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mashed up the U.K. sound systems in 1978 with a punchy rockers styled single with a distinctly British flavor. The irrepressible song wafted straight up the chart, prompting the label to send the group into the studio with to record a full-length. arrived in the new year, immediately garnering critical acclaim and sending fans running to the shops. Hailing from Wolverhampton, the were a big band, eight-strong (adding another guitarist/vocalist for their 1979 radio session), and boasting four vocalists, two drummers (one the conga player) and two percussionists, among their ranks. In Jamaica, brass and/or organ filled out the arrangements, the , however, used percussion, giving the band a surprisingly fleshy, rhythm driven sound. And then there's keyboardist , a decided fan, who unlike his Jamaican counterparts didn't provide atmospheres to the songs, but a snazzy flare instead, a predilection best heard on and However, it's the album's opening track, that best epitomizes the band at their bubbly best, a song driven by a plethora of propulsive beats and percussion, a compulsive bassline, sharp guitar, bouncy keyboards, and infectious vocals. Elsewhere, bass player shines on while the entire band swaggers across the more free-form styled instrumental Moving deftly from militant steppers style to the punchy almost -ified hit, every one of the ten tracks on the set was worthy of sound system play. A pure roots and culture band, 's themes range from the religion to self-affirmation, as the band batter down Babylon, rally for unity, push for marijuana legalization (of course), and discuss injustice and unemployment. Unusually, the group also strongly condemn Ugandan President Idi Amin, not that he wasn't thoroughly deserving, but at a time when it was de rigueur to praise Black African leaders (and overlook those with flaws), the British band refused to pull their punches. This CD reissue further sweetens a classic set with the inclusion of the extended mix of as well as the equally excellent "discomixes" of two of the band's other singles. only lasted a few years, and this was their sole full-length, a masterpiece that leaves one yearning for so much more. ~ Jo-Ann Greene