ALTON ELLIS レコード& CD

Review: Jamaican singer-songwriter Alton Nehemiah Ellis OD has been inducted into the International Reggae And World Music Awards Hall Of Fame since 2006 - just two years before his death - which shows how much he contributed to the genre in his heyday. And that was the early 70s, when most of the music on this new album Valley Of Decision: The Collection is taken from. His style was high-impact reggae, often delivered with extra power from superb horn arrangements. For many, he was an important pioneer in the development of what became known as the rocksteady style and as such was known as the Godfather of Rocksteady.

Review: Alton Nehemiah Ellis was known as Mr Soul of Jamaica thanks to the hugely expressive voice he was gifted with. He also had a fine knack for writing great songs and always brought real emotions to his work. That is typified here as he linked with The Flames as well as Tommy McCook & The Supersonics for the buttery smooth and impassioned 'If I Could Rule The World' with its natty riffs, swaggering drums and of course golden vocals. Tyrone Evans takes acre of the flip with a version that is more upbeat and optimistic as a result.