Review: Beres Hammon - Love Has No Boundries

By Charles H.E. Campbell

Circa 1976, the world is introduced to Beres Hammond on an album called Soul Reggae. It predicted that Beres would be one of the most exciting (musical) discoveries of our modern times. While all the tracks were produced, arranged and composed by Ivor ‘Willie’ Lindo, the liner notes said “they are richly orchestrated, but their organization pays delicious homage to the main instrument- the voice”. The album’s music was so sophisticated (comparative to the local industry standards of that era) that it took years, all of 28, for Beres to produce another quite like it.

Now at last with his career soaring- the highest paid reggae act on the international circuit- Beres has come full circle to give us Love Has No Boundaries. The album could aptly be called ‘Beres’ Music Has No Boundaries’.

While maintaining a distinct ‘one drop’ beat, because there isn’t an artificial over preponderance of drum and bass, all instruments are given equal prominence in arrangements making the orchestration simply sweet music to the ears. In other words, the backing music on this album sounds like a combo of Aswad, Steel Pulse and Third World bands rolled into one synchronous orchestra. And it’s no wonder- the album features some of Reggae music’s best musicians- Sly and Robbie, Dean Fraser, Errol ‘Flabba’ Holt, Winston ‘Bo Pee’ Bowen, Cat Coore and Robbie Lyn. Back up singers included Nichola Tucker, Dorrett Wisdom and Marcia Griffiths on one song, track 18, Let It Flow. All tracks were produced by the combination of Beres and Wille Lindo, save for four, one each produced by Donovan Germaine, Sly and Robbie, Richard ‘Bello’ Bell and Mikey Fletcher. Lindo’s alluring arrangements and compositions come through distinctly.

This new album from the master of romantic Reggae is soul-filled, mellow, meditative but intricate, sensual and exciting to the discerning listener, especially lovers and patriots. Easily, the album is one of the best Jamaican produced albums of 2004. Furthermore it perpetuates themes that our Jamaican culture is universally celebrated for.



From the first the eighteen cuts Solid Love, “solid love, solid people, using love as a vehicle, spreading joy over nations”, Beres seems reflective of his maturity and of gentler times. Punning in Good Old Dancehall Vibes which features Big Youth…”it ain’t nothing like the good old dancehall vibes, where the music is just as sweet as the wine”. Songs Of Happiness muses, “now once there was a time when we were young and we didn’t know, so we fool around, play around but nothing really mattered…but time is passing by”. So Let The Good Times Roll, “you don’t have to be old, just let the good times roll. To how the vibes a run, certain tings fi dun, clean up the east, west, north and south and tun that into fun”. Weary Soldiers asks, “as smart as we are can we tell ourselves that we really done our best. Why intelligent people just can’t seem to let peace last, why won’t we let the past just be in the past?”

He is optimistic, however, in Not Over Until It’s Done- “ if you believe you will achieve, everything can just turn around, even when there seem to be no ending to the problems, ever wishing and hoping that the table will turn. There’s a chance we’ll be able to overcome”. And so on his last cut, Fly Like An Angel, he gives a beautiful love song with current geopolitical undertones in classic poetic double entendre – “go spread your colour little angel…be careful of where you make your nest, cause there are eagles that search the skies, summer’s gone and winter’s around the corner”.

All the songs featured are worth listening to. Pay keen attention to track #9 No More (Perfidia rhythm), # 13, Let The Good Times Roll (featuring Natural Black) and track # 6, Thanks Fi Mi Pride And Joy, a remix featuring Beres’ frequent onstage collaborator, Buju Banton and done to the Leroy Sibbles written Love Me Always, made popular by Dennis Brown. While these songs may not necessarily be the best of the crop, they possess a definitive market appeal that may make them popular on the charts.

This album demonstrates that, 28 years later, Beres still has the vocal range, the richness and additionally has perfected his songwriting skills. He has taken the art form to a higher level, and offers no nursery rhymes, but instead sophisticated, complex lyrics- poetic, rhythmic and melodious even in their complexity. This is one for all seasons.

© 2004 C.H.E. Campbell.

Review: Reggae Anthology: Garnett Silk

By: Charles H.E. Campbell

Manchester has a way of coming up trumps by producing the personality that would coalesce a movement at critical turning points in our history. In the 1820’s, it was the Muslim slave Muhammad Kaba, who inspired the national slave revolt that led to what is famously called the ‘Sam Sharpe Revolt’ or Christmas Rebellion of 1831 which led ultimately to emancipation. In the 1930’s, Norman Manley’s vision, experience and wisdom was heavily leant on to guide and drive our anti-colonial struggle. It should be no surprise that in the early 90’s, when our cultural expressions had taken a carnal, materialistic nosedive, a lion, a Christian soldier in the incarnation of Garnet (spelt with one ‘t’) ‘Silk’ Smith consciously and spiritually rescued our popular music from ‘slackness oblivion’ and spawned a renaissance that ultimately produced others like Luciano, Sizzla, Richie Spice and even as current as Jah Cure. Now, to commemorate the works and life of a musical lion, VP Records releases its double disc Reggae Anthology, Garnet Silk, Music is the Rod.

