U Brown - Rougher Than The Rest

DJ and singer U Brown can be fairly criticized for being a bit too derivative of his idol, U Roy. But on Rougher Than The Rest he takes what could have been a liability and turns it to his advantage; opening the album with a gracious tribute to his predecessors and colleagues and then proceeding to tear up a generous program of modern roots reggae, chatting and singing in fine old-school style over some top-quality Jah Warrior rhythms. Released simultaneously with the Prince Alla album More Love, Rougher Than The Rest features some of the same rhythms (notably the unusual "Ska Roots Rock," which is the basis for Prince Alla's "Good Morning Africa"), but they seem a bit less claustrophobically dense here. Read More