Posted By: Trammell Scruggs
Posted On: Jan 26, 2006
Views: 625
| Give them the Rights
Ever since I stumbled upon the congos 5 years ago on napster (Ark of the
Covenant) I have been floored for them. Meeting Cedric Myton was an
amazing experience that left me mystified how he could keep such a kind
and welcoming aire in even difficult times. It was at Precious Cargo
club about 5 years ago (the same day that I discovered their music for
the first time). He and his band had arrived to play a gig only to find
out that the house hadn't provided the necessary things for them to
perform. The band didn't know what to do and wre talking about
splitting up. He kept calm and talked to them when they needed but the
rest of the time gave me djembe lessons.
I spent the next few years grabbing everything that I could of theirs
and constantly being let down that none of it measured up to the
greatness of "Heart...". Then one day, after I had moved to the bay
area I saw a new congos CD (this was after their website had disappeared
and I had figured they were eternally lost). This album is 99%
inspiration. Exploring social and religious issues with the kind of
belief and devotion that only a true servant of Jah could compose. The
production is glossy, and the innocense of belief is a little
overwhelming, but never the less, it rocks hard and deep. There are
times when the old bag of reggae production tricks is opened and makes
the album sound formulaic, but it pales in comparison to the obvious
inspiration behind the pieces. Favorites: Undiluted soldier, Kingdom in
the distance, Lion in the Jungle, Mr Shark, and the last song, forgot
the name. Regardless, this album is amazing.
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