The Gladiators: Naturality - 1979

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More brassy, melodic roots-like fare from The Gladiators here, their first album from 1979 and their fourth overall. The sound is again full of those ever-so-slightly distant brass interjections, lilting guitar and harmonious vocals. Once more the album is blessed with superb stereo sound quality that doesn't distort or shake your speakers. The material is what you would expect by now - brassy, warm, righteous and harmoniously-delivered roots reggae. Very integral to the overall roots sound of 1978-1979. 

Count your blessings, it's time for an exodus....

Highlights are Naturality, Struggle and Write To Me. It was not surprising that these were the three chosen for the compilation Dreadlocks The Time Is Now. 

There is a bit more of a thumping, chunky sound to some of the material on here, including a credible, throbbing cover of Bob Marley & The Wailers' Exodus and the pounding but highly rhythmic sounds contained in all of Counting My Blessing, Greatest Love and Dry Your Weeping Eyes. All of these have an insistent, deep beat to them that I love. 

Another good one is Praises To The Most High, with its rolling drum ills and Jacob Miller-style vocals. Rastafarian devotion is still a motivation, lyrically, expressed particularly in the previous track and also on Nyahbinghi Marching On, which is very similar to Bob Marley's material this 1979-1980 period. Love that organ solo in this one too.

Some reviewers I have read compare this album unfavourably with Trenchtown Mix-Up and Proverbial Reggae and, while I can sort of understand where they are coming from in that those two were more intrinsically roots, there is a certain brightness about this one. Check out a track such as Get Ready as an example. The problem with reviewing roots reggae from this period, however, is that there is a certain homogeny of sound that renders track-by-track detailed reviews extremely difficult. These albums play out as just a certain feel, as a whole. You could pick any of them and enjoy them, if you like roots reggae.

I am not sure that I credited who was involved in these recordings on my other Gladiators reviews. So here you go -

During 1978-79 The Gladiators featured Albert Griffiths on lead guitar and vocals, Clinton Fearon on bass guitar and vocals, Gallimore Sutherland on rhythm guitar and vocals, the eventually legendary Sly Dunbar on drums, Lloyd Parks on bass, Uziah "Sticky" Thompson on percussion, Ansel "Double Barrel" Collins on keyboards and Earl 'Wire' Lindo on synthesizer. Errol Thompson and Joe Gibbs were their engineer and mixer, and Tony Robinson the record producer. There are some notable reggae names there, aren't there? No wonder the sound is so good. 

The Gladiators remain one of my favourite roots reggae artists. 

Secondary, 2 of 5

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