Tings an' Times

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Tings an' Times
Tings an' Times.jpg
Studio album by
Linton Kwesi Johnson
Released1991
StudioSparkside, Dulwich Road, London
Genre Reggae, dub, spoken word
Label Shanachie [1]
Producer Linton Kwesi Johnson, Dennis Bovell
Linton Kwesi Johnson chronology
In Concert with the Dub Band
(1985)		Tings an' Times
(1991)		LKJ in Dub: Volume 2
(1992)

Tings an' Times is an album by the Jamaican dub poet Linton Kwesi Johnson, released in 1991. [2] [3] It was Johnson's first album in six years. [4] Tings an' Times also served as the title of a book of Johnson's poetry. [5]

Contents

Production

The album was produced by Johnson and Dennis Bovell. [6] Johnson was again backed by the Dub Band, with the sound fleshed out by the addition of accordion and violin. [7] [8] Steve Gregory contributed on flute and saxophone. [9]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [10]
Robert Christgau A [11]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [12]
Los Angeles Times Star full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [7]
Orlando Sentinel Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svg [13]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [8]
Spin Alternative Record Guide 8/10 [14]

Robert Christgau wrote that "the riddims skip by on Dennis Bovell's ska-speedy tempos, graced with tricky guitar hooks and colored with fiddle and accordion that sing Hungary and Algeria and Colombia and the Rio Grande." [11] The Los Angeles Times lamented that "Johnson’s delivery is both tentative and buried a bit in the mix, lessening the impact." [7] The Orlando Sentinel opined that "Johnson's thoughtful lyrics float over gorgeous elongated reggae tracks flavored with jazz-influenced horns, accordion, piano, violin and flute." [13] The Commercial Appeal noted that Johnson's "spry quips and brusque cadences [ride] over tough rhythms." [15]

AllMusic thought that Johnson's "outlook is intensely African, and his socio-political lyrics (some in English, some in an African language) are a passionate call for democracy in Africa." [10] The Spin Alternative Record Guide praised the "increased doses of joy and irony in LKJ's meditations." [14] Trouser Press deemed Tings an' Times "an upbeat but stringently critical album that is at once traditional and modern." [1]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Linton Kwesi Johnson.

No.TitleLength
1."Story"5:20
2."Sense Outta Nansense"4:59
3."Tings an' Times"6:32
4."Mi Revalueshanary Fren"5:19
5."Di Good Life"5:30
6."Di Anfinished Revalueshan"5:33
7."Dubbing for Life"4:03

Personnel

The Dub Band
Technical

References

  1. 1 2 "Linton Kwesi Johnson". Trouser Press. Retrieved 21 July 2021.
  2. ↑ "Linton Kwesi Johnson Biography & History". AllMusic.
  3. ↑ "Poet on the front line". The Guardian. 3 May 2002.
  4. ↑ Point, Michael (18 April 1991). "Reggae rappers return in full force". Onward. Austin American-Statesman. p. 13.
  5. ↑ Matterson, Stephen; Jones, Darryl (2011). Studying Poetry. Bloomsbury Publishing PLC. p. 150.
  6. ↑ "Album Reviews". Billboard. Vol. 103, no. 27. 6 July 1991. p. 62.
  7. 1 2 3 "When Dub Flies--From Jamaica to U.K." Los Angeles Times. 6 October 1991.
  8. 1 2 The Rolling Stone Album Guide. Random House. 1992. pp. 374–375.
  9. ↑ Pick, Steve (10 May 1991). "'Tings an' Times'". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. p. 4F.
  10. 1 2 "Tings an' Times Linton Kwesi Johnson". AllMusic.
  11. 1 2 "Linton Kwesi Johnson". Robert Christgau.
  12. ↑ Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 4. MUZE. p. 657.
  13. 1 2 Gettelman, Parry (2 August 1991). "Linton Kwesi Johnson". Calendar. Orlando Sentinel. p. 30.
  14. 1 2 Spin Alternative Record Guide. Vintage Books. 1995. pp. 202–203.
  15. ↑ Wynn, Ron (28 April 1991). "Jamaica's 'dub' poets laid rap foundation". The Commercial Appeal. p. G3.
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