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He may be known by many Jamaicans for one of his more popular songs, Cottage in Negril, but the catalogue of late reggae singer, Tyrone Taylor, is larger and more impressive than many realise.
I had the pleasure of listening to a few of his songs from the recently
remastered album, Totally Tyrone, a compilation redone for Tuff Gong
International's Masters Vault Series. I was left pleasantly surprised.
Don't
get me wrong, I was not taken aback by the smoothness of his voice, or
undeniable writing skills evident in his lyrics, because that's what I
expected. What surprised me was the way he let his demons rest while he
belted out those notes.
Taylor faced struggles while he was
alive, but none is evident when you listen to his songs. It's almost
like the Taylor, who had issues with drug addiction had died and was
resurrected with music.
With sweet ballads chronicling the
feelings of falling in love, to emotions that arise through jealousy,
the compilation features some of Taylor's best work.
The first
track, If You can Find Yourself, oozes inspiration. In the song, Taylor
speaks of the search for self-actualisation and boldly declares that if
one cannot find themselves, they will become dust on a shelf. Some may
interpret the song as the singer giving advice to himself, probably
encouraging himself to realise his wrongs and set his life straight.
It is a fitting opener to an album that serves as an exploration of Taylor as a singer, but, most important, as a human being.
The
second track, Talking Blues, is a cover of a Bob Marley classic. It is
no easy task to redo a song from the legend himself, but Taylor did the
song justice. His vocals were on point. His rendition didn't leave Bob
Marley turning in his grave.
Flight 1 is the next song on the
album. If the title is anything to go by, listeners will be left soaring
on that piece of information alone. The song is one of upliftment and
pure motivation. The lyrics encourage black people to strive for upward
social mobility. At the end of the song, one will be left so inspired
that you will want to begin making moves to book your seat on Flight 1.
Love song
The
next track, Rainy Sunset, is a follow-up to his most popular hit,
Cottage in Negril. It is the first love song on the album and, once
again, Negril serves as the setting for romance. His voice is so silky
smooth, one is almost mesmerised.
While listening to the song,
you can almost picture that which he sings about, having the love of his
life near him in his little cottage on the north coast, curled up while
the rain pours outside. Borrowing a few words from the song to describe
it, the track is a 'splendid vibration'.
Rainy Sunset, reached
number three on the New York Reggae charts in October 1994. That
accomplishment was testament to the quality of the song.
Track 5,
Jealous Kind, is another love song and is self-explanatory. It explores
issues that arise in relationships when jealousy rears its ugly head.
Must Be an Angel, is the next track. Not that we were growing weary of
the slow ballads, but the upbeat tempo oozing from this track was a good
break. Listeners will be glad to have a song they can get up and dance
to.
Track 7, Concrete Jungle, is another Marley remake and, like
the first, Taylor's version was a decent attempt at a Marley classic.
Tracks
8 and 9, Princess Lady and You Got Me, are love songs. Tyrone shows off
his vocal ability. Rich in melody, his voice has a sort of hypnotic
effect and will leave listeners pleased.
Track 10, Wounds, is a
fitting end to a thrilling album. Despite the title, which may allude to
hurt and pain, the song leaves you in a good mood. It speaks of issues
one may encounter in a relationship, but focuses on good memories
created in a union that lasts even after the relationship ends, memories
that make you reminisce.
Cedella Marley is executive producer
for the album. It was she who had signed Taylor to a three-album deal
soon after becoming CEO of Tuff Gong in 1993.
Serving as
executive producer, Marley brought in Clive Hunt to produce the album
and he pulled together a team of musicians, songwriters and backing
vocalists to work with him, including Sly and Robbie, Cat Coore, Wayne
Armond, Pam Hall, Dean Fraser and Handel Tucker. Engineering was done by
Errol Brown.
Totally Tyrone, is the first in a series of albums
from the vast Tuff Gong catalogue of master tapes. Tuff Gong - Masters
Vault, will feature re-mastered recordings that have never before been
available digitally.
Tyrone Taylor succumbed to prostate cancer in December 2007.
source:jamaica-gleaner.com
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