Talk about a triple threat: first you have the (by this point well-established and effortlessly professional)
Wailing Souls, one of the greatest of the cultural harmony groups; then you have the
Roots Radics, the studio band that almost single-handedly defined the new dancehall reggae sound in the early '80s; and to make everything perfect, you have the unassailable team of producer
Henry "Junjo" Lawes (who can claim equal status with the
Roots Radics as a dancehall pioneer) and engineer
Hopeton "Scientist" Brown. The result is 1991's
Firehouse Rock, one of the finest reggae albums of all time; one which combines the
Wailing Souls top-notch songwriting and harmony singing with the absolute best in studio accompaniment -- there may never be another reggae band with a sound as rock-ribbed as that of the
Roots Radics. Each track is a highlight in its own way, but pay particular attention to the title track, the gently rolling "Who Lives It," and the smoky, apocalyptic "Kingdom Rise Kingdom Fall." ~ Rick Anderson