Aswad: A New Chapter - 1981
After their 1976 rootsy, eponymous debut album and 1979's slightly less heavy but still roots offering in Hulet, Aswad saw the eighties in by acknowledging in this album's title that a certain amount of change in style was underfoot. The classic roots reggae sound of "flying cymbals" and one-drop drum sounds or Rastafarian Nyabinghi drums had given way, as the decade turned, to synthesiser-driven reggae, often accompanied by programmed drums and electronic effects. The move to "digital reggae" began here. The lilting guitars were still there, though, and, lyrically, the Rastafarian devotional pronouncements hadn't gone but everything seemed considerably lighter, breezier and just less heavy.
The punk/reggae crossover years of 1976-79, that saw the nihilism of punk merge with the angry, conscious righteousness of roots 'n' Rasta had gone, to be replaced by smoother, more danceable and arguably more accessible reggae sounds such as in the music of Black Uhuru and those, like Aswad, who changed their core sound to meet both the prevailing zeitgeist and (possibly) commercial necessity. We were entering the era of the wine bar, particularly in the UK's major cities - where the market was - and it was about looking good, spending money and listening to relaxing, chilled-out sounds. So, even if your music, like Aswad's, still had a message of militancy and cultural pride, it was served up backed by a sweet, keyboard-driven backing, with melodic, soft brass, light vocals and slightly muffled drums. A long way from Notting Hill Carnival.
To the songs....
The heavy stuff was still out there, of course, but bands like Aswad were quite happy to plough a slightly different furrow. Songs like African Children, Way Of The Lord, Tuff We Tuff, Zion and Ina Your Rights are still fervent and devotional, but their sound is most easy on the ear. This is relaxing Rasta. Love songs/ballads are also on the menu, such as the laid-back I Will Keep On Loving You, Love Fire, the rootsy but loved-up Natural Progression and I Didn't Know At The Time.
Aswad were showing that they were a reggae band that gave us "reggae but not reggae". It was reggae but often with a soulful edge, almost like that that UK reggae band UB40 went on to specialise in as the eighties progressed. It drew a fair amount of perhaps predictable disparagement from hardcore roots followers, but in doing what they did, Aswad developed a new audience, so fair play to them. Why, they were even releasing 12" singles now!
The group showed that they hadn't completely deserted roots by the release of the accompanying dub partner - A New Chapter Of Dub.
