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Cornel Campbell: Natty Dread: Anthology (TJDDD242)

I’ve been waiting for this, out of the plethora of releases at last, one of the greatest voices out of Jamaica in my humble opinion, the sweet falsetto of Cornel Campbell. He’s been around since the 50’s but this concentrates on the 70’s and early 80’s and is predominantly Bunny lee rockers material. Nonethless it is wonderful, the best is sublime like Girl of my dreams and stars.

Heavily influenced by the likes of Curtis Mayfield, Sam Cooke and the great US Soul voices his voice blends perfectly into the Lovers of the era covered by this anthology. Plenty of covers too and also well into roots material as well.

It’s hard to pick out th ebest style whether it be local commentary songs likeDance in Greenwich Farm, gun Court Law or the rasta Give me strength Oh Jah, Jah Jah a go beat them or the soul covers or the lovers balladry of Please be True, I’ll never let yo go or just the plain wonderful like I’ll mash you down or The Sun.

The Tapper Zukie material, being more stripped down , also suited his voice so well even on the more roots like Press along Natty and Chatty too much.

I’m not quite so keen on the material as it moved towards and into the 80’s with sparser riddims, somehow the earlier rockers lent itself perfectly, wheras the more stoccato shu beng beng early dancehall didn’t quite match it. Still it aon’t tha bad though the voice had hardened brobably as a result of the material as much as anything, but then something like trick in the book or Hypocrites are as good as anything.

Absolutely wonderful.

Cornel Campbell: Natty Dread: Anthology (TJDDD242)

Format: Double CD album Released: Apr 04 2005 Price: £13.99 Back in the mid-to-late '70s, Cornel Campbell vied with Dennis Brown and Johnny Clarke for the mantle of Jamaican music's most popular singer after Bob Marley. It was a period when a mix of rockers and latter-day rocksteady ruled the dancehalls, and aching, romantic ballads sold just as well as the gritty roots and reality songs favoured by many Rasta artists. Cornel - who'd started his career back in the ska era at Studio One - specialised in both, and his sweetly expressive falsetto is now synonymous with reggae's golden age. It was a period when he was crowned The Gordon after sweeping all before him with songs like 'Queen Of The Minstrel, ' Girl Of My Dream', 'Stars' and 'Dance In A Greenwich Farm'. His biggest hits were recorded by Bunny Lee, who continued to voice him well into the '80s and matched the self-effacing Campbell with a succession oof unforgettable rhythms as rockers evolved into first steppers, and then early dancehall. The fruits of their alliance (and also other tracks produced by Linval Thompson and Tapper Zukie) still make compelling listening thirty years later, confirming this double CD set's status as his most essential 'hits' collection to date.

Tracklisting

2-CD SET

DISC 1

Girl Of My Dreams

Stars

The Gorgon

Dance In A Greenwich Farm

The Conquering Gorgon

Gun Court Law

They Can't Get Me Out

Natty Dread In A Greenwich Farm

Press Along Natty Dread

Give Me Strength Oh Jah

The Gorgon Is The Ruler

Stay Down Babylon

Jah Jah A Go Beat Them

I'll Mash You Down

Please Be True

Wherever I Lay My Hat

I've Got To Keep Running

Duke Of Earl (original)

The Sun

Whenever You Need Me

Heading For The Mountain

Wolf In Sheeps Clothing

Rasta Come From Jail

Natty Dread

DISC 2

My Sweet Baby

Go To Tell The People

Malicious World

I'll Never Let Go

Press Along Natty

Fight Against Corruption

Trick In The Book

Boxing

Rope In

Chatty Chatty Too Much

My Love For You

Everybody Want Promotion

Hypocrites

No Man's Land

Jah Jah Me No Horn Yah

The Gorgon Is Back

Confusion On The Land

My Guiding Star

The Drifter

Queen Of The Minstrel

Be True To Me

Hard Headed Israelites (aka Follow Instruction)