ALBERT GRIFFITHS & GLADIATORS In Store for You LP HEAR

ALBERT GRIFFITHS & THE GLADIATORS IN STORE FOR YOU LPCategory / Style / Moods: Reggae Ska, Rocksteady19.77 / 2008-11-02 FP asocc1988 HEARTBEAT LPTITLE: IN STORE FOR YOUARTIST: ALBERT GRIFFITHS & THE GLADIATORSCONDITIONCOVER: VG+VINYL: VG++/EX to Near MintClick here for info on grading and abbreviationsHARD TO FIND CLEAN ORIGINAL PRESSClick the pix for a better view TRACKS: A1 Give It Up Willing A2 New York A3 Make It Work A4 Vitamin A & C A5 Clean Hands B1 Carless Gun B2 On TV B3 Merciless Pay B4 The Holy Hill B5 In Store For You Review by John Dougan, Option The latest from Griffiths And The Gladiators is a solid effort; its only problem is that it's not as immediately compelling as much of his earlier work. His throaty vox box can still push a song and force you to pay attention to even the slightest material, but here that's sometimes not enough. In a thematic turn, the AIDS epidemic is no doubt directly responsible for the safe sex/anti-slackness plea "Clean Hands," and a notion that seems to become more prominent on reggae LPs. Still, Griffiths pulls it off with characteristic aplomb. The revamped Gladiators sound tougher than ever, but sometimes the arrangements (like the bouncy "Give It Up Willing") sound stagnant. It's on Side Two that things really take off, and "Careless Gun," "Merciless Pay," and the title track (are) evidence that after so many years on the circuit, Griffiths' sublime touch can still be stirring and compelling. Biography by Jason Ankeny Reggae legend Albert Griffiths was born in St. Elizabeth, Jamaica on January 1, 1946, relocating to Kingston 14 years later. After a series of unsuccessful recording auditions, he accepted a job as a mason; among his co-workers was Leonard Dillon, the frontman of the Ethopians, and together, the two singers convinced their employer Leebert Robinson to fund a recording session at the famed Studio One, with the resulting sessions yielding Griffiths' debut "You Are the Girl, " released as the flipside to the Ethiopians' 1966 smash "Train to Skaville." Griffiths then enlisted David Weber and Errol Grandison to form the Gladiators, scoring a minor hit in 1967 with "The Train Is Coming Back"; singles including "Live Wire, " "Freedom Train" and "Hello Carol" followed before Weber exited in 1969, replaced soon after by Clinton Fearon. Sessions with the inimitable Lee 'Scratch' Perry followed before the trio recorded their first LP, Presenting the Gladiators; Gallimore Sutherland replaced Grandison in 1973, and under producer Tony Robinson the group cut several classic albums of the period, including Trenchtown Mix Up and Proverbial Reggae. Early 1980s efforts including Symbol of Reality and Serious Thing preceded the Gladiators' first U.S. tour in 1983; despite regular line-up changes Griffiths remained a staple of the group, navigating his way through a series of well-received releases on Heartbeat. This exquisite piece of retro music history is a vinyl sound recording (not a CD). Please visit the A Sound Deal store for similar items and information on grading and shipping. Add me to your favorites for red hot sales bulletins and sneak previews of upcoming products. Combine Items to Save $$$! Click here to check the store for more!�A Sound Deal