Garnet D. Smith, born on the second of April 1966, started deejaying professionally using the moniker Bimbo in 1978, when he was only 12 years old. His first record release – Problems Everywhere – produced by Delroy Collins came out in early 1985. Silk’s anthology gives us two songs from this era, Lion Heart and See Bimbo Ya. This may be the first time many music lovers will experience this aspect of Garnet’s career.

In 1990, he came to Kingston and met legendary producers Steely and Clevie. Steely instantly recognized Garnet’s immense potential as a singer and appropriately named him Garnet Silk, because of his silky, smooth voice. Together, between the years 1990-92, they produced Garnet’s first album which featured two popular singles, Love Is The Answer (the title track) and Fight Back ( a duet with Richie Stephens, originally produced by E.T. Robinson of Top Rank Records), which are included in this compilation.



The double CD includes thirteen tracks produced by Bobby ‘Digital’ Dixon including seven from Garnet’s signature album It’s Growing, arguably one of Reggae music’s best albums of the 1990’s. Other selections from the album included on this compilation are Place In Your Heart, Bless Me, I Am Vex and Keep Them Talking – all still high on DJ’s play lists because they are like enlightened psalms and make ‘Babylon’ quake metaphorically, by revealing its true nature and oppressive schemes.

And you know what, Bobby Digital tell us that “he [Garnet] was always jovial, spirited and had a good vibes, always running a joke”. This only goes to show we don’t have to be screw face, crude, undisciplined to prove how conscious we are. Serious thoughts to ponder when today the profile and lyrics of many of our so-called conscious artistes are as debased as our slackness specialist are debauched.

In 1992, the synergy of Garnet Silk and producer Richard ‘Bello’ Bell resulted in Garnet’s biggest hit and only number one charting song in both Jamaica and the UK, Hello Africa. Other songs featured which are worthy of mention are the Courtney Cole produced Mama, Zion In A Vision, produced by Jack Scorpio and Man Is Just A Man, produced by Donovan Germaine (along with four others on the compilation)..

A review of Silk’s musical career, however, would be deficient without a recognition and analysis of the profound influence of Anthony Rochester, his co-writer and longtime friend. To quote Rochester, “I was going through a spiritual journey and Garnet was going through a parallel experience”. Their union gave us It’s Growing, Fill Us Up With Your Mercy, Oh Me Oh My, Place In Your Heart, Hello Africa and four other songs included in the anthology.

There is no doubt that Garnet was also influenced by the music of the previous generation. In his interview with Peggy Quattro included on disc two, he offers Bob Marley and Burning Spear as inspirers.

Throughout Garnet’s career, however, he perfected the formula for his success. He essentially reused popular rhythms, from as far back as the 1960s and along with his collaborators, overlaid them with his sweet soul melodies and potent, uplifting lyrics.

Some of the classic examples included on this anthology are It’s Growing, which adapts Ken Boothe’s Moving Away, Blessed Be The Almighty, a take on Dwight Pinkney’s How Do I Live, made popular by Dennis Brown, Nothing Can Divide Us, yet another revamp of the Mighty Diamonds’ Pass The Kutchie, Keep Them Talking and Man Is Just A Man, takes on Dennis Brown’s Promised Land and Stop The Fussing And Fighting, respectively. His classic, Mama, uses the melody of Patches, a Clarence Carter R&B hit.

Unfortunately, the short life and brief career of this exceptional artiste came to a bizarre and untimely end ten years ago on December 9, 1994. Yet, Silk was one of the most influential and important Reggae artistes of the 1990s. Almost like Moses, with music as his rod, he precipitated a revival of conscious, message music, infused with a melodious and soulful delivery. This anthology is an excellent testimony and tribute to that and makes Donovan Germaine’s statement in the anthology’s liner notes- “Next to the loss of Bob Marley and Peter Tosh, his [Garnet’s] passing ranks right up there as a major loss in the music industry” - very germane. VP Records and executive producers Chris Chin, Neil Edwards and Novlan Banton deserve high marks for compiling this timely release of Silk’s most popular and best loved songs on this the tenth anniversary of his passing.

© 2004 C.H.E. Campbell.