War Ina Babylon

Last updated
War Ina Babylon
WarInaBabylon.jpg
Studio album by
Released1976
Studio Black Ark Studios, Washington Gardens, Kingston, Jamaica
Genre Reggae
Length37:58
Label Island
Producer Lee "Scratch" Perry
Max Romeo & The Upsetters chronology
Revelation Time
(1975)
War Ina Babylon
(1976)
Reconstruction
(1977)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg [1]
Christgau's Record Guide B+ [2]
Reggae ReviewsStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [3]

War Ina Babylon is an album by Max Romeo and Lee Perry's backing band The Upsetters, released in 1976.

Contents

Along with The Heptones' Party Time and Junior Murvin's Police and Thieves , both released in 1977, this album is a part of what is referred to as Lee "Scratch" Perry-produced Black Ark "holy trinity". [4]

Track listing

All tracks composed by Max Romeo and Lee "Scratch" Perry except where indicated.

Side A
  1. "One Step Forward" – 5:15
  2. "Uptown Babies" (Romeo) – 5:00
  3. "Chase the Devil" – 3:27
  4. "War ina Babylon" – 4:51
Side B
  1. "Norman" – 4:50
  2. "Stealin'" (Romeo) – 3:04
  3. "Tan and See" (Romeo, Perry, Brown) – 4:36
  4. "Smokey Room" (Romeo, Perry, Brown) – 3:03
  5. "Smile Out of Style" – 3:32

Personnel

Technical

Singles

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lee "Scratch" Perry</span> Jamaican reggae producer (1936–2021)

Lee "Scratch" Perry was a Jamaican record producer, composer and singer noted for his innovative studio techniques and production style. Perry was a pioneer in the 1970s development of dub music with his early adoption of remixing and studio effects to create new instrumental or vocal versions of existing reggae tracks. He worked with and produced for a wide variety of artists, including Bob Marley and the Wailers, Junior Murvin, The Congos, Max Romeo, Adrian Sherwood, Beastie Boys, Ari Up, The Clash, The Orb, and many others.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Upsetters</span> Jamaican reggae band

The Upsetters was the name given to the house band for Jamaican reggae producer Lee "Scratch" Perry. The name of the band comes from Perry's nickname of Upsetter, after his song "I Am the Upsetter", a musical dismissal of his former boss Coxsone Dodd.

<i>Soul Rebels</i> 1970 studio album by Bob Marley and the Wailers

Soul Rebels is the second studio album by the Wailers, their first album to be released outside Jamaica. The Wailers approached producer Lee "Scratch" Perry in August 1970 to record an entire album, and the sessions took place at Randy's recording studio above Randy's Record Mart at 17 North Parade in Kingston, Jamaica, until November. First issued in the UK by Trojan Records in December 1970, the album has since been re-released several times on several different labels. Perry's production is sparse and haunting, only featuring guitar, bass, drums, electronic organs, and vocals with no horns or other embellishments.

<i>Revolution Dub</i> 1975 studio album by Lee Perry & The Upsetters

Revolution Dub is a studio album by Jamaican dub producer Lee Perry and his studio band The Upsetters, released in 1975 by Cactus. The album, which features nine pared down dubs, was the last in a line of releases that year in which Perry began exploring the possible studio techniques at his recently opened studio Black Ark in Kingston, Jamaica. In addition to making early use of a drum machine, the album is characterised by unpredictable drops in the beat, drastic stereo panning and samples of dialogue from television series, particularly British sitcoms, while Perry sings on the album in an eccentric falsetto and portrays different personas, including television characters from Kojak and Doctor on the Go.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Max Romeo</span> Musical artist

Max Romeo is a Jamaican reggae and roots reggae recording musician who has achieved chart success in his home country and in the United Kingdom. He had several hits with the vocal group the Emotions. His song "Wet Dream" (1968) included overtly sexual lyrics and launched a new style of reggae.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chase the Devil</span> 1976 single by Max Romeo and The Upsetters

"Chase the Devil" is a reggae song, recorded in 1976 by Max Romeo, with the backing of Lee "Scratch" Perry's house band, The Upsetters.

"Police and Thieves" is a reggae song first recorded by the falsetto singer Junior Murvin in 1976. It was covered by the punk band The Clash and included on their self-titled debut album released in 1977.

