I’m not one for religion. Generally speaking I believe that it belonged to some earlier stage of man’s development, and find it hard to stomach the fact that after centuries of oppression we are still expected to some degree to live and die by the tenets set out in the folk tales of some Middle Eastern Iron Age goatherds.
But there can be no doubt that religious feelings have inspired great art, which brings us on to Michael Williams, aka Prince Far I- The Voice of Thunder.
One of those great biographies that litter the Jamaican music industry of the time- an erstwhile DJ and bouncer who got his recording break through a no show by another artist.
His debut, Psalms For I, was recorded in 1975.
1976 saw the release of the breakthrough album, Under Heavy Manners, chanting thunderous Old Testament fire and brimstone over some truly classic Joe Gibbs tracks with a righteous growl.
Remarkably, Between 1978 and 1981 he released twelve albums .
He was shot dead at the age of 39, in 1983.
1976 saw the release of the breakthrough album, Under Heavy Manners, chanting thunderous Old Testament fire and brimstone over some truly classic Joe Gibbs tracks with a righteous growl.
Remarkably, Between 1978 and 1981 he released twelve albums .
He was shot dead at the age of 39, in 1983.
I agree completely with your sentiments on religion. I love reggae but I sometimes have to separate the music from its message. Dub is a great way to enjoy the musicianship without the "fire and brimstone", but a great part of the pleasure of reggae is the vocal groups (like the Heptones, the Maytals, etc.) and the voices of artists like Prince Far I, Prince Jazzbo, Horace Andy, and so on...
ReplyDeleteOne of the finest recordings by one of the most amazing artists to ever step up to the mic.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the chance to hear it again....
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Religion is a feeling, not dogma, not commandments and rules, not stories. It is the pure experience of love in your heart that you cannot deny. This can be relevant to anybody. That is why religion-inspired music transcends the barriers, it is sung by somebody experiencing something within, whether you call it 'religion', 'god', 'love' or 'higher power'. It's the zealots from various religions who give religion a bad name. Not content with their own inner experience they try to convince other people that 'what they believe from a scripture' is what you should also believe. These are the people who have given religion a bad name. Don't accept religion as somebody else's interpretation or by what you read in some doctrine. When you experience pure love inside yourself you will know your religion. Thnx for the LP.
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