4. Linton Kwesi Johnson - Forces of Victory
I've never been anything of a reggae person. God knows I've tried to get into it on many occasions but the problem is once I've heard an album I've never been in any great hurry to listen to it again, to be honest if I want to listen to any reggae I'll just listen to the odd Bad Brains or Clash song, which I guess is totally missing the point of it. If only I had heard this album a lot sooner, things might have been very different.
Linton Kwesi Johnson is someone I've seen mentioned on a couple of album lists but nothing much more than that. On further investigation I discover that Linton is a 'Dub Poet' and at the time of this albums release (his first) was being called Britain's answer to Gil Scott Heron, and I can see where that comparison comes from because his I get a very similar vibe hearing this album as I did when I heard Gill's 'Pictures Of a Man' album. I also love it that the song titles on the album are named as having a prominent Jamaican accent (Fite Dem Back, Independent Intavenshan).
The first thing that strikes me about this album is Linton's rich expressive voice. I could listen to the guy talk all day. The music itself arranged by Dennis Bovell is just as good and is the perfect platform for Linton to express himself over, It just flows along nicely not getting in the way gliding you along from one line to the next. In fact it also gets me interested to go hunt for Bovell's own albums.
In fact I find myself enjoying this album so much that I find I'm three quarters of the way through the album after seemingly just listening to it for a few minutes. The album is 34 minutes long and gets it's point across in half the time that it takes in G.O.F's Entertainment album in a much more palatable way. I get much more of a clearer picture of what life was like in the UK in 1979 listening to this album, whether that be about police brutality in a letter back to his mother in Jamaica (Sonny's Lettah) or the rise of the National Front & racism (Fite Dem Back) than I ever did listening to the former. By the time I get to the end of the final track 'Time Come' it leaves me wanting more. The first time that's ever happened to me listening to a reggae album.
I enjoyed this album a hell of a lot and if I find just a few albums as good as this while attempting this whole marathon I would consider it time well spent. I see this album is rated No. 46 for 1979 on Rateyourmusic.
That's not nearly high enough, and 79 was a damn good year for music.