The best records in the world are ones that entertain the listener both recreationally and intellectually.
Black Gold and Green
is simmering with both these qualities. It was the first of three albums
Boothe
would record with producer
Lloyd Charmers
and, simply put, it takes his Memphis-via-Kingston aesthetic to the next level. Some of the best
soul
singing of his brilliant career can be heard here on numbers such as
"Out of Love,"
"Missing You,"
and the gritty
ballad
"Second Chance."
By the early '70s,
had developed the gravelly tone he is so often associated with, and while his early efforts with
Coxsone Dodd
are every bit as influenced by American
R&B
, on
listeners get a taste of these tendencies in a much darker setting. Even the love songs are tinged with a brooding melancholy not heard in his discography until this point. This is due in large part to some proto-roots musical accompaniment -- e.g., a greater emphasis on the two and four beats -- and the (rather obvious) nod to African repatriation. Instead of being another Jamaican
Otis Redding
record,
includes some serious social-political material, and these heavy tones permeate every note of the date. It also includes his famous cover of
Bill Withers
'
"Ain't No Sunshine."
Later in 1973,
would release the follow-up,
Let's Get It On
, an album of equal quality, known for including his brooding take on
Syl Johnson
's
"Is it Because I'm Black."
Both dates are highly recommended, but start here first. ~ Brandon Burke