<i>Children of the World</i> 1976 studio album by the Bee Gees

Children of the World is the fourteenth studio album by the Bee Gees, released in 1976 by RSO Records. The first single, "You Should Be Dancing", went to No. 1 in the US and Canada, and was a top ten hit in numerous other territories. The album was re-issued on CD by Reprise Records and Rhino Records in 2006. This was the first record featuring the Gibb-Galuten-Richardson production team which would have many successful collaborations in the following years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Junior Byles</span> Musical artist

Kenneth Byles, also known as "Junior Byles", "Chubby", or "King Chubby", is a Jamaican reggae singer.

The Heptones are a Jamaican rocksteady and reggae vocal trio most active in the 1960s and early 1970s. They were one of the more significant trios of that era, and played a major role in the gradual transition between ska and rocksteady into reggae with their three-part harmonies. The Heptones were contemporaries of the Wailers and the Maytals, and every bit their equal in the mid-1960s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Earl "Chinna" Smith</span> Musical artist

Earl "Chinna" Smith, a.k.a. Earl Flute and Melchezidek the High Priest, is a Jamaican guitarist active since the late 1960s. He is most well known for his work with the Soul Syndicate band and as guitarist for Bob Marley & the Wailers, among others, and has recorded with many reggae artists, appearing on more than 500 albums.

<i>Open the Iron Gate: 1973–77</i> 1999 compilation album by Max Romeo

Open the Iron Gate: 1973–77 is a reggae compilation album by Max Romeo, released in 1999.

<i>Train a Comin</i> 1995 studio album by Steve Earle

Train a Comin' is the fifth studio album by Steve Earle, released in 1995. In addition to Earle, it features Peter Rowan, Norman Blake, Roy Huskey, and Emmylou Harris. The album was nominated for a Grammy for Best Contemporary Folk Album.

Tony Wright, also known as Sue Ab Surd, is an artist who created album covers such as Bob Marley's Natty Dread and Traffic's The Low Spark of High Heeled Boys and others including Bob Dylan's Saved. His art work for The Low Spark of High Heeled Boys and Steve Winwood's Arc of a Diver were listed amongst Rolling Stone's 100 Greatest Album Covers. The cover for The Low Spark of High Heeled Boys is part of the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art.

<i>Police and Thieves</i> (album) 1977 studio album by Junior Murvin

Police and Thieves is an album by Junior Murvin and backing band the Upsetters, released in 1977. Along with the Heptones' Party Time and Max Romeo's War Ina Babylon, this album is considered part of a Black Ark Lee 'Scratch' Perry-produced "holy trinity".

<i>Reggae Greats: Lee "Scratch" Perry</i> 1984 greatest hits album by Lee "Scratch" Perry & Various Artists

Reggae Greats: Lee "Scratch" Perry is a 1984 Island Records compilation album featuring the work of Lee "Scratch" Perry. It focuses mainly on his work as a producer/composer rather than a singer. Perry only sings on three of the songs. All of the tracks are from the period between 1976 and 1979, and were recorded at Perry's Black Ark studio. The album is generally considered a good introduction to Perry's Black Ark work, and is often chosen as the best single album by Perry, but with tracks drawn from Perry's popular late 1970s albums, it has also been described as "not essential" and containing "no surprises".

<i>Wolf & Leopards</i> 1977 studio album by Dennis Brown

Wolf and Leopards is a 1977 reggae album by Dennis Brown.

<i>Arkology</i> (album) 1997 compilation album by Various artists

Arkology is a compilation album by Lee "Scratch" Perry. Released in 1997, the album collects tracks produced by Perry and recorded at the Black Ark studio.

<i>Revelation Time</i> 1975 studio album by Max Romeo

Revelation Time is an album by Max Romeo, released in 1975. It was re-released by United Artists Records in 1978 as Open the Iron Gate.

<i>Reconstruction</i> (Max Romeo album) 1977 studio album by Max Romeo

Reconstruction is an album by Max Romeo, released in 1977.

References

  1. Rick Anderson. "War Ina Babylon - Max Romeo & the Upsetters : Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards". www.allmusic.com. Retrieved 2012-10-29.
  2. Christgau, Robert (1981). "Consumer Guide '70s: R". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies . Ticknor & Fields. ISBN   089919026X . Retrieved March 12, 2019 via robertchristgau.com.
  3. "Max Romeo". www.reggae-reviews.com. Retrieved 2012-10-29.
  4. "Albums - War Ina Babylon - Max Romeo". www.upsetter.net. Retrieved 2007-12-05.