Hi Yo, Silver, Away!

Chronique

Even if it doesn't include his big hits "M16" or "Barnabas Collins," Lone Ranger's third album, Hi, Yo Silver, Away!, is arguably the DJ's strongest start to finish. Like golden-age Yellowman, there's plenty of social commentary between all the playful "rabbits" and "biddly-biddly bims" that are infectiously spit out by the Ranger. Key cut "Johnny Make You Bad So" equals "M16" when it comes to revolution, although it comes at it from a different angle: personal loss and heartache. "Gunshot Mek Daughter Drop" travels the same road and also adds those spacy bleeps reminding the listener that Lone Ranger was also an interesting producer, one who shares the credit here with Clive Jarrett. Familiar riddims are heard on half the tracks, the most obvious being "Rub 'n' Scrub"'s use of the boisterous "You Should Have Known" riddim, and a few lighter, party-oriented numbers help temper all the sour political talk. For this 2007 reissue, Greensleeves has gone the extra mile and included the wonderful extended version of "Johnny Make You Bad So" along with its dub from Sly & Robbie's Taxi Gang, "Outside Right." The liner notes are a quick runthrough of Lone Ranger's career, with little time spent on the album at hand.

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