Anthony B ADD

Review

Album Review: Anthony B - Tribute To Legends

09/13/2013

by Gardy Stein

“I think a lot of our young people need to know where we are coming from musically (…).” Anthony B.

With this humble intention, Anthony B has just released an album dedicated to some of the world's most influential singers. Tribute To Legends is the outcome of the joint efforts of his own Label BornFireMusic, Gilmore Walter's Train Line Records (responsible for the mixing) and formidable live recordings carried out at House of Riddim (Austria).

Starting off with a speech by JFK (welcoming His Imperial Majesty to the United States, a reference found in the cover as well which depicts the singer and the King of Kings), the first song to delight our ears is one of the five genuinely Anthony B tunes of the album. In his very best singjay-style and in combination with Zamunda, the catchy So Easy, So Hard sets the mood right for a conscious round trip through musical genres and ages.

The cover tributes start - little surprise - with the "King of Reggae". To the backdrop of a carefully arranged musical masterpiece (created by House of Riddim: Herb on Guitar, Parvez on Keys, Manfred on bass and Sam Gilly on drums/percussions), Anthony B doesn't quite reach the splendor of Bob Marley's voice, which is however an almost impossible mission if you don't happen to be one of his children.

A perfect display-ground for his vocal skills, Stepping Razor and Same Song are a pleasure listening to, especially because these songs seem to have disappeared from the playlists of many DJs and it just feels great to be reminded which treasures exist out there... Just like Pomps and Pride, which definitely is one of the shining stars of the album: with lots of space for his famous Yaggayaggayo-ing, this tune is a sheer explosion of high spirits pushed to the max by Mr. Keith Blair!     

My personal favorite, though, is the tribute to Ray Charles on track 12. While the original is a breathtakingly beautiful piece already, the accelerated re-recording of the music along with Anthony's toasting skills renders a true bomb. Try to listen to this tune just before leaving your house in the morning - it will carry you through the day uplifted and cheerful, promise!

A big 'thumbs up' also for the lyrical additions that the artist has made here and there. It's actually worth purchasing the album just for lines such as "Imagine there's no facebook, no blackberry, no twitter, no iPhones…" or "Young girl you too boyie-boyie, you no see Aids a mash up wi country?" in a male answer to Sophia George's hit Too Girlie Girlie.

All in all, your money is well invested in these 16 tracks. And even if songs like Imagine and Suspicious Minds are just too good in the original to be satisfactorily covered, the good intention to include these masters on the album should count more than the vocal insufficiencies discernible in their realization.

In case you are in Ft. Lauderdale on September 28th, make sure you attend the official Album Release Party - it will certainly be a blast, with Elvis, Bob, Peter, Ray and John present in spirit.

The only question remaining now is: who is going to make a tribute album for Anthony B?

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