Shabba Ranks

OK people, we need to sort some things out. Ive been looking at the UK chart and frankly Im appalled. This week my reviews are going to be entirely based on comparing songs from Jamaicas top 20 with whatever woeful counterpoint we have clogging up the airwaves here in Blighty.

Shabbas been about for years. This isnt one of his greater songs but it still has a strong rhythm, plenty of vocal ticks and tricks to keep the energy levels high, and enough melody to push the grand old lord of dancehall back into the charts. From the youtube video, its fair to say the man is looking OLD, and Im glad that he can still have an impact on the chart of his home country, coming with music thats relevant without being alienating to his long term fans. Hes sitting at number 18 at the moment. Im sure if I look to the UK, Ill find Julian Cope, or perhaps Bernard Sumner, or maybe even Eddie Grant in a similar position, respected by their countrymen for long dedicated service. No. No, of course not. Instead we find Dev, with the inevitably mindless Bass Down Low. OK, to be honest, I like Bass Down Low, its got all the elements of cheesy pop dance that Im into, its just a shame that while the country collapses around us theres room for songs with lines like Ill give you that Black Eyed Peas// You know that boom boom pow, but fuck all space for Robert Wyatt. Hey ho.

Ian Mcquaid

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