Poet And The Roots - Dread Beat An' Blood (1990)

One of Jamaica's most significant reggae albums, originally released in 1978 on Frontline Records. Poet is Linton Kwesi Johnson; the Roots are Vivian Weathers (bass guitar, vocals), Dennis Bovell (guitar, keyboards), Desmond Craig (keyboards), Winston Cumiffe (drums), Lloyd Donaldson (drums), Everald Forest (percussion), John Vamom (guitar), and Lila Weathers (vocals). All but two songs first appeared in Johnson's 1975 poetry book, Dread Beat An' Blood. The poems are political in nature, dealing with Jamaica's racist regime and the way some dealt with the oppression: doping, fighting, and wasting one another in bars, as depicted in "Five Nights of Bleeding (For Leroy Harris)." Johnson does little singing, he simply delivers his poems in cadence to the music. Only on a couple of tunes like "Song of Blood," led by Lila Weathers, does any real singing occur, but Johnson's powerful, inspirational, descriptive words needs little embellishment.

Tracklist:
1 01. Poet And The Roots - Dread Beat An' Blood (1990 Digital Remaster) (03:00)
1 02. Poet And The Roots - Five Nights Of Bleeding (1990 Digital Remaster) (04:29)
1 03. Poet And The Roots - Doun Di Road (1990 Digital Remaster) (02:27)
1 04. Poet And The Roots - Song Of Blood (1990 Digital Remaster) (06:29)
1 05. Poet And The Roots - It Dread Inna Inglan (For George Lindo) (1990 Digital Remaster) (04:05)
1 06. Poet And The Roots - Come Wi Goh Dung Deh (1990 Digital Remaster) (03:47)
1 07. Poet And The Roots - Man Free (For Darcus Howe) (1990 Digital Remaster) (06:02)
1 08. Poet And The Roots - All Wi' Doin' Is Defendin' (1990 Digital Remaster) (03:03)
1 09. Poet And The Roots - Command Counsel (1990 Digital Remaster) (03:10)
1 10. Poet And The Roots - Defense (Dub / 1990 Digital Remaster) (03:13)