Jah Golden Throne

Peter Broggs' primary claim to fame is that he was the first artist recorded by the fledgling RAS label in the 1980s. He subsequently made several more albums, but despite the support of some of reggae's finest backing musicians, none of them was anything to write home about. The problems are two: his voice (which is not particularly attractive) and his singing (which is not particularly in tune). On this effort with British producer Jah Warrior, Broggs is in good form, revisiting some of his earlier material (in particular the very fine "Jah Jah Voice Is Calling," which is performed more solidly on this album than on his previous releases) but delivering primarily new songs. Jah Warrior's computer rhythms are bolstered by the presence of live horns, which lends an organic element to his usually digitally clean sound, and his mystical, dub-inflected production style fits Broggs' style and lyrical focus beautifully. Broggs blows it on "Rasta No Lose Him Culture," singing a good quarter-tone flat throughout the song, but the rest of the album is well worth hearing.