STEEL PULSE
Rage And Fury
(Mesa)

This originally ran in Reggae Report in 1997.

On their brand new release (and first in three years), Steel Pulse covers Van Morrison’s well-known hit, “Brown-Eyed Girl.”

At first glance, it seems strange for one of Reggae’s most militant bands to cover that track. And even stranger to make it their first single and video from “Rage And Fury.”

Then it was realized that it’s an excellent tactic. “Brown-Eyed Girl” is a harmless song and perfect to attract the non-reggae crowd. It’s a superb, bouncy version and just imagine the listener’s surprise when he or she picks up this disc and listens to the opening track, “Emotional Prisoner,” with these lyrics:

“Hear my story, rage and fury.
I’ve been used and abused, God knows I’ve paid my dues.
No time to lose, I’ve got the blues,
so please don’t you light my fuse...”

Despite the cover version, there is some serious reggae on this excellent release. The sound is pure Pulse: clean and smooth, with lots of horns and David Hinds’ vocals once again outstanding and at the forefront. Among the hour of scintillating music, you’ll find a modernized version - as well as a “jungle” mix - of their classic “Ku Klux Klan.” Other crucial cuts include “Settle The Score,” “The Real Terrorist” and “Peace Party.” There’s also a tune featuring vocalist Diana King as well as guest DJs (Mega Banton, Jukie Ranks, Prezident Brown and Michael Franti of Spearhead) on four of the 14 tracks. The collaborations sound good, but the band truly shines when there’s no outside interference.

As usual, political as well as personal lyrics abound throughout these extremely catchy tracks. Steel Pulse remains one of Reggae’s greatest bands and “Rage And Fury” proves they’ve lost none of their edge.






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