Heartbeat / Pgd
1993
Trod On
About This Album
Lee Perry may have grabbed all the glory and Niney Holness all the accolades, but what did they ever do for singers...bar burying their vocals in clever production? Which is why the sadly neglected Sonia Pottinger was often the artists' preferred choice. Culture first entered the studio with the producer for their third album, Cumbolo, and this successful partnership continued over another three full-length records and a clutch of singles. A fourth album, Black Rose, was planned, but never reached fruition, and in 1993 Trod On finally saw the release of recordings made during that period. Pottinger's love of vocalists is obvious from all her production work. No clever studio gimmickry for her, no showboating rhythms either; production was not an adventure for Pottinger, but a set piece, a carefully orchestrated backdrop to showcase the vocalists at their best. Culture's previous work with Joe Gibbs saw that producer match their revolutionary material with equally radical music, to obvious effect. Pottinger would instead focus on their vocal strengths, using much more subtle means to emphasize the trio's message. On the title track, for instance, the Rastafarian theme is lyrically expressed by Joseph Hill's adamant delivery, but it's the backing vocals, floating above like a heavenly choir, that give the song its real grace.
Track List (try tracks 2,3,4,5,6,7,8,10 and 11)

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