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| Album
Details |
| Title: Merci |
| Artist: Alpha
Blondy |
| Label: Shanachie |
| Released: June 25,
2002 |
| Genre: REGG |
| Length: | |
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Album Review |
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| Since picking up
the stylistic torch laid down when Bob
Marley died in 1981, Alpha Blondy has
had a rather strange career, one marked by
significant commercial success worldwide even as
the Jamaican market has looked at him somewhat
askance. With Merci, Blondy
celebrates his 20th anniversary as an
international reggae star by going into
the studio to record for the first time in four
years, and he sounds as strong as ever. There
are no surprises here: He still specializes in
an aggressively old-school approach to the
music, his sound dominated by horns, female
backing vocals, and real drums, guitar, and
bass. His voice is nasal and piercing, but not
unpleasantly so, and he writes good melodies
that are not quite enough to stick in the head
permanently but are strong enough to hold your
attention. As usual, his best lyrics are the
French ones; on "Politruc" he offers the
commonsense observation "Moi, j'ai peur des
mitraillettes" ("As for me, I'm afraid of
machine guns"), and he is joined by the
excellent French toasters Saian Supa Crew
on a strange but intriguing adaptation of the
O'Jays' "For the Love of Money."
Another fun but bizarre moment is his cover
version of Free's "It's All
Right," rendered here as "Hey Jack."
The only misstep comes right at the end of the
program, with the rather boring and superfluous
"Le Feu." Highly recommended overall. ~
Rick Anderson, All Music
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