Search - Alpha Blondy & the Wailers :: Jerusalem

Album of perfection

PJY | Cumming, Ga USA | 07/04/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"There is not a note, lyric or rhythm I'd change on this album. It is old school reggae at its zenith. The hypnotic rhythm and heart felt lyrics are mostly of a by-gone era when the reggae meant more than the dance beat. Alpha Blondy may not hail from the islands, but who said that was a requirement? This is good reggae you can listen to over and over and still enjoy."

Jerusalem -Alpha Blondy

Heidi Grossman | Philadelphia, PA | 11/09/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Had not heard this in a while. What a treasure! I still love every song.

One of, if not the best of Alpha Blondy!"

Multi-lingual unity

L. Benjamin | Savannah, GA | 03/07/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I first heard Jerusalem in Mali when it first became available in 1988. Blondy sings in English, French, Dioula, Hebrew, and Arabic, sometimes all in the same song. His multi-lingual abilities do produce some unexpected results - I Love Paris, for instance, is sung entirely in English - not a French word to be heard. His Dioula is close enough to Bambara that I was able to make out in Politiqui - Wake up, Africans/Politics is no good/Politics will fool you; then later in French - Long live the President/Down with the President/Long live the general/Down with the General. Travailler c'est Trop Dur is amusing: Work is too hard/But stealing is not good.



Blondy exhibits the dropping of the double negative I often heard in Francophone West Africa; instead of Voler n'est pas bon he sings Voler c'est pas bon.



My only suggestion for improvement would have been full liner notes, with versions of the lyrics for all of the songs in all of the languages used. Maybe that's too much to ask, nevertheless, the attempt at unity is heartening.



(This review is of the import version, ASIN B0001CVBHI)

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