19/08/22
Neat Dennis Brown collection. Two outstanding albums were put together Just Dennis(1975) built on a collection of singles Dennis and Winston ‘Niney’ Holness had recorded together, ’Cassandra’, ’Westbound Train’, ’No More Will I Roam’ and ‘Conqueror’. The second 1977 set Wolf and Leopards made up again of singles the prolific two had cut including, ‘Here I Come’ (a live favourite that Dennis always liked to start his set with) and ‘Children of Israel’ made these both strong roots era albums.
Kingston Sounds have stayed with this period for this Dennis Brown album. Some of the above-mentioned cuts are present alongside the timeless crossover hit ‘Money In My Pocket’ (1979) produced by Niney but often credited as a Joe Gibbs production as it was released (and sweetened by adding Orchestration for the foreign market place) on his label. By the way this is the original Jamaican version (unsweetened) that you will find on this album a more truthful version in our humble opinion. His voice reigns supreme across these Niney produced cuts ‘Smile like An Angel’ ‘Silver Words’, ‘Play Girl’ and the fantastic ‘Poor Side Of Town’ (helped along by the great harmonies of the Heptones group), ‘Tribulation’ and ‘We Will Be Free’. Dennis Brown’s prolific catalogue of tunes that also found an outlet on his own DEB inprint (named after his initials) stands to show what a great artist he was and what a fine team he and Niney made when in the studio creating these magical moments. So sit back and enjoy a killer set of tunes compiled by Niney himself...Tribulation Times indeed and long may the records of the Crown Prince of Reggae Dennis Brown rule the world.....
