Album Review
Genre: Roots
Format: CD Album
Reviewer: Henrik Bæk
Added: Mon, Jun 15, 2009
Glen Washington ››
Destiny
The reggae singer Glen Washington has been in reggae business since the 1970’s, where he worked as a singer in choirs and was playing the drums in different reggae bands. In the 1990’s he emerged as a solo singer and being gifted with a hoarse but also strong voice and a unique capability to mingle sweet lover’s rock songs with conscious messages, Glen became very successful.
His new album is also about that, but this time the mixture takes the listener down memory lane, since most of the songs on the new album Destiny are either cover versions of earlier released songs from other reggae legendaries like Dennis Brown and Slim Smith or earlier Washington songs that have been out as singles within the last two years.
As usual on Washington’s albums the backing is tight including some of the best musicians in the business like Dean Fraser on sax and the riddims twins Sly Dunbar & Robbie Shakespeare. Even though that Glen’s voice seemed to have been fading a bit in power over the last three decades, his way of hitting the peaks in the songs makes his singing soulful and honest in its approach.
Favourite tracks of mine include Pour Your Sugar on the famous Three Blind Mice riddim, Ain’t To Proud To Beg originally done by The Temptations and Money Love re-using a classic Studio One riddim. On the newer set of things you’ll find Got To Be Free on The Hard Time Rock riddim and Hooligan from 2006 riding the riddim of the same name. A brilliant set from a brilliant singer.
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