R&B has long been a major influence on
reggae (just as it influenced
ska and, before that,
mento). In the early 1980s, different
reggae artists were being influenced by different types of
R&B -- some were getting into slick, keyboard-driven urban contemporary sounds, while others maintained their devotion to 1960s and 1970s
soul. On 1982's
Big Ship,
Freddie McGregor's love of African-American
soul music comes through loud and clear -- even though many of the more Rastafarian-oriented lyrics are very much a product of the Jamaican experience. True to form, the singer provides a variety of political and apolitical songs. While gems like
"Holy Mount Zion" and
"Get United" underscore his political/spiritual beliefs as a Rastafarian,
McGregor favors more of a
lovers rock approach on
"Let Me Be the One," "Stop Loving You," and
"Sweet Lady." In
reggae circles, the term
lovers rock refers to
reggae that chooses romantic themes over social or political topics -- essentially, it is the
reggae equivalent of romantic
R&B. And any
soul lover who has spent a lot of time savoring the romantic sweet
soul of the
Delfonics or
Brenton Wood should have no problem getting into the
lovers rock on this album. For that matter,
McGregor's more sociopolitical songs have just as much classic
soul appeal. Reissued on CD in 2001,
Big Ship is among the best and most consistent albums that
McGregor provided in the 1980s. ~ Alex Henderson
