Search - Burning Spear :: Appointment With His Majesty

Harder than the rest? That's what Spear used to be, back in the day. But the times of being dry and heavy have long gone, and there's more than a little gray in the beard. But that doesn't mean the Rastaman has lost his fire, only that the flames don't leap as high. Look, anyone who can come up with a paean to Jerry Garcia ("Play Jerry") and not have me chucking the thing in the bin is doing something right. The fact is, Spear is one of the few Jamaicans playing true reggae as most people know it. For most artists, dancehall seems to have begot ragga and dance, and that distinctive offbeat has vanished. But Winston Rodney (the man you know as Spear) keeps it alive, from the woozy, slightly psychedelic kick of the horns in "The Future (Clean it Up)" through the end of "Loving You," and he does it in the fashion of a master. No "rockers riddims," perhaps, but with bite and joy, and the teachings of Rastafari uppermost in his mind. Time has passed, but the masters stay strong. --Chris Nickson