Rebel Souls
| Rebel Souls | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1984 | |||
| Genre | Reggae | |||
| Label | Island | |||
| Producer | Aswad, Michael "Reuben" Campbell | |||
| Aswad chronology | ||||
| ||||
Rebel Souls is an album by the British band Aswad, released in 1984.[1][2] They supported the album with UK and North American tours.[3][4] Rebel Souls peaked at No. 48 on the UK Albums Chart.[5]
Production
[edit]Rebel Souls was recorded in Jamaica.[6] The band's cover of Marvin Gaye's "Mercy, Mercy Me (The Ecology)" includes backing vocals by the London Community Gospel Choir.[7] "54–46 (Was My Number)" is a cover of the Toots and the Maytals song.[8] "Need Your Love (Each and Every Day)" is performed in a lovers rock style.[9] "Rainfall, Sunshine" is about the exploited working class.[10]
Critical reception
[edit]| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [11] |
| The Baltimore Sun | [12] |
| The Encyclopedia of Popular Music |  [13] |
| MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide | [14] |
| Rolling Stone | [10] |
The Los Angeles Times opined that the album "offers well-crafted reggae with a pop slant, but it pales beside the powerful 1983 concert captured on Live and Direct."[15] The Wycombe Midweek noted that "when the rhythms gel and the horns punch, there is a sparkle that even West Indies-based artists find hard to touch."[16] The Birmingham Post & Mail called Rebel Souls "less strident and more soulful than recent albums."[17]
The Baltimore Sun concluded that the album "manages to combine the easy melodicism of Jamaican pop with the down-to-business intensity of the best of Black Uhuru."[12] LA Weekly labeled it "another crucial mix of hard rhythms, spaced by the blistering horns of the most requested brass section in London."[18] The Daily Telegraph listed it among the 10 best "rock" albums of 1984.[19]
Track listing
[edit]| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "In My Father's House" | |
| 2. | "Rebel" | |
| 3. | "54–46 (Was My Number)" | |
| 4. | "Just a Little Herb" | |
| 5. | "Rainfall, Sunshine" | |
| 6. | "Mercy, Mercy Me (The Ecology)" | |
| 7. | "You Can't Show Me" | |
| 8. | "Gave You My Love" | |
| 9. | "I Asked a Question" | |
| 10. | "Need Your Love (Each and Every Day)" | |
| 11. | "Chasing for the Breeze" |
References
[edit]- ^ Moskowitz, David V. (2005). Caribbean Popular Music: An Encyclopedia of Reggae, Mento, Ska, Rock Steady, and Dancehall. ABC-CLIO. p. 16.
- ^ Denselow, Robin (23 October 1984). "Dominion". The Guardian. p. 11.
- ^ "Aswad are parking their might in Harlow". The Herts and Essex Observer. No. 6639. 23 June 1988. p. 32.
- ^ The Rock Yearbook. Vol. 6. Virgin Books. 1985. p. 22.
- ^ "Aswad". Official Charts. Retrieved 26 May 2025.
- ^ The Encyclopedia of Reggae : The Golden Age of Roots Reggae. Sterling Publishing Company, Inc. 2012. p. 9.
- ^ Clover, Charles (23 October 1984). "Aswad's home-grown reggae". The Daily Telegraph. p. 9.
- ^ O'Neill, Lee (25 April 1985). "Records". Calendar. The Boston Globe. p. 9.
- ^ Walker, Klive (2005). Dubwise : Reasoning from the Reggae Underground. Insomniac Press. p. 194.
- ^ a b "Recordings". Wisconsin State Journal. Rolling Stone. 17 March 1985. p. 8.3.
- ^ "Rebel Souls Review by Ron Wynn". AllMusic. Retrieved 26 May 2025.
- ^ a b Considine, J.D. (3 March 1985). "Aswad's 'Rebel Souls' moves with reggae beat". The Baltimore Sun. p. 12D.
- ^ Larkin, Colin (1998). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 1. MUZE. p. 265.
- ^ MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide (2nd ed.). Visible Ink Press. 1999. p. 48.
- ^ Snowden, Don (14 July 1985). "Reggae—Brit Style". Calendar. Los Angeles Times. p. 55.
- ^ Masuda, Neil (