Tings an' Times
| Tings an' Times | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1991 | |||
| Studio | Sparkside Studio, Dulwich Road, London | |||
| Genre | Reggae, dub, spoken word | |||
| Label | Shanachie[1] | |||
| Producer | Linton Kwesi Johnson, Dennis Bovell | |||
| Linton Kwesi Johnson chronology | ||||
| ||||
Tings an' Times is an album by the Jamaican dub poet Linton Kwesi Johnson, released in 1991.[2][3] It was Johnson's first album in six years.[4] Tings an' Times also served as the title of a book of Johnson's poetry.[5]
Production
[edit]The album was produced by Johnson and Dennis Bovell.[6] Johnson was again backed by the Dub Band, with the sound fleshed out by the addition of accordion and violin.[7][8] Steve Gregory contributed on flute and saxophone.[9]
Critical reception
[edit]| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [10] |
| Robert Christgau | A[11] |
| The Encyclopedia of Popular Music | [12] |
| Los Angeles Times |  [7] |
| Orlando Sentinel | [13] |
| The Rolling Stone Album Guide | [8] |
| Spin Alternative Record Guide | 8/10[14] |
Robert Christgau wrote that "the riddims skip by on Dennis Bovell's ska-speedy tempos, graced with tricky guitar hooks and colored with fiddle and accordion that sing Hungary and Algeria and Colombia and the Rio Grande."[11] The Los Angeles Times lamented that "Johnson’s delivery is both tentative and buried a bit in the mix, lessening the impact."[7] The Orlando Sentinel opined that "Johnson's thoughtful lyrics float over gorgeous elongated reggae tracks flavored with jazz-influenced horns, accordion, piano, violin and flute."[13] The Commercial Appeal noted that Johnson's "spry quips and brusque cadences [ride] over tough rhythms."[15]
AllMusic thought that Johnson's "outlook is intensely African, and his socio-political lyrics (some in English, some in an African language) are a passionate call for democracy in Africa."[10] The Spin Alternative Record Guide praised the "increased doses of joy and irony in LKJ's meditations."[14] Trouser Press deemed Tings an' Times "an upbeat but stringently critical album that is at once traditional and modern."[1]
Track listing
[edit]All tracks are written by Linton Kwesi Johnson
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Story" | 5:20 |
| 2. | "Sense Outta Nansense" | 4:59 |
| 3. | "Tings an' Times" | 6:32 |
| 4. | "Mi Revalueshanary Fren" | 5:19 |
| 5. | "Di Good Life" | 5:30 |
| 6. | "Di Anfinished Revalueshan" | 5:33 |
| 7. | "Dubbing for Life" | 4:03 |
Personnel
[edit]- Linton Kwesi Johnson - vocals, percussion, production
- The Dub Band
- John Kpiaye - guitar
- Dennis Bovell - bass, percussion, production, engineer, mixing
- Nick Straker - keyboards
- Paget King - organ, piano, synthesizer
- Henry Holder - piano
- Paul Blake - drums
- Everald Forrest, Jeff Scantlebury - percussion
- Steve Gregory - tenor saxophone, flute
- Paul Spong - trumpet
- Fayyaz Virji, Henry Tenyue - trombone
- Ian Hill - accordion
- Johnny "T" Taylor - violin
- Technical
- Antonio Vignocchi - cover painting
References
[edit]- ^ a b "Linton Kwesi Johnson". Trouser Press. Retrieved 21 July 2021.
- ^ "Linton Kwesi Johnson Biography & History". AllMusic.
- ^ "Poet on the front line". The Guardian. 3 May 2002.
- ^ Point, Michael (18 April 1991). "Reggae rappers return in full force". Onward. Austin American-Statesman. p. 13.
- ^ Matterson, Stephen; Jones, Darryl (2011). Studying Poetry. Bloomsbury Publishing PLC. p. 150.
- ^ "Album Reviews". Billboard. Vol. 103, no. 27. 6 July 1991. p. 62.
- ^ a b c "When Dub Flies--From Jamaica to U.K." Los Angeles Times. 6 October 1991.
- ^ a b The Rolling Stone Album Guide. Random House. 1992. pp. 374–375.
- ^ Pick, Steve (10 May 1991). "'Tings an' Times'". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. p. 4F.
- ^ a b "Tings an' Times Linton Kwesi Johnson". AllMusic.
- ^ a b "Linton Kwesi Johnson". Robert Christgau.
- ^ Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 4. MUZE. p. 657.
- ^ a b Gettelman, Parry (2 August 1991). "Linton Kwesi Johnson". Calendar. Orlando Sentinel. p. 30.
- ^ a b Spin Alternative Record Guide. Vintage Books. 1995. pp. 202–203.
- ^ Wynn, Ron (28 April 1991). "Jamaica's 'dub' poets laid rap foundation". The Commercial Appeal. p. G3.
