In 1975 Linval Thompson began cutting a stream of scintillating singles, with the most notable recorded for
producer Bunny Lee. The singer was also making the studio rounds, recording for many of Jamaica's producers, whilst simultaneously releasing his own self-produced numbers. Little of his canon was available in the US, though, and thus here his reputation as a producer of both DJs and vocalists far outshines
his renown as a singer.
In 1988, the Mango label attempted to redress that imbalance with the Starlight album. Producers Sly & Robbie show much respect, creating rich backings that showcase Thompson's vocals at their best. Ripping a page from the Roots Radics' book, the duo create a series of roots fired rhythms, infuse them in melody, than tweak them via the slamming reverbed beats, for the modern dancehalls. The pair create a much denser
sound than the Radics however, and really it's all come full circle, for the Radics themselves took their inspiration from the Riddim Twins old band The Revolutionaries.
Starlight boasts an amazingly organic quality, and songs like "Halla the a Halla" could have been recorded a decade earlier. Incidentally, that title contains a typo, it should read "Them" not "the" (as in Holler Them a Holler), a misprint also transforms "Ease Up" to "Case Up".
Thankfully, the music itself suffers from no such sloppiness. Dunbar's beats are as crisp as dry twigs, Shakespeare's bass thrumps and palpitates, and his pulsating throb drives the excellent title track. Shakespeare, doubling on guitar, alongside keyboardist Robbie Lyn and the brass section of Dean
Fraser, Junior "Chico" Chin and Ronald "Nambo" Robinson, fill the arrangements with melody, sharp accents and mellifluous flourishes.
Shimmering from deep roots rockers, punchy reggae, jaunty numbers, breezy backings and sweet rocksteady inspired arrangements, Starlight is a rich mix of sounds and moods. Thematically though, it's pure culture, with Thompson offering up thanks for Jah's blessings, stiff warnings to the wicked, and sufferer's songs.
It's a superb sounding set, and in particular "Starlight" shines, as does "Mercy", "Looks Like It Gonna Rain", and the dread fired "Greedy", showing the true heights that Thompson is capable of. ~ Jo-Ann Greene