music and the vocals. One could only speculate as to what Culture would have wanted the final product to sound like, but as a fan, I can only speak for myself in saying that I love the label-released version. Tracks like This Train, Tell Me Where You Get It (my favorite), More Vacancy, Iron Sharpen Iron, and Garvey Rock all possess the classic Culture vibe that fans of the band clamor for, and quite frankly give this album a cohesiveness rivaling other albums in their collection. In addition, I discovered that ASA contains the only recorded original version of Dog Ago Nyam Dog. By the time I closed out my listening session with Innocent Blood and Behold The Land, I failed to see what the consternation was all about.
Creative Control
Again, I do get the group being miffed about the lack of creative control. I’m always going to back the artist when it comes to determining good over evil. Okay, maybe that description might be a bit too extreme, but record labels and executives don’t exactly have the best track record in putting artists in the best position for optimum success, particularly when the dollar is involved. All I’m saying is that the fans are the real winners here and there’s no need to prohibit yourself from enjoying Africa Stand Alone in some misguided attempt at solidarity with Culture. This reissue is about honoring the band and keeping classic roots reggae firmly in its rightful spotlight. Here’s to anxiously awaiting the next installment. Baldhead Bridge perhaps??!!