Culture - Too Long In Slavery (1978)

Tracklist

01. Behold
02. Poor Jah People
03. Stop The Fussing And Fighting
04. Cumbolo
05. Work On Natty
06. Tell Me Where You Get It
07. Iron Sharpening Iron
08. The International Herb
09. Too Long In Slavery
10. The Shepherd
11. Holy Mount Zion
12. Natty Never Get Weary
13. Citizen As A Peaceful Dub

This 13-track compilation is culled from Culture's three Front Line releases - Harder Than the Rest, Cumbolo, and International Herb. All three date from 1978-79, and were overseen by producer Sonia Pottinger. Pottinger had risen in the rocksteady age and was famed for her straightforward, almost gentle, productions, which placed the focus on the singers, not the rhythms or studio effects. She remained a force into the roots age, even while she eschewed the dread sound so popular in the day. Thus, although thematically Culture was a deeply dread band, and were accompanied in the studio by some of the island's heaviest hitting roots musicians, all bolstered by the rhythms of Sly & Robbie, these albums had a much lighter musical feel than most cultural offerings from this time. But the lightness nicely counterpoints Joseph Hill's deeply dread lyrics and Albert Walker and Kenneth Paley's sublime harmonies, as the trio offered up cultural and sufferer's songs, fueled by their deeply held Rastafarian beliefs. The collection boasts a number of seminal tracks that went on to become popular singles in Jamaica - "Stop the Fussing and Fighting," "Natty Never Get Weary," and "International Herb" (but sadly no "Trod On"). The rest of this is set is equally strong, and includes the highlights from this trio of high-quality albums.

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