Search - Dennis Brown :: Tribulation

When it comes to vocal stylings, today's generation of reggae singers owes less to Bob Marley than to Dennis Brown, who inherited Marley's Reggae King throne after the latter passed in 1981. Unfortunately, this set's title could refer not just to the struggles of black people but to Brown's own suffering caused by a back-stabbing music business and his own personal choices. Still, this gentle, modest man possesses a natural radiance that emanates from the deep well of inner grace that's stood him through. Everyone involved in this project, including veteran producer Alvin Ranglin, deserves much credit for ensuring that despite a loss of vocal power and resonance, Brown's inimitable soul shines through. Still, Brown actually sounds better here than he has in a long time, and the record wisely draws much more from Brown's past compositions than from his more recent writings. These "do-overs" are not cooked up on computer, but recorded live and lush by a proven elite, all of whom have scored their own hit albums. They include the stalwart and excellent Roots Radics band, arranger-saxophonist Dean Frazier, bassist Chris Meredith, and, ensuring that there are no rough spots, the legendary Tamlins harmony trio. --Elena Oumano