In 1974,
John Holt thrilled fans with his Harry Mudie-produced
Time Is the Master album, a set of cover songs, whose silky arrangements were plushed up by Tony Ashfield's string-laced orchestral overdubs. Its success prompted Mudie's British distributors, Trojan Records, to bring Holt and Ashfield together in London, resulting in the U.K. chart-topping "Help Me Make It Through the Night." A full-length album,
1000 Volts of Holt, promptly followed, like its predecessor filled exclusively with lush covers. Holt knew he was onto a good thing, and although he'd never repeat "Help Me"'s success, the electricity remained, and more "Volts of Holt" followed.
2000 Volts of Holt, needless to say, was the second, although this time cover songs were interspersed with some of his own compositions. The latter includes "Peace and Love," one of the best, which adroitly bridges the gap opening in the reggae scene, as roots split from the smoother reggae that would coalesce into lovers rock. British fans, however, would never hear the marvelous musical solution that Holt offered, as it would be swamped under Ashfield's overdubs. Holt's continuing popularity in Jamaica seemed inexplicable to reggae fans familiar only with his U.K. releases, and the confusion would not be cleared up until future reissues stripped away those orchestral excesses. ~ Jo-Ann Greene