Title
Artist
Label
Format
Date

 Great Power
The Blackstones
Charm-Jet Star
CD
December 27, 2006

Track list
  1. The Way To Progress
  2. Worried Man
  3. Minstreal And Queen
  4. I Won't Lie
  5. The Sweetest Love
  6. Losing You
  7. Only A Smile
  8. Greater Power
  9. Tantalising
  10. Mercy, Mercy, Mercy
  11. I Just Want To Know
  12. Promise Of Love
  13. Pick Yourself Up
  14. You'll Never Get Away
  15. Pure Niceness
  16. Memories
  17. Come We Go
Rating : from 5 (excellent) to 1 (poor)
Vocals : 5 Backing : 5 Production : 5 Sound quality : 5 Sleeve : 3
As a successor to their great "Tribute To Studio One" album, the first one produced by the legendary Studio One labelboss Sir Clement 'Coxsone' Dodd, whose obituary you can check here, to feature (a) UK artist(s) and the last one he was actually involved in recording before his untimely death, is a hybrid between that magnificent Studio One album and the brilliant Peckings' Treasure Isle releases "Peckings Presents... On Bond Street With The Supersonics" by Bitty McLean and the various artists selection "Peckings Presents Old Skool Young Blood Vol. 1".

This "Greater Power" album combines the voices of founding member Leon Leiffer, Tony Mahoney and Junior Bailey taking us back to the heyday of foundation vocal harmony over an excellent set of Tommy McCook & the Supersonics rocksteady riddims. Just brilliant, showering you after the Dennis Alcapone intro to "The Way To Progress" with riddims like 'Wear You To The Ball', 'Those Guys', 'Ali Baba', 'Queen Majesty' with a fresh hornline and many more, underpinning wonderful vocal harmonies with all original lyrics except for their takes on Curtis Mayfield's "Minstreal And Queen", John Holt & the Paragons' 1967 beauty "Only A Smile" and "Mercy, Mercy, Mercy". The title track "Greater Power" is one of the best licks ever over the Techniques' seminal 'Love Is Not A Gamble'-riddim from 1967.

Only "Come We Go" do it was known to the reggae public before this release, as it appeared on Cou$ins Records' "A Tribute To Studio One & Treasure Isle" but 16 new tunes deserve to be bought by every reggae listener with a more than remote interest in the foundation of reggae music and vocal harmony trios. I can only hope the rumour is true that there is still one more Blackstones album on Studio One in the can, but even if not, they made themselves legends for me with their "Tribute To Studio One" album and this "Greater Power" album.