King of Kings

by The Specials, Desmond Dekker

Overview

One of those ideas which look great on paper, but disappoint in reality. The concept of pairing the Jamaican singing legend with the Specials is indeed brilliant, unfortunately it occurred around a dozen years too late. So this is not the adrenaline fueled two toners of yore, but a more sedate version circa 1993, accompanied by a quartet of session men. King of Kings is not a total abortion, however, the thought of what could have been weights heavily on the final result. The band run through a dozen Jamaican gems from the 1960s, hits from the likes of Eric Morris, Derrick Morgan, Justin Hines, Jimmy Cliff, Theo Beckford, Hopeton Lewis, and Dekker himself. It all swings along pleasantly enough, but few of the tracks exude enough energy to really grab one's attention. Not surprisingly, one of the stand-outs is Dekker's own "King of Ska," where everyone goes hell for leather; equally good is a smoking version of "Carry Go Bring Come." Elsewhere the bland arrangements and slick playing bleed the lifeblood right out of the songs. Dekker valiantly attempts resuscitation, and his own performances saves the album from flat lining, but it still remains on life support. ~ Jo-Ann Greene

Product Details

Release Date:	09/10/2021
Label:	Music On Vinyl
UPC:	8719262019348

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Desmond Dekker   Primary Artist,Vocals
The Specials   Primary Artist
Lynval Golding   Guitar,Vocals (Background)
Damon Brown   Trumpet
Roddy Radiation   Guitar
Neville Staple   Vocals (Background)

Technical Credits

Keith Lyn   Composer
Eric "Monty" Morris   Composer
Ray Whitley   Composer
The Specials   Musician
Theophilus Beckford   Composer
Monty Morris   Composer
Byron Lee   Composer
Laurence Cane-Honeysett   Liner Notes
Delroy Wilson   Composer
Desmond Dekker   Composer
Hopeton Lewis   Composer
Desmond Dacres   Composer
Theo Beckford   Composer
Derrick Morgan   Composer
Roger Lomas   Engineer,Producer
Jimmy Cliff   Composer
Justin Hinds   Composer
Traditional   Composer
Ken Lazarus   Composer