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Miracle (Mantra, 1996)
This is a truly "miraculous" album in that it manages to create a sound completely original and unique within the sometimes constricting bounds of reggae. Utilizing little more than an acoustic guitar, a bass, and Indian tablas and strings, Miracle is an atmospheric, meditative, spiritual masterpiece. Adrian Sherwood -- whose African Head Charge productions come about as close a comparison as I can make to this album -- is largely responsible for this wonderful change in Sherman's sound (from his roots background). If you're not careful, you might forget that this is reggae, but Sherman's rootsy vocals -- reminiscent of a cross between Pablo Moses and Horace Andy -- his supple melodies, and the oh-so-subtle reggae bass and/or rhythm keep things within the genre. One warning: this album is slow. It shifts to low gear and stays there. It's music that is designed to make you lay back, relax, and drift away. Both the sound and the quality are consistent throughout, with little truly standing out from the pack, except possibly for his remake of his own "Golden Locks," "Over the Rainbow," and "Missing You."
Track Listing
1. Golden Locks
2. Bewildered
3. Over the Rainbow
4. Must Be a Dream
5. Simple Life
6. Solid As a Rock
7. My Woman
8. Missing You
9. Can I Be Free From Crying
10. Lovers Leap
11. Just Can't Stand It
It Must Be a Dream (Mantra, 1997)
The phrase "couldn't leave well enough alone" comes to mind when listening to this remix album of material from Miracle. A large part of what made the original album so great was its airy acoustic Indian touch, and inexplicably, someone comes up with the bright idea of dumping that sound in favor of a more modern, Western one, with heavy bass, digital effects, and sampled dance beats. While this actually works on a few tracks, the "Europeanization" of the songs ruins most. The best of these new versions are the ones that utilize subtle beats and effects -- quiet, unobtrusive changes that blend well with the placid nature of the original tunes. "My Woman," "Just Can't Stand It," and "Over the Rainbow," for instance, each add just a subtle bass line, drum, or echo. However, several of the remaining songs are dominated by dance/techno/drum & bass/trip-hop beats that overpower the vocals and drain any impact of the originals. The "Solid As a Rock" remix actually made the UK charts, but it is one of the worst cuts on It Must Be a Dream, and I doubt that the people that made that version popular were reggae fans.
Track Listing
1. My Woman [Groove Corporation Mix]
2. Just Can't Stand It [Youth Mix]
3. Can I Be Free From Crying [The Underwolves Mix]
4. Missing You [Tim Simenon Mix]
5. Lovers Leap [Skip McDonald Mix]
6. Simple Life [Adrian Sherwood Mix]
7. Solid As a Rock [Steve Osborne Mix]
8. It Must Be a Dream [Mr. Scruff Mix]
9. Bewildered [Steve Osborne Mix]
10. Over the Rainbow [Coco & The Bean Mix]
11. Golden Locks [Alon Adiri Mix]
Across the Red Sea (On-U Sound, 1998 [originally released 1985])
This is one of those albums that sounds like it should be better than it is. With an adept singer like Sherman and an adept producer like Adrian Sherwood, you'd assume that this would be a great album (They worked together on Miracle, after all.). However, as the saying goes, when you ASSUME, you make an "ass" out of "u" and "me" (insert rimshot here). Indeed, neither man brings his best to the table here, particularly Sherwood, whose music sounds a bit sluggish. In fact, two of the best 3 tracks on Across the Red Sea -- "Slummy Ghetto," with its playful organ, and the airy "Golden Locks" -- were produced and recorded in Jamaica by Jarret Tomlinson. Sherwood's best production is the echoing, bass-heavy "Revolution," while "Just Like a King" is OK.
Track Listing
1. Golden Locks
2. Revolution
3. Slummy Ghetto
4. You Are the One
5. Just Like a King
6. Across the Red Sea
7. Golden Morning Star
8. Awake the Slum
9. Party Time
10. Sit and Wonder