Ride On Dreadlocks 1975 - 1977

Album review

As a vocalist, Linval Thompson may not have been the equal of Johnny Clarke and Cornel Campbell, who, along with Thompson, were favorite singers of the great producer Bunny Lee. But the songs he cut for Lee in the mid-'70s remain some of the most influential of the period -- "Ride on Dreadlocks" and "Cool Down Your Temper" still show up frequently on dub compilations and various-artists collections. This album compiles 11 classic Thompson singles with their dub versions in showcase style; most are Bunny Lee productions and feature his signature "flying cymbals" drum sound, but "12 Tribes of Israel," "Jah Jah Is I Guiding Star," and "Can't Stop Natty Dread Again" were produced by Thompson himself (and, interestingly, tend toward a less militant one-drop feel); Thompson would later go on to more fame as a producer than he had achieved as a singer. As always with Blood and Fire releases, the sound quality is superb and the packaging an obvious labor of love.

© Rick Anderson /TiVo