| Back to Genre |
 |
|
 |
Rating: Good |
Since their emergence in 1975, Third World always seemed the most likely candidate to succeed Bob Marley through the gates of the Reggae/Pop Crossover.
Their willingness to blend influences from contemporary American soul and disco music with their own reggae preoccupations has led to criticism from purists, but it paid off in the form of a huge hit with their highly appealing version of Gamble-and-Huff's 'Now That We've Found Love', originally an O'Jays album track.
Alex Sadkin's production (at Compass Point Studio in Nassau—a key location, psychologically halfway between North America and the Caribbean) utilizes the textures, densities, and subtle nuances of Philadelphia and New York, but—to these ears, at least—he and the band maintain the integrity of reggae's core in its emphasis on bass and drums. The slippery, displaced accents of, say, "Cool Meditation" simply couldn't have been reproduced by the expertise of American session musicians (though reggae's influence on mainstream America is growing; see, for example, Nina Simone's "Baltimore").
The title track is based on a tune called "Addis Ababa," originally recorded by legendary ska trombonist Don Drummond. Here, it's transformed into a funk-reggae instrumental whose loose (and unnamed) horn section is reminiscent of the Skatellites' trumpet-trombone-tenor configuration, and features guitar and organ solos that are atmospheric but somewhat lacking in inventiveness.
Journey To Addis bodes well for the future of Third World, suggesting that reggae, far from being a distracting 1970s fad, will continue to infiltrate the popular mainstream in ways that are increasingly insidious and satisfying.
= Full Album Play List =
= Track List =
EN
