Horace Andy Meets Mad Professor

Released on Ariwa Sounds, ‘From The Roots' is a musical collaboration between the Mad Professor himself, Neil Fraser, and Horace Andy, a stalwart of reggae music: HA started out at Studio One back in 1970 alongside Dennis Brown and Burning Spear and has been spinning us reggae beats since then, even working with Massive Attack. Considering MP also worked on the ‘No Protection' album which featured more experimental, cut and paste dub reggae, this collaboration it's rather surprising to note has 14 tracks very much along the traditional reggae style.

The songs are impeccably played with interesting keyboard flushes and bass grooves but rather too predictable in their overall tone to really astound.This album could be straight out the 70's songbook of reggae as hiphop or experimental dub influences are kept to a minimum.

A couple of tracks stand out for me; ‘Vanity Vanity' and ‘Dem Lie' being lyrically challenging and beautifully balanced, special reggae which lets you soak in the bass till it vibrates your skull and bones.
It's commercial enough to be radio friendly, a medium which practically excludes reggae in it's play-list. Maybe this album was conceived with such an intention……..everybody wants to be loved lest we forget.