Dread Beat And Blood - Linton Kwesi Johnson (1978)

Johnson (o_O) made a number of crucial reggae records that were anything but the laid back vibe people sometimes think of for the music.

This is his debut and comes out pretty much like everything else he did. His spoken word delivery is even and calm, but tangles with deep themes of alienation and injustice. The music goes on underneath as a spooky, unsettling soundtrack to Johnson’s revolutionary flow.

Tracks I Liked

Five Nights Of Bleeding - police violence in London

It Dread Inna Inglan - a tale of murder