Back in the '70s and '80s,
Denroy Morgan was the driving force behind
the Black Eagles, the first reggae band out of Brooklyn, in a time when American reggae was looked on with suspicion as being far from authentic. But this reissue of the group's 1977 album shows that they were very true to the roots, and almost any listener would be hard-pressed to tell they weren't straight out of the Kingston ghetto. Rather than the light, readily accessible sound of a
Bob Marley,
the Black Eagles showed a very bass-heavy consciousness more akin to
Burning Spear, with strong Rasta vibes on tracks like "Selassie I Inspiration" and "Dreadlocks a Come." It's all powerful stuff, and very, very credible. Considering how nascent the American reggae scene was, it's also remarkably accomplished, a disc that's well deserving of this re-release, standing entirely on its own merits. ~ Chris Nickson