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Title Artist Label Format Date |
Album review
The Prime Of John Holt John Holt Music Club CD 07-11-1998 |
Tracking list |
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Rating :
from 5 (excellent) to 1 (poor) |
| Vocals : 4 | Backing : 4 | Production : 4 | Sound quality : 4 | Sleeve : 5 |
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Altough reggae veteran John Holt has delivered many beautiful songs throughout his more than three decades spanning career and his influence on the work of others has been massive he never achieved the kind of respect and appreciation he really deserves. His many covers of pop standards, soul ballads and evergreens might be the reason John Holt is underrated amongst more snobbish reggae fans. Nevertheless it's his songwriting ability and the warmth and love he expresses through the songs he performs which has kept his name in entertainment circles from the very first start of his long career. This compilation set - subtitled "20 Massive Recordings From 1970-1976" - contains twenty slices of John Holt/Bunny "Striker" Lee material. The album not only gathers some of John Holt's finest moments, but also gives a good impression of the development of reggae music from the "skank sound" of the early seventies to the "rockers style" of the mid-seventies. Besides the remakes of Soul tunes like Smokey Robinson's "A Love I Can Feel", Adam Wade's "Rain From The Skies" and the Tams' "Riding For A Fall" we capture John Holt at his best in do overs of his rocksteady hits with the Paragons like "On the Beach", "The Tide Is High" and "Stealin, Stealin" (a tune that has been running things hot due to the "Xterminator" - the intro is the source of the sample for Luciano's "Ulterior Motive" and it's versions - and "Hi Power" cuts to the riddim that have been tearing up the place in 1998) and the still great sounding "Stick By Me", "Hooligans Change Your Style" and the massive rocker's tune "Up Park Camp". Real value for money !! Teacher & Mr. T. |
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