In Concert
The poet leads off this November 1984 concert at the Queen Elizabeth Hall, South Bank, England, with an a cappella throw-down, drawing screams with his chilling rendering of an early composition fromDread Beat an' Blood. When the band kicks in for the title poem of that first LP, a flood of reggae tension bursts forth. And it just keeps coming. This double set is the only live recording of one of reggae's finest intelligences, and it's a killer. Linton Kwesi Johnson (a.k.a. LKJ) reveals his scholarly bent in "Intro," his brief greeting to the audience, describing the concert as a reflection of his poetic progress, and modestly stating that after 11 years in the biz, he's still an apprentice. But that's the sole quiet moment. The Dub Band, justly famed for drawing the sounds of the black diaspora into an airtight reggae celebration, is an awesome musical beast here. LKJ's handsome voice--an incisive instrument of rhythm and reason--darts in and out of the beast's charges and manages to remain up front and stage center.--Elena Oumano