“Dread Beat An’ Blood” by Poet and The Roots - album review

features in: Album Chart of 1978 ● Album Chart of the Decade: 1970s

Further to the publication of his 1975 book of poetry, “Dread Beat and Blood”, Linton Kwesi Johnson became a revered name in the black community of his adopted homeland. With the rise of British reggae, an opportunity opened up for Johnson to broaden his listenership, and he took full advantage of this, aligning himself with the roots-rocking crew headed up by Dennis Bovell. The partnership was sheer dynamite, apparent immediately with the immense openers, “Dread Beat An’ Blood” and “Five Nights Of Bleeding”, both of which portray the violence and misery plaguing the West Indian community in Brixton at the time. Steel blades. Stabbings. Blood. It’s all there, every gory detail, with every verse hitting heavy, never a rhythmically-concise word wasted. In his hands poetry is “a cultural weapon”. He wields his sword well.

The Jukebox Rebel
14–Apr–2008

Tracklist

A1	[03:00] Poet and The Roots - Dread Beat An’ Blood (Linton Kwesi Johnson) Reggae
A2	[04:29] Poet and The Roots - Five Nights Of Bleeding (Linton Kwesi Johnson) Reggae
A3	[02:27] Poet and The Roots - Doun De Road (Linton Kwesi Johnson) Reggae
A4	[06:29] Poet and The Roots - Song Of Blood (Linton Kwesi Johnson) Reggae
B1	[04:05] Poet and The Roots - It Dread Inna Inglan (Linton Kwesi Johnson) Reggae
B2	[03:47] Poet and The Roots - Come Wi Goh Dung Deh (Linton Kwesi Johnson) Reggae
B3	[06:02] Poet and The Roots - Man Free (Linton Kwesi Johnson) Reggae
B4	[03:03] Poet and The Roots - All Wi Doin’ Is Defendin’ (Linton Kwesi Johnson) Reggae

ratings by TJR