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Get Next to Me (VP, 1998) Wow! What a great Beres Hammond album! Oh wait, it's not Beres Hammond; it's Glen Washington. But if you close your eyes and listen, it may be tough to discern between the two. Both have raspy, soulful voices that put forth love songs mixed with positive social commentary and backed by lovers and light dancehall riddims. The biggest difference is probably the fact that Washington throws in some Rasta references here and there (It's hard to imagine titles like "Jah Blessing" and "Jah Glory" from Hammond.). If you're going to sound like Beres Hammond, however (Or does Hammond sound like Washington? They've both been recording since the '70s, but Washington hasn't received much of the spotlight that Hammond has in the '90s.), the biggest hurdle is attaining the quality level of his material. And on Get Next to Me, Washington does this with surprising ease. I am an unadulterated Hammond fan, but I have to admit that this album rivals anything he has ever done. Get Next to Me, in my humble opinion, is as good as Hammond's best studio album to date, Love From a Distance. The vocals are heartfelt and yearning, the melodies delicious, and the rhythms, though familiar, are suitable to Washington's assured style. This is truly "all killer, no filler," as everything shines, but the tracks that stand out for me are the sexy, funky "Forever Lover," the powerful "Jah Glory," "Good Old Days," "Realise," "Baby Baby," "Serious Time," "Jah Blessing," and the great title track. |
| Track Listing 1. Call Me Baby 2. True Love 3. If Loving You Is Wrong 4. Kindness For Weakness 5. Good Old Days 6. Forever Lover 7. Interlude 8. Jah Blessing 9. Serious Time 10. Jah Glory 11. Why 12. My Love 13. Get Next To Me 14. Baby Baby 15. Girl I Love You 16. Realize |
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Solitary Red Rose (Ruff Stuff, 1999)
Somewhat of a disappointment, coming as it is after the great Get Next to Me, Solitary Red Rose is nonetheless a decent follow-up. It sports the same lovers and light dancehall sound, with perhaps more old-fashioned riddims that will likely sound familiar. It lacks, however, the absolutely great songs of Get Next to Me, as only "We've Got to Make It" and "African Daughter" approach the level of that album. The songs here certainly aren't good enough to warrant the three pedestrian dubs that are thrown in, which only serve to drag this set out. Still, Glen Washington and Beres Hammond fans will nonetheless find pleasure in most of the tracks on Solitary Red Rose.
| Track Listing 1. We've Got to Make It 2. What a Man Sow 3. Solitary Red Rose 4. African Daughter 5. Crazy World 6. Winner 7. Harvest Time 8. If Only You 9. Reggae Music 10. Oh What a Feeling 11. Payaka 12. Reggae Music [Dub] 13. Oh What a Feeling [Dub] 14. Crazy World [Dub] |
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Number One Girl (VP, 2000)
With Beres Hammond M.I.A., it's certainly nice to see Glen Washington being as prolific as he is. You only have to hope that the quality of the material isn't spread too thin, and as evidenced by Number One Girl, that's not a problem. Better overall than Solitary Red Rose but still not in the league of Get Next to Me, this album follows the same formula, with soulful love songs like "Strangers in the Night," "You're My Latest, My Greatest Inspiration," and the title track, intermingled with conscious messages like "Oh Jah," "Right From the Start," "One of These Days," and my favorite track here, "Reserve the Rights." There is an amazing balance between the two subject matters, as neither overpowers the other, and Washington is comfortable and competent in whatever he croons.
| Track Listing 1. Burning Fire [Acappella] 2. Strangers in the Night 3. Shana Na Na 4. Number One Girl 5. Sitting in the Park [Medley] 6. How Did You Know 7. Right From the Start featuring Fiona 8. Interlude 9. Oh Jah 10. One of These Days 11. Take the Name of Jesus 12. Give Jah Praise 13. Still Going Strong 14. Reserve The Rights 15. You're My Latest, My Greatest Inspiration 16. Consider Me 17. Dry Bones |
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Can't Keep a Good Man Down (Don One, 2001)
Glen Washington has rivaled Sizzla as the hardest working man in reggae recently, having put out no less than 11 albums between 1998 and 2001. While I think Get Next to Me is a classic, and I enjoyed Number One Girl and to a lesser extent, Solitary Red Rose, my Glen Washington purchases have tapered off because his formula of singing over recycled Studio One rhythms has worn a bit thin with me, and Can't Keep a Good Man Down is a prime example of why. Now, I realize that re-using old rhythms is a readily accepted practice in reggae, but the music on this album is so familiar, chances are if you don't know it from its original source, you'll recognize it from any one of a dozen songs that already recycled the music before Washington got to it. Furthermore, as soulful as Washington's voice may be, his conversational singing style doesn't allow for the greatest range and isn't necessarily conducive to robust, pronounced melodies. To put it flatly, this album is dull with a capital "duh." Only "Rather Be in Love" shows any real life or outstanding quality you'd expect from an artist of his stature. The rest is just typical Glen Washington. "Jah Won't Let Me Down," "Bring Your Body," and "My God Is Real" (not the Tony Curtis hit) are fine, but overall, this is a paint-by-numbers Washington album. If you really can't get enough of his sound, you might not be so disappointed, but although it's gotten positive reviews, I found Can't Keep a Good Man Down to be a real snoozer.
| Track Listing 1. Here We Go Again 2. Rather Be in Love 3. What You Gonna Do 4. Physical Attraction 5. Easy Buck 6. Don't Break Your Promise 7. Teach Them Right 8. My God Is Real 9. Can't Keep a Good Man Down 10. Love Is the Key 11. Leave Me Alone 12. Forever My Lady 13. Jah Won't Let Me Down 14. Bring Your Body |
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