Search - Kiddus I :: Rocking Rebel

A Lost and Found Piece of Roots Reggae History

Gordon Kyd | Sydney, NSW Australia | 12/27/2009

(3 out of 5 stars)

"First and foremost there is two ways of looking at this double CD compilation:'Rocking Rebel: Volumes 1 & 2'. The first approach is the historical value of these 21 tracks of which 80% have never been available until this release. This fact alone in many ways can be seen as priceless as the artist himself thought these recordings were lost for the last 3 decades. More than 30 years after some of these recordings were laid down, all of them during the 'Golden Era' of Jamaican roots reggae, they somehow resurface thanks to a back up tape that a close friend (Michael Santoro) made back in 1981. In December 2007, Santoro sat down with Kiddus I and listened to the "Lost Tape" which resulted in the realization that these recordings were extremely significant and should be released. The second way to approach this release is from an audio and production angle which sadly comes up extremely poor. It is obvious that these recordings were backed up using standard audio cassettes rather than ¼ inch multi-track tapes as the quality is incredibly thin with a mild hiss running through the background of most of the tracks. This is somewhat disappointing as the very average, 2 dimensional sound quality will deter most people from enjoying what is really on offer here. Only die hard roots reggae or Kiddus I fans will be able to appreciate the magic contained within the sub standard audio. Some tracks sound better than others however only marginally and high dynamic moments such as drum fills either distort, peak out or clip. Apart from the weak sonic reproduction/resurrection of these lost recordings, Kiddus I's songs are strong and melodic with the gun session musicians experimenting more with their instruments than most other reggae artists of the time. The musicianship within the arrangements is extremely impressive with far more solos or instrumental features than most reggae recordings. You can also hear far more than roots reggae in Kiddus I's songs as a fair amount of crossing over into other styles take place such as funk and fusion. It is obvious Kiddus I had the services of the best musicians Jamaica had to offer with the likes of Robbie Shakespeare, Leroy 'Horsemouth' Wallace, Carlton 'Santa' Davis, Earl 'Chinna' Smith, Jackie Mitto and Earl 'Wire' Lido laying down their craft for these recordings. That's is just a handful of the roots reggae royalty who are credited on the liner notes of the sleeve!



Although this is a "must have" for those that appreciate Kiddus I's music, the compilation "Rockers: Graduation In Zion 1978-1980" is a far superior audio experience. It is an absolutely superbly remixed and remastered presentation by Dub Store Records Japan with a fantastic booklet filled with original cover art from his 70's singles and a detailed biography written by Kiddus I himself. Seven of the tracks that appear on 'Rocking Rebel' also appear on "Rockers: Graduation In Zion 1978-1980" however they are in faultless sonic quality, possibly one of the best sounding remasters I have ever heard! Although the latter compilation contains less tracks (all his singles released under Kiddus I's Shepherd Label back in the 1970's) it is a far better example of the brilliance of this legendary Dred."