The string of albums
Culture recorded during the late '70s contained some of the most reliably solid sets from the tail end of
reggae's
roots era. These early releases for the production team of
Joe Gibbs and
Errol "E.T." Thompson yielded the group's finest work. Following an unfortunate engagement at
Duke Reid's famous
Treasure Isle studios (the results of which can be found on the unauthorized
Africa Stand Alone), the vocal trio hooked up with
Sonia Pottinger and engineer
Errol Brown. The partnership, kick-started by
Harder Than the Rest, proved highly fruitful, producing a series of albums that closely approached the quality of the earlier releases. This 1978 set finds lead singer
Joseph Hill and harmony vocalists
Albert Walker and
Kenneth Dayes in a mellow mood. Though the melodies can suggest otherwise, by the sound of
Hill's voice, the singer can't quite disguise the weight of his words. Songs detail the group's concern for the people of their community in general, and for Rastafarians specifically, driving home a series of lessons, warnings, and pleas. The one song that attempts to dodge these realities,
"Love Shines Brighter," is unfortunately marred by over-sentimentality. The typically excellent assembly of session men respond to such material with an appropriately light touch: the exemplary rhythm work of keyboardists
Ansel Collins and
Earl Lindo and guitarist
Willie Lindo is kept under close watch by the great
Sly Dunbar. The drummer's playing is effortless as he alternates the makeup of a particular pattern or subtly changes up the rhythm, heading into a chorus. Closer attention to the backing for tracks like
"Behold," "Tell Me Where You Get It," and
"Vacancy" reveals the sort of strength, though subtle, that drives the best
roots music. ~ Nathan Bush
