Right Time Come

Album review

As members of the Channel One stable, the Mighty Diamonds were arguably the finest roots group recording under the Hookim brothers during the mid- to late '70s (excellent sides were also cut by the Wailing Souls and Earth & Stone). With a harmony style rooted in American soft soul and a lyrical voice informed by the teachings of Marcus Garvey and an unwavering faith in Rastafari, the trio recorded a series of exceptional full-lengths and 45 sides for the label beginning in 1975. Their debut album, 1976's Right Time, was built around the group's early singles: songs like "Have Mercy," "Them Never Love," "I Need a Roof," and "The Right Time." Not to be confused with that set, NYC Music's Right Time Come doubles the length of the original release by adding material from 1978's Stand up to Your Judgment along with a few more obscure cuts. Listeners looking for the debut in its original form (with bonus tracks appended), however, will be disappointed. Right Time Come shuffles the music together, breaking up the Mighty Diamonds' classics in the process. All things considered, a minor complaint considering Stand up to Your Judgment had long been unavailable outside of Jamaica (or on CD). Songs like "Back Weh" and "I Want to Know" revealed how deep the group's repertoire was at the time, while a pair of covers (the Stylistics' "Country Living" and the Chi-Lites' "Stoned out of My Mind") paid homage to a pair of early influences. Combined with the material from Right Time, the result is a satisfying introduction to the earliest and finest music of this excellent roots outfit.

© Nathan Bush /TiVo