Title
Artist
Label
Format
Date
   Album review
My Voice Is Insured For Half A Million Dollars
Dennis Alcapone
Trojan Records
CD
22-07-2000


Tracking list

  1. My Voice Is Insured For Half A Million Dollars
  2. Pop A Version
  3. Fever Teaser
  4. Power Version
  5. Rocking To Ethiopia
  6. Joe Frazier Round 2
  7. This A Butter
  8. Musical Alphabet
  9. It Must Come
  10. Jungle Of Crime
  11. Take Your Time
  12. Sons Of Zion
  13. Castles & Kings
  14. Mava
  15. East To West
  16. False Prophet
  17. Out The Light Baby
  18. Ball Of Confusion
  19. Fine Style
  20. Look Into Yourself
  21. Out Of This World
  22. Go Jenny Go
  23. Seven Day Reggae
  24. Zaka-Za-Za
  25. Horse And Buggy
Rating : from 5 (excellent) to 1 (poor)

Vocals : 4 Backing : 4 Production : 4 Sound quality : 3/4 Sleeve : 4


This 25 track compilation collects some of the best of Dennis Alcapone's work from the period 1970-1973. He popularity was primarily due to a unique style, which belied a deceptively relaxed way with lyrics. His style and use of lyrics had been developed during his time with the El Paso sound system, which he ran from 1969 to the early months of 1970. With Dennis as the main attraction and Lizzy and Samuel The First as alternate deejays, the El Passo set quickly became one of the island's most popular sound systems. Dennis' 'singing stylee' was pioneered on his early records, notably those for Keith Hudson, Coxsone Dodd, Niney, all of whom producer Dennis in 1970. Over the next couple of years his output was prolific, recording for a variety of Kingston-based producers, which include Byron Smith, Phil Pratt, Bunny le, Alvin Ranglin, Prince Buster, Sonia Pottinger, lee Perry, Joe Gibbs, and Duke Reid. The latter, who had issued U Roy's earliest hits, repeated his success with numerous tunes gathered on the best-selling album 'Soul To Soul-Dj's Choice', while Coxsone Dodd and Bunny Lee also put out collections of the deejay's sides, issuing 'Forever Version' and 'Guns Don't Argue', respectively. Around Dennis started producing material, releasing 'Get In The Groove', featuring himself and Dennis Brown, 'Ape Man' by Augustus Pablo and Delroy Wilson's 'Little Village'.
The music on this album dates from the time when Dennis Alcapone was a dominant force on the Jamaican deejay scene. Here you'll find his best outings, the Studio One tunes Fever Teaser across the Horace Andy 'Fever' riddim and Joe Frazier Round 2, which is a great version across the Burning Spear 'Joe Frazier' tune, being the strongest songs. The Bunny Lee produced tune It Must Come features Delroy Wilson's 'Better Must Come' and sees Dennis in fine style. The same goes for Castles & Kings which licks the same singer's I'm Not A King. The wicked opening track is a version of The Techniques rocksteady hit 'Queen Majesty', produced by the late great Duke Reid. Mava is the deejay interpretation of Augustus Pablo's 'Java' riddim.
As the man would say "tune in to the sound of the rocking vibration, shake it, but don't break it and scrub it like an Alabama rabbit" -live it up !

Teacher & Mr. T.