Well Charged
Pressure Sounds is a subsidiary imprint of the notorious On-U Sound label through which producer Adrian Sherwood has been causing trouble on the British reggae scene since the early '80s. While On-U is devoted to music by active artists, Pressure Sounds is an outlet for reissues of classic roots reggae and dub from the 1970s. This compilation focuses on singles recorded at Kingston's legendary Channel One studio under the supervision of producers Ernest and JoJo Hookim, utilizing the talents of the crack Revolutionaries backing band and an impressive array of singers and DJs, including I-Roy (who chats over a cut of the Mighty Diamonds' "Right Time"), John Holt (covering Little Roy's "Tribal War"), and the criminally underrated Earth & Stone (who weighs in with the militant "Give Me"). The only low points are the Revolutionaries' overlong "Leftist" (needlessly presented in both standard and dub mixes) and "Lawless Society," which finds the Wailing Souls in uncharacteristically weak voice. This is a worthy acquisition overall, however. ~ Rick Anderson, All Music Guide