Ras
1997
Natty Dread Rise Again
About This Album
Sadly, the Congos' fate was already sealed two decades before this album's release. In 1977-1978 they recorded one of the most seminal sets of the roots era, Heart of the Congos, arguably Lee "Scratch" Perry's most awe-inspiring production. Unfortunately, Island label head Chris Blackwell remained oblivious to the set's power, and it took three years before the small U.K. independent Go Feet picked Heart of the Congos up for release.

By then the Congos had fallen out with Perry and moved on, only to see their new efforts fall flat in comparison to their earlier material. The group soon disintegrated, although Cedric Myton continued to work under the band name. Since that time, the Congos have been saddled with the most unpalatable of legacies, purveyors of an acknowledged masterpiece that most people have never heard, but still remain in thrall of. Then in 1997 the original trio re-formed, and, backed by a host of distinguished island sessionmen -- the Barrett Brothers, Boris Gardiner, Mikey Chung, Tyrone Downie, Rolando Alphonso, and more -- and with additional backing vocals by the Meditations, recorded Natty Dread Rise Again. The set kicks off powerfully with the evocative stepper's stealth of "Rock of Gibraltar" and the vehement "Step Aside," filled with Myton's spine-tingling falsetto harmonies.
Track List (try tracks 1,2,5 and 10)

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