Steel Pulse - Earth Crisis (1984) [Hi-Res]

One of the U.K.'s most legendary reggae bands, Steel Pulse was formed in the tough Handsworth neighborhood of Birmingham in 1975 by a group of friends from struggling West Indian immigrant families. Chief among them was David Hinds, Steel Pulse’s lead singer, guitarist, and principal songwriter. Building on a base of roots reggae, they mixed Latin, jazz, and R&B influences in with the Rasta beats — as well as impassioned messages of social justice and political protest. Steel Pulse’s stellar musicianship and ideological courage shine on the 1984 album „Earth Crisis“, available as reissue-remaster.

„Not quite the landmark that Handsworth Revolution was, Earth Crisis suffers from uneven songwriting and dated, polished production that's sometimes too slick for its own good. What's more, the album is poorly sequenced, placing the weakest cuts, 'Steppin' Out' and 'Tightrope,' at the very beginning. 'Throne of Gold,' the album's love song, has beautiful lyrics but lacks a truly compelling melody to get them across. After that, the album picks up with a string of superior songs, all of which decry social injustice and have powerful music to back them up, though they occasionally drag on longer than they need to and are saddled with horn and synthesizer parts that sound superfluous. Still, the strength of material in the album's second half definitely proves why Steel Pulse earned their reputation as a top-notch act. Had the songs been more focused, the production less slick, and the album sequenced correctly, Earth Crisis would stand as a watershed album of the '80s. As it stands, it's certainly worth hearing, but probably not the place where newcomers should be introduced to Steel Pulse's talents.“ (Victor W. Valdivia, AMG)

Selwyn 'Bumbo' Brown, keyboards, vocals
David Hinds, lead vocals, rhythm, lead guitar
Jimmy Haynes, bass, lead guitar
Carl Atkins, saxophone
Ronald 'Stepper' McQueen, bass
Steve 'Grizzly' Nesbitt, drums, percussion
Alphonso Martin, percussion, vocals

Recorded at Horizon Studios, Coventry, England
Engineered by Dave Lester, Mike Morongell, Dave Lester
Produced by Jimmy Haynes & Steel Pulse

Digitally remastered

Tracklist:
01. Steel Pulse - Steppin' Out (04:04)
02. Steel Pulse - Tightrope (04:12)
03. Steel Pulse - Throne Of Gold (04:27)
04. Steel Pulse - Roller Skates (04:57)
05. Steel Pulse - Earth Crisis (04:56)
06. Steel Pulse - Bodyguard (04:30)
07. Steel Pulse - Grab Education (06:12)
08. Steel Pulse - Wild Goose Chase (05:41)