Search - Heptones :: Night Food

For the fans only

Sean M. Kelly | Portland, Oregon United States | 09/18/2000

(3 out of 5 stars)

""Night Food," released in the mid 70's is one of the final Heptones lps featuring original lead singer Leroy Sibbles- internal conflicts were at an all time high by then and Sibbles would leave the band not long thereafter to pursue a solo career.The band's heyday of Studio One was behind them, as they left there in 1971 following a major fallout between Duke Reid and Sibbles. Despite this, the trio labored on, producing more top 20 hits, though doing so as guns for hire- they would work with/for the likes of Joe Gibbs, Phil Pratt, Augustus Pablo, and the great Lee "Scratch" Perry."Party Time," their lp of mixes and recuts from Studio One material, was a triumph for both the band and Scratch- one of his many crowning achievements, and it breathed new life into the trio, who looked poised to become international superstars following what Bob Marley and his reconstituted Wailers were able to accomplish on their amazing "Natty Dread" lp. Alas, stardom never happened for the Heptones."Night Food," though filled with decent songs, was a letdown after the triumph achieved with Perry. Sibbles produced the album and wrote most of its material, but the results, while good, were somewhat flat.I personally like this album, and I think most Heptones fans will, too, but for the casual listener, you would be better off finding a good "best of" collection and bask in the glory that the Heptones were in their prime."

Classic roots

peter van tassel | Los Angeles, CA United States | 07/24/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Once you have become accustomed to other roots offerings of this era, this is a terrific CD to try out. Truly exemplifies reggae of this yime period, and provides a deliciously sweet counterpoint to the less sultry roots tunes of the time. If you like reggae from the 70's, you'll love this CD. Although many of the tracks are reversioned classics (their own classics) this is how reggae is done...the tracks are simply updated, not forced. Book of rules is perhaps one of the most iconic songs in reggae, certainly a definitive song for the post studio-one heptones."