yardie's reggae collection - artist pageLUCIANO
SERVE JAH * * * 
2003 - VP - studio - discs: 1Luciano was borned Jepther McClymont in Davey Town. Once in Kingston he started his career working with a few producers before he met Homer Harris which changed his name. He worked with long time producer Phillip "Fattis" Burrell in 1993. He quit the scene to come back in 1995 at full effect. Some albums of the 90's are "Where There Is Life" (1995), "After All" (1996), "Messenger" (1997) and "Champions In Action" (1999). The new millenium was opened with "Great Controversy" (2000). He has been quite often compared to the late Garnett Silk. But the comparison is due more to his human and conscious approach to life than the music or the voice. When he started his musical career the Jamaican scene was full of slackness music based on the use of digital equipments. As Luciano material came out it was clear that something very different was available. And from that point of view talking about Silk was quite acceptable: both delivered a strong spiritual message in a musical environment that was going to the opposite direction. Luciano never changed his attitude and after almost ten years he only got stronger (at least on the spiritual side). Well, if there is no doubt about Luciano's consciousness and Rastafari beliefs, I am not particularly impressed by this set. The music is well played without exemptions. The whole set stands on a quite good level. There are not low points but there not even peaks. What is really a gem here is the strong "Hail King Selassie" featuring Capleton. Here Capleton is not a guest since the song is present in his "Still Blazin" (2002) set too. "Serve Jah" is a good set but, excluding the above mentioned track, the rest did not blow out my mind.
SERIOUS TIMES
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2004 - VP - studio - discs: 1This 2004 set was coordinated by Joel Chin and Dean Fraser as executive producers. Even if it is not an enlightning set it is stronger then "Serve Jah". There are different vibes here. If Luciano lyrics will never be discussed as not conscious, the music is more textured and therefore interesting. There are not real low points as there are in almost every set of whatever artist, but the pop of "Jah Is My Keeper" for sure is. There are some good songs too. What I like the most are: the joyful opening of "Give Praise", the very good advise for staying away from troubles of "Stay Away", the message of "Satisfy Your Self", the Rastafari "Alpha & Omega", the set that gives the album the name, the political "Serious Times Serious Measures" and "The Ras She Want". As stated the rest lays there without being impressive nor enough satisfying. |