Congos - Heart of the Congos (2017, 40th Anniversary Edition) [1977] (3 x CDs)

CONGOS

Congos - Heart of the Congos (2017, 40th Anniversary Edition) [1977] (3 x CDs)

Heart of the Congos is a roots reggae album by the Congos, produced by Lee "Scratch" Perry at his Black Ark studio with a studio band including Boris Gardiner on bass and Ernest Ranglin on guitar. The album was released in 1977. It is noted as being one of Perry's masterpiece productions of the Black Ark era. The first issue of the LP in Jamaica was a very limited release said to consist of only several hundred copies. It was remastered using the original Black Ark quarter inch master tapes with the exception of 'At The Feast' and re-released in 1996 on the Blood & Fire label, run by Steve Barrow, T Elwing, and Mick Hucknall, with assistance on the ground provided by Andrea Lewis. The original mix of the album was not officially re-issued on either LP or CD until 2017's 40th Anniversary Edition (although an 'unofficial' CD release, sourced from the original LP, was released in 2004 by CORN-FED Productions, based in Amsterdam). Until 2017, all editions subsequent to the first Jamaica release feature a second, substantially different, mix by Lee Perry. The 40th Anniversary Edition includes both mixes of the album, as well as ten bonus tracks.

Lee Perry is generally acknowledged as a production genius, but on occasion that genius can be destructive, and while there's no disputing his talent, sometimes the results can be less than aurally satisfying. This is especially true when it comes to albums, where Perry's efforts were often erratic. On Heart of the Congos he was brilliant, and across the record's original ten tracks Perry created a masterpiece of music. Many critics consider this 1977 album one of the best roots records of all time, and at the very least, it was Perry's apex -- only Junior Byles' Beat Down Babylon is an equal contender. Which is why it's all the more shocking that the record was turned down by Island, and even back in Jamaica it received only a limited release. It took nearly two decades for Heart of the Congos to reappear, finally reissued with a clutch of period bonus tracks by Blood and Fire. The Congos themselves seem the least-likely contenders to record an exceptional album with Perry. The duo of Cedric Myton and Roy "Ashanti" Johnson had a unique sound, revolving around the former man's crystalline falsetto, which was set off by the latter's rich tenor. The pair composed deeply cultural songs, but both men's vocals had a gentle quality that would wither under a typical deep roots arrangement. Still, Perry had proved his worth working with the soft, husky tones of Byles, but few expected him to be able to repeat this feat. In fact, if anything, the producer was even more sympathetic to the Congos' styling and exhibited a musical self-restraint that astonished even his hardcore fans. Every track on the original album is worthy of classic status, and all presented the group and their songs in the best possible light. To this end, Perry was aided by a phenomenal group of sessionmen and guest backing vocalists which included Gregory Isaacs, a pair of Heptones, and the mighty Meditations. But beyond the Congos' superb songs and performance, the superb musicianship, and the exceptional vocal talents, it's Perry's arrangements that brought these numbers to life. Each one was carefully tailored, taking into consideration the mood of the piece and the vocalist. The tribal beats of "Congoman," for example, are just the song's launch pad; its the way the vocals and harmonies weave in and out that makes the piece extraordinary. The 12" and "Chanting" versions give further evidence of Perry's genius. "Ark of the Covenant" is stuffed to the brim with instrumentation, with the vocals soaring overhead, and brings the album to a religious fervor. In contrast, "Solid Foundation" is stripped back, a showpiece for Myton's marvelous falsetto. There are the stirring roots of "Open the Gates" and "Sodom and Gomorrow," while rocksteady echoes across the deeply affecting "Children Crying" and "La La Bam Bam." Every track offers something new: a unique sound, an unforgettable melody and rhythm, an unexpected arrangement. As much work went into the remastering as the recording, and the album sounds as good as it must have at the time it was recorded. Revel in the moment. (AMG review by Jo-Ann Greene)

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Track lists

CD1

01 Congos - Fisherman 6:05

02 Congos - Congoman 6:38

03 Congos - Open Up The Gate 4:29

04 Congos - Children Crying 4:13

05 Congos - La La Bam-Bam 3:55

06 Congos - Can't Come In 5:51

07 Congos - Sodom And Gomorrow 6:11

08 Congos - The Wrong Thing 5:35

09 Congos - Ark Of The Covenant 6:18

10 Congos - Solid Foundation 5:57

CD2

01 Congos - Don't Blame It On I 4:07

02 Congos - At The Feast 3:39

03 Congos - Neckodeemus 7:35

04 Congos - Solid Foundation (Disco Cork Mix) 6:17

05 Congos - Foundation Dub 4:11

06 Congos - Congoman (12" Mix) 6:15

07 Congos - Congoman Chant 6:18

08 Congos - Bring The Mackaback 4:05

09 Congos - Fisherman Dub 5:03

CD3

10 Congos - Noah Sugar Pan 3:27

01 Congos - Fisherman (Original Black Ark Mix) 6:04

02 Congos - Congoman (Original Black Ark Mix) 6:37

03 Congos - Open Up The Gate (Original Black Ark Mix) 5:13

04 Congos - Children Crying (Original Black Ark Mix) 4:14

05 Congos - La La Bam-Bam (Original Black Ark Mix) 3:12

06 Congos - Can't Come In (Original Black Ark Mix) 6:02

07 Congos - Sodom And Gomorrow (Original Black Ark Mix) 5:15

08 Congos - The Wrong Thing (Original Black Ark Mix) 3:02

09 Congos - Ark Of The Covenant (Original Black Ark Mix) 3:23

10 Congos - Solid Foundation (Original Black Ark Mix) 3:01

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