I have seriously been waiting since my first day at eMusic for this record to show up, so you can imagine how I gasped when I saw it in “New This Week” today. Cedric Im Brooks & the Light of Saba. There are days I refer to this as “my favorite reggae record of all time.” Today, in fact, was one of those days.
In truth, it’s not a start-to-finish record — it’s a compilation of Cedric’s solo work that was originally released on the Honest Jon’s label about six years ago. Simply put: this record is a masterpiece, a perfect blend of awesome, dank, Rasta roots reggae with calypso, jazz and Afropop. It’s mystical and haunting — Brooks’ sax lines slither and sway, and there’s a power and determination to the music here that is downright hypnotic. Listen to the craggy, aching vocal on “Free Up Black Man,” the way it hangs above the squelching guitars and those heavy-lidded bongos. Listen to the breezy, swinging “Nobody’s Business,” a woman’s choir bouncing around Brooks’ jubilant alto sax. Plunge deep into Brooks’ take on the “Satta Massa Gana,” which brings out the churning darkness at the center of this Rasta doxology. This is serious roots music, haunting and spiritual. An absolute must.
This is great! Will download tonight.
There was another Cedric IM Brooks record here, at one time, but I think it disappeared.
Update: The other record is here (or back). It’s called “From Mento To Reggae To Third World Music.” Link below.
http://www.emusic.com/album/Cedric-Im-Brooks-and-The-Divine-Light-From-Mento-To-Reggae-To-Third-World-Music-MP3-Download/11141616.html
That’s a good one, too, Daniel — there’s some overlap between the two records, weirdly, but Light of Saba is definitely a jam and a half.
Joe, I’m not so sure about your taste in – ahem – “metal” being the shiniest beacon in the cultural murk, but I’m willing to take my spare 12 credits and throw them at a (19-track!) reggae album by someone I’ve never heard of, just because you recommended it. That’s the kind of influence you have now.
!! thanks!!! and trust me on this one — I know that satanic black metal is, understandably, a pretty hard sell, but cedric im brooks transcends all musical boundaries.
Listening to it (Cedric IM Brooks) now, and it’s really, really good.
I kid a bit about the satanic black metal, because sometimes — very rarely — that sort of stuff scratches an itch for me. Unfortunately, so much of it is just plain awful.
That I’m thinking of downloading the Funeral Mist after all says a lot about the weight of your recommendations.
anyone ever see this on vinyl? truly a great reggae album, up there with heart of the congos and blackheart man…
Purdy: Definitely sample the Funeral first — or start with either “Anti-Flesh Nimbus” or “White Stone” to see what you think. It’s a tough record for sure, but the more I listen to it and the more I get accustomed to its weird turns and the ways it stops short, the more into it i get.
The Cedric is so, so good — “Nobody’s Business” is actually a reconfiguration of an old blues song, but the title escaped me, so i didnt wanna give misinformation. Anyone able to help?
I have seen the Cedric on vinyl once, and I passed on buying it… and i never saw it again. The second I do, I am snatching it up.
It probably won’t wind up being downloaded by me until I get really drunk some night (drinking and having eMusic credits can sometimes lead to unexpected results), but I actually liked the Funeral Mist samples. It sounded (suprisingly) a bit like early-90s bluesy stoner rock (Kyuss, e.g.) as performed by a very very angry man. I’ll drop you a line if (aw, let’s not kid ourselves – when) I snag it.
And everything good that’s been said here about Cedric is true. I loved it.
You will never, ever sell me on hardcore metal: Death, doom, black, folk, glam, groove, neo-classical, metalcore, speed, stoner, sludge, thrash. I don’t get them at all.
Well . . . to be fair, I do like some of the Southern Lord artists, especially Earth. I guess they’re drone metal, huh? Their 2008 album is very good, especially that Miami Comedown song. Also: Boris is alright.
Daniel: you’ve been sold. And you hardly even knew it.
lol. I’ve been bought and sold many times over now.
A freaking great find… stuff like this inspires …. Keep it up
Jason
Great record for sure.
Joe,
If you’re still looking for the album on Vinyl, you can get it here:
http://www.forcedexposure.com/artists/brooks.and.light.of.saba.cedric.im.html
Apparently at some point it was, or still is, available on Honest Jon’s
OH MAN. Thanks, Ilya!
This isn’t Cedric IM-related, but it’s an AMAZING reggae find on eMusic: The Slickers’ Breakthrough is here! The Slickers are the mysterious band that recorded Johnny Too Bad for the The Harder They Come Soundtrack. I didn’t know they recorded anything else. I confess, I’ve only heard the samples so far, but what a cool disc to have here!
http://www.emusic.com/album/The-Slickers-Break-Through-MP3-Download/11136825.html
Joe, you familiar with The Slickers?