Album exposes the
plight of powerless

REGGAE BURSTS out in all

directions with Lillian Allen,

Messenjah and Jimmy Cliff releasing a bit of well-timed
Jamaican sunshine to dry our waterlogged ears; jazz gets
kicked around in name only by a new band with a very slick

sound.

Lillian Allen — Conditions Crit-
ical, Verse To Vinyl Records/
Festival Records 1988

She wicilds her words as weapons
with a persistent accuracy.

Her second album incorporating
reggae music, rather than simply
delivering the straight goods of
spoken dub poetry, extends the
soundscape explored on the °86
release, Revolutionary Tea Party.

The poetry is up front and as
loaded as ever, but this time
around it is dipped in a globe-
straddling mix of funky reggae
rock rap. The music is subservient
to and shaped by the peculiar
cadence of her spoken words.

MICHAEL
BECKER

music reviewer

A Jamaican transplant who
moved to Canada in 1969, Allen
continues to expose the plight of
the powerless and give voice to a
sense of how the world might be.

It’s reggae faboring in its primal
form — the rhythmic backdrop for
social change. Warning: Not for
the politically limp at heart.
Messenjah — Cool Operator, Ver-
sion Records 1987

Moving along to a more pop-
oriented brand of reggae, this
Toronto-based outfit has logged
onto the North American reggae
charts with its third album. The
record is the group’s first with
Version, a fledgling independent
label, :

Although a greater success in
other countries and despite being
touted as Canada’s premiere
home-grown reggae group, the
band has yet to break into the na-
tion’s radio mainstream. Status
quo programmers seem to be say-
ing reggae is okay only when it has
‘been sanitized by white guys like
Sting.’ : . :

924-8161 for reservations, .
3 miles noth of Hanquets & private
Horseshoe Bay parties

The album is well produced and
bubbles along with an infections
joy generated by some truly fine,
funkified roots music. This should
be the one to move these boys in
from the fringe.

Jimmy Cliff — Hanging Fire, CBS
1988

Fighting back the fringe, reg-
gae’s most durable star taps
spiritual mother Africa for musi-
cians, recording time and musical
direction.

The result is a reggae variation
light on politics and heavy on the
fun time.

Positive, anthemic tunes have
always been Cliff's strong suit and
he delivers with Soar Like An
Eagle and It's Time.

Love Me Love Me and Girls
And Cars were recorded in Congo
with the Grand Zico Band of Zaire
and the Afriza International Band
of Zaire. The sound brings to mind
Toronto’s Parachute Club.

Sheesh! It really is a global
village out there. Culminating with
this album we have a Jamaican-
born reggae singer who moved to
London, brought reggae to the
world, traded his Rastafurian ways
for Muslim beliefs and returned to
Africa for new musical blends.

Hot riffs from Jimmy Cliff. The
fringe has been beaten back.
Johnny Hates Jazz — Turn Buck
The Cloc: , Virgin Records/A&M
1988

A knock-out debut disc from a
trio of three fresh young lads.
Singer Clark Datchler and multi-
faceted musician Calvin Hayes are
British. Musician and album
engineer Mike Nocito hails from
the Big Apple.

The stuff is glossy, easily con-
sumed fluff at its craftiest. When I
first cracked the cover I was ready
to write them off as another
throw-away packaged fashion
band hastily pulled together to
milk the fevered libidos of pre-
pubescent females. Well I was
wrong.

Resiaurant

connate

De

27 - Friday, March 25, 198% - Nosth Shore News

YOU CAN tell this record by its cover — Lillian Atlen’s secon
combines reggae music and her politically powerful poetry.

The man at A&M said the re-
cord broke at number one with its
British release and a string of hit
singles followed. The rich crop of
vinyl hits may well be duplicated
here,

{t's white bread music, but these
tunes have been hardened in the
toaster. Shattered Dreams, Heart
Of Gold, Turn Back The Clock,
What Other Reason, and | Don't
Want To Be A Hero are all strong
contenders as top of the pops ma-
terial,

Buy it for your daughters to
keep them off the streets at night,

aoe

Vancouver will be shaking to a
bunch of new sounds over the next
month. Britain's Wooden Tops
spin into town for a show tonight
at the 86 Street Music Hall. Celtic
madwoman Sinead O’Connor
meets the locals for the first time
April 18 in the same venue. Mid-
night Oil will try again but this
time at the Orpheum, April 22.
And Terence Trent D’Arby, tot on
the heels of a great debut release,
hits 86 Street Music Hall April 28.

HOR TZOANTS

oe Ows Ow & 2h eae,

ON °¢

BURNABY ¢®

MOUNTAIN

A stunning panorama of the Vancouver area. Superb

service...

warm and relaxed. Innovative cuisine

featuring the finest of regional foods & wine.
DINNER FROM 5 O’CLOCK.
LUNCH & SUNDAY BRUNCH

100 Centennial Way, Burnaby Reservations 299-1155

sivariations
jbreads;
4sSalmon pate and more.

|} You're invited for a tradi-}.j
jtional

yet exceptionall.
buffet brunch including
of Easter
Venison pate:

Topping brunch off isan

jJextra Special sumptuous

dessert table.

42° sittings...tlam “or
{2pm. :

$12.50 per person

13$6.50 under t2 yrs. |f

Petting Zoo
& Easter Eqg

hunt too!
Calt for details