Life Squared
Reviews
Fo
Reviewed 2002-08-06
Reviewed 2002-08-06
MUTABARUKA – Life Squared
HeartBeat, 2002
REGGAE / SPOKEN WORD – Mutabaruka may be reggae’s poet laureate. His words relentlessly push black consciousness and pan-Africanism, cutting to the heart in a way few others have ever been able to match (only Linton Kwesi Johnson comes to mind). As soon as that instantly-identifiable voice starts talking, you know it’s time to shut up and listen. Surprisingly, this is his first full-length album of new material in eight years. In it, he attacks oppression, religious hypocrisy, international economics and much more. The dub-roots backing tracks are uneven (several are downright weak), but it’s all about the words anyway.
RECOMMENDED TRACKS: 13, also 3, 4, 10, 12, 14
02. up/med tempo, good rockin’ rhythm
03. great ska cover: men vs monkeys
04. dub rhythm, self-determination lyric
05. economics lesson w/ska-dub track
06. gimmicky “What’s Goin’ On” update
08. laid-back roots + positive philosophy
09. spoken word tribute to a lost friend
10. an essay on religion, nice backing
12. in praise of women, w/religious overtones
13. slammin’ horn/piano track, strong lyric
14. slow jazz track, poem about a poem
15. mostly acoustic track, about a dream
16. stripped-down, mixable version of track 3
18. long remix of Mutabaruka’s masterpiece
[Fo] - 8/6/02
HeartBeat, 2002
REGGAE / SPOKEN WORD – Mutabaruka may be reggae’s poet laureate. His words relentlessly push black consciousness and pan-Africanism, cutting to the heart in a way few others have ever been able to match (only Linton Kwesi Johnson comes to mind). As soon as that instantly-identifiable voice starts talking, you know it’s time to shut up and listen. Surprisingly, this is his first full-length album of new material in eight years. In it, he attacks oppression, religious hypocrisy, international economics and much more. The dub-roots backing tracks are uneven (several are downright weak), but it’s all about the words anyway.
RECOMMENDED TRACKS: 13, also 3, 4, 10, 12, 14
02. up/med tempo, good rockin’ rhythm
03. great ska cover: men vs monkeys
04. dub rhythm, self-determination lyric
05. economics lesson w/ska-dub track
06. gimmicky “What’s Goin’ On” update
08. laid-back roots + positive philosophy
09. spoken word tribute to a lost friend
10. an essay on religion, nice backing
12. in praise of women, w/religious overtones
13. slammin’ horn/piano track, strong lyric
14. slow jazz track, poem about a poem
15. mostly acoustic track, about a dream
16. stripped-down, mixable version of track 3
18. long remix of Mutabaruka’s masterpiece
[Fo] - 8/6/02
Recent airplay
Dem Seh
Everything (last hour edited for best of show 6-15-20) — Jan 06, 2020
One People
Hanging in the bone yard — Dec 20, 2018
One People
audio ambrosia — Nov 17, 2018
Confusion Today
Transmission Overload — Jul 08, 2007
Time We Realize
No Cover, No Minimum - Part 1 — Jun 10, 2005
One People
forty degrees — Mar 04, 2004
Charting
2002-08-12 — 2002-10-14
Reggae/World
| Week Ending | Airplays |
|---|---|
| Oct 6 | 1 |
| Sep 29 | 1 |
| Sep 8 | 2 |
Track listing
| 1. | Dem Seh | ||
| 2. | War a Gwaan Dung Deh | ||
| 3. | The Monkey | ||
| 4. | Time We Realize | ||
| 5. | Life and Debt | ||
| 6. | Confusion Today | ||
| 7. | Muta Seh | ||
| 8. | I Truly Believe | ||
| 9. | Pele | ||
| 10. | Spirituality | ||
| 11. | Muta Seh | ||
| 12. | Mother Divine | ||
| 13. | One People | ||
| 14. | I Write a Poem | ||
| 15. | Dream Girl | ||
| 16. | The Monkey (Mento Mix) | ||
| 17. | Muta Seh | ||
| 18. | Dis Poem (Remix) |