Dancehall legend
U-Roy was active in music from the early '60s right up until the time of his death in 2021 at age 78. During his career, his output helped set the course for multiple musical styles, with the toasting he's often credited as originating serving as a precursor for the earliest hip-hop and rap.
Solid Gold U-Roy is an album heavy on guest stars, and before being pushed back by complications surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic and then
U-Roy's death, it was slated for a 2020 release accompanied by a full tour. As a grand send-off,
Solid Gold U-Roy is about as majestic as one could hope for.
U-Roy and a cast of royalty from across several genres breathe new life into familiar reggae classics and a few reworkings of some of his earliest songs, all marked by vivid production and a general sense of celebration and joy. There are multiple takes on
Bob Marley tunes, including album opener "Trenchtown Rock" (featuring vocals from
Ziggy Marley), as well as boisterous versions of "Soul Rebel" (with lead vocals by
David Hinds) and "Small Axe" (sung by
Jesse Royal), all with
U-Roy's signature toasts flowing into every available space between the verses.
Santigold steals the show on a particularly deep bass version of reggae standard "Man Next Door," capturing the song's eeriness with woozy vocal harmonies that embody the feeling of having been up all night dealing with noisy neighbors. In addition to covering other artist's hits,
U-Roy reworks several songs from his self-titled 1974 album, including a version of "Rule the Nation" featuring new toasts from
Shaggy, "Tom Drunk" featuring
Tarrus Riley, and "Wake the Town," the only song that
U-Roy tackles all by himself here. The album closes with an epic rendition of "Every Knee Shall Bow," a song
U-Roy toasted over with
Johnny Clarke in 1978 that now stretches out over 15 minutes to include contributions from
Big Youth and
the Clash's Mick Jones. Not just that, but directly following the song comes a beautifully shadowy dub version by
Scientist.
Solid Gold U-Roy is a fittingly triumphant final act from an artist who dedicated his life to the advancement of art. It's at once traditional and futuristic, returning to some of
U-Roy's past victories and somehow rendering them even brighter and more invigorating. ~ Fred Thomas