Talk about a triple threat: first you have the (by this point well-established and effortlessly professional)
Wailing Souls
, one of the greatest of the cultural harmony groups; then you have the
Roots Radics
, the studio band that almost single-handedly defined the new
dancehall
reggae
sound in the early '80s; and to make everything perfect, you have the unassailable team of producer
Henry "Junjo" Lawes
(who can claim equal status with the
as a
pioneer) and engineer
Hopeton "Scientist" Brown
. The result is 1991's
Firehouse Rock
, one of the finest
albums of all time; one which combines the
top-notch songwriting and harmony singing with the absolute best in studio accompaniment -- there may never be another
band with a sound as
rock
-ribbed as that of the
. Each track is a highlight in its own way, but pay particular attention to the title track, the gently rolling
"Who Lives It,"
and the smoky, apocalyptic
"Kingdom Rise Kingdom Fall."
~ Rick Anderson