Round 8: WILD CARD

From Howard J:

When I played a lot of vinyl back in the late 80's, I used to display my LP Collection in highly organized stacks, from back to front with the current rotations of the day.  Inevitably, one LP would sit in front, in display mode for my entire collection, just as they did at the record shops to showcase what was playing.  For many reasons, this album jacket was the crown of my collection, more so than any other LP, and when it was in the display position, somehow, all was right in the world.

Ini Kamoze's mini LP was special. Like the cover itself, it is pure freshness; roots and culture, colored by a uniquely Rastafarian vibe.  With limited number of tracks, it is as if Sly and Robbie decided to not include the usually 3 or 4 filler tracks, and leave this one strictly high quality. The sound of this mini LP has a clean, sharp sound, but without a hint of electronic junk or over synthesized sounds that has ruined so much good music. This is operation Roots and Culture... Every song hits hard, and still does. This mini LP, and specifically, the track GENERAL is uncompromised, and captures a dread time and space perfectly, like a roots time capsule.  . When we go fe chant, we drop it crucial We reggae general ehheh

My early recollections of the track General include tales of Kab, whom I believe helped  propagate Ini Kamoze throughout Orlando. I can totally picture it now; General blaring through the sound system, pouring out like thunder, a dreadful, roots wall of sound that shook the floor boards of the Juda Seal, and reverberated throughout his neighborhood.  

Ini Kamoze's General is original Roots;  the perfectly measured, militant dubbed out foundation, the short-hand zen lyrics and the seasoned underpinnings of Sly and Robbie all combine to produce some hard, hard music.   

The best Reggae Music radiates with a certain cool charisma, a Rasta Magnetisms, that we have all no doubt felt and been drawn too.  Ini Kamoze's GENERAL completely captures that magnetism.

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