STEEL PULSE OG'86 BABYLON THE BANDIT LP RARE DJ PROMO M

STEEL PULSE BABYLON THE BANDIT LPCategory / Style / Moods: Reggae Contemporary Reggae, Reggae-Pop, Roots Reggae17.77 / 2007-09-18 S asocc1986 ELEKTRA US LPTITLE: BABYLON THE BANDITARTIST: STEEL PULSECONDITIONCOVER: VG GOLD DJ STAMP ON BACKVINYL: VG++Click here for info on grading and abbreviationsCLEAN ORIGINAL PRESS RARE WHITE LABEL PROMOClick the pix for a better view TRACKS: Disc: 11.Save Black MusicHinds 4:172.Not King James VersionHinds 4:133.School Boy's Crush (Jail Bait)Hinds 4:184.Sugar DaddyHinds 4:355.Kick That Habit (Cold Turkey)Hinds 3:426.Blessed Is the ManHinds 4:257.Love Walks OutHinds 4:268.Don't Be AfraidBrown 4:569.Babylon the BanditHinds 5:08Review by Ron Wynn Biting, frequently riveting protest material from Steel Pulse. The title track is one of several anthemic numbers punctuated by the remarkable David Hinds. Only Aswad compares to them among British reggae bands, and they've never produced any roots or political tracks superior to routine Steel Pulse material. Biography by Steve Huey Steel Pulse were one of Britain's greatest reggae bands, rivaled only by Aswad in terms of creative and commercial success. Generally a protest-minded Rastafarian outfit, Steel Pulse started out playing authentic roots reggae with touches of jazz and Latin music, and earned a substantial audience among white U.K. punks as well. Their 1978 debut, Handsworth Revolution, is still regarded by many critics as a landmark and a high point of British reggae. As the '80s wore on, slick synthesizers and elements of dance and urban R&B gradually crept into their sound, even as their subject matter stayed on the militant side. By the late '80s, Steel Pulse had won a Grammy and were working full-fledged crossover territory, but never reached the same degree of commercial acceptance as Aswad or Inner Circle. They subsequently returned to a tough-minded, rootsy sound that nonetheless made concessions to contemporary trends with touches of dancehall and hip-hop.Steel Pulse were formed in 1975 in Birmingham, England, specifically the ghetto area of Handsworth. The founding members were schoolmates David Hinds (the primary songwriter as well as the lead singer and guitarist), Basil Gabbuyon (guitar), and Ronnie "Stepper" McQueen (bass). All of them came from poor West Indian immigrant families, and none had much musical experience. They took some time to improve their technical proficiency, often on Rasta-slanted material by Bob Marley and Burning Spear. McQueen suggested the group name, after a racehorse, and they soon fleshed out the lineup with drummer Steve "Grizzly" Nisbett, keyboardist/vocalist Selwyn "Bumbo" Brown, percussionist/vocalist Alphonso "Fonso" Martin, and vocalist Michael Riley.Steel Pulse initially had difficulty finding live gigs, as club owners were reluctant to give them a platform for their "subversive" Rastafarian politics. Luckily, the punk movement was opening up new avenues for music all over Britain, and also finding a spiritual kinship with protest reggae. Thus, the group wound up as an opening act for punk and new wave bands like the Clash, the Stranglers, Generation X, the Police, and XTC, and built a broad-based audience in the process. In keeping with the spirit of the times, Steel Pulse developed a theatrical stage show that leavened their social commentary with satirical humor; 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