Reggae Bloodlines : Stephen Davis and Peter Simon

This is a nice magazine sized 8x11 softback book by Stephen Davis and Peter Simon originally from 1977.  My copy is a De Capo Press reissue from 1992 with the updated cover art you see to your left.  This "story" starts out as a typical American journalist goes in search of insight to the reggae music scene witch is beginning it's stretch across the popular music landscape.  Our journalist author and his photographer friend quickly get more than they bargained for but nothing they are ready to handle.  Meeting one local after another, they seem to be passed of on to all sorts of genuine Jamaican characters who show them every view of the current life situation on the island.  Politics, economics, colonial slavery and history,the ganja trade, and tourism are just some of the areas of interest that are touched upon.  Our authors fearlessly delve in to the different neighborhoods and hill side pit stops to retrieve endlessly entertaining interviews with local legends and shanty town historians.  This book can be a nice quick read with only about 224 pages and many black and white photos to guide you along the journey in to seventies Jamaica.  Peter Simon has written about ten books on popular music including : Hammer of the Gods (The Led Zeppelin Saga) and Reggae International (Bob Marley).  I haven't read any of his other publications, but look forward to checking out Hammer of the Gods.

Prison Oval Rock : Barrington Levy

This is a 10 track Barrington album originally released by Volcano in 1984, a couple years after his massive breakout in the years of '79 through '80 wich gave us such great albums as Shaolin Temple, Englishman, Robin Hood, and Bounty Hunter.  Junjo Lawes took the production leed on this album, bringing the Roots Radics in to back Levy during the sessions at Channel One and Harry J's in Kingston.  Sylvan Morris and Scientist sat at the boards and earned the mixing engineer credits on this one.  It's a pretty solid album - my cd copy was released by VP in about 1992 and  the sound quality is excellent.  It leads off with the title track, followed by the dub version.  Out of the remaining eight tracks I really enjoyed #4 (Good Loving) and the very catchy #3 (You Say You Love Me).  Along with the classic Barrington Levy style and voice inflections, you might hear familiar Junjo rythms (a good example is #8 Hammer - wich shares beats with Daweh Congo's Human Rights & Justice). This is a nice albums with it's sweet spots, but no real need to add it to your top notch group of discs unless you are a true Barrington Levy aficianado.