Search - Buju Banton :: Inna Heights 10th Anniversary Edition

Love and Redemption

Brendan Welsh-Balliett | Brooklyn, NY | 01/19/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"It's hard to believe 10 years have passed since this album emerged, more so when you hear the music which is as fresh, beautiful and timeless now as the day it was recorded. This is not a flawless album, plagued as it is with too many interludes and a few iffy tracks; but what's great here, which is most of the album, is simply amazing.



Hardcore reggae fans know all there is to be said about this album, and probably have had it since day 1. For those of you who don't, please don't miss this chance to catch up on a crucial piece of reggae, and music, history. Buju is perhaps the greatest reggae artist since Bob Marley, certainly the most obviously accessible since those days to those of us far from Jamaica. And song by song, lyric by lyric, this matches up to anything Marley ever recorded. It can inspire you to try harder in your life, to love your neighbor, to get in touch with the people in your life who matter and tell them how you feel, to think harder and deeper about the world you live in, to sing out loud. It's music which inspires you to be a better human being and show more love, and what more can you really ask? I'm a better person for having heard this album; you may be as well.



And I can't stress this enough: this is not just for "reggae fans." The level of songwriting, lyrics and performance here is truly superlative, with songs like "African Pride", "Redder Than Red", "Love Sponge" and the near-acapella "Circumstances" which will stay with you and stick in your memory. You may buy this and fall in love with reggae as I did, of that I must warn you; but all you need beforehand to enjoy this is a love of music and life.



For those choosing between versions, this 10th anniversary set includes three very good additional songs from the album's era which didn't make the record, alongside a DVD which includes Buju's entire 40+ minute set from Sumfest '96. In my opinion it's definitely worth the additional 6 or 7 bucks for the expanded version, especially for the memorable cautionary tale "Bad Boy." Even if you've never listened to Buju before, consider this your best chance to catch up with one of the very greatest reggae artists ever, one who can make you appreciate life a little more.



When you're done, go buy Buju's "Til' Shiloh", and be amazed at how bright the world seems."