Burning Spear Chant Down Babylon: The Island Anthology CD

Principally recorded at Randy's Studio, Harry J Studio and Tuff Gong Studios, Kingston, Jamaica; Grove Recording Studio, Ocho Rios, Jamaica; Compass Point Studios, Nassau, The Bahamas. Includes liner notes by Amy Wachtel.

Since 1973, Burning Spear has consistently remained true to an uncompromisingly unique and intense style of reggae. The two-disc CHANT DOWN BABYLON gathers together the cream of Spear's output for Island from his '70s heyday and his brief early-'90s return to the label.

More than a mere musician, Burning Spear (a.k.a. Winston Rodney) always used his musical career as a pulpit from which to sing about black culture and history, pan-Africanism, Rastafarianism, and universal love. Spear took his name from Kenyan revolutionary Jomo Kenyatta, and his greatness as an artists has consistently shone through, be it on straightforward studio songs ("Door Peep," "Dry & Heavy"), pioneering explorations of dub ("I & I Survive," "Cultivation"), or scintillating live performances ("The Lion," "Jordan River"). Spear not only wrote his own music but hand-picked his backup musicians, who have included members of the Wailers, Aswad, and a host of crack Jamaican session cats. All these factors make CHANT DOWN an essential addition to any reggae collection.

All tracks have been digitally remastered.

Compilation producer: Jerry Rappaport.

Engineers include: Errol Thompson, Sylvan Morris.

Personnel: Lenford Richards (guitar, keyboards); Donald Kinsey, Earl "Chinna" Smith, Ranchie McLean, Donald Griffiths (guitar); Carlton Samuels (flute); Dean Fraser, George Lee, Mark Wilson (saxophone); Herman Marquis (alto saxophone); Dirty Harry Hall (tenor saxophone); Dick Cuthell, Chico Chin, James Smith , Bobby Ellis (trumpet); Vincent "Trommie" Gordon, Nambo Robinson, Rico Rodriguez, Charles Dickey (trombone); Robert Lyn (piano, synthesizer); Courtney Hemmings, Earl Lindo, Jay Noel, Tyrone Downie, Bernard Touter Harvey (keyboards); Leroy "Horsemouth" Wallace, Nelson Miller, Angus Gaye, Sly Dunbar (drums); Philip Fullwood (congas); Alvin Haughton, Uziah "Sticky" Thompson (percussion); Delroy Hines, Rupert Willington (background vocals).

Audio Mixers: Mervyn Williams; Michel Sauvage.

Audio Remixer: Matt Robinson.

Recording information: Comp; Harry J Studio, Kingston, Jamaica; London, England; Randy's Studio, Kingston, Jamaica.

Photographers: Chris Carroll ; Adrian Boot; David Corio; Dennis Morris.

Unknown Contributor Roles: Denise Mills; Lloyd Coxone; Amy Wachtel.

Personnel includes: Burning Spear (Winston Rodney) (vocals, percussion); Earl "Chinna" Smith, Ranchie McLean, Brinsley Forde, Donald Griffiths, Donald Kinsey, Linvall Jarrett (guitar); Herman Marquis (alto saxophone); Richard "Dirty Harry" Hall (tenor saxophone); Bobby Ellis (trumpet); Charles Dickey, Nambo Robinson (trombone); Robbie Lynn (synthesizer, piano); Earl "Wire" Lindo, Courtney Hemmings (keyboards); Robbie Shakespeare, Aston "Family Man" Barrett, George Oban (bass); Leroy "Horsemouth" Wallace, Angus Gaye, Sly Dunbar (drums); Uziah "Sticky" Thompson (percussion); Rupert Willington, Delroy Hines (background vocals).

Producers include: Laurence Lindo (Jack Ruby), Winston Rodney.

Q (10/96, p.179) - 4 Stars - Excellent - "...Spear is a single-minded deliverer of Rasta's message....Simultaneously full of claustrophobic dread and vibrant with Jamaica's country breezes....He knows what is to be a captive...and yet feel free in himself...and lets the rest of us feel it too."
NME (Magazine) (8/10/96, p.53) - 8 (out of 10) - "...For 27 years now, the devout Rastafarian...has been a lone voice calling for truth, rights and justice with unwavering conviction....CHANT DOWN BABYLON copiles some of Burning Spear's morsels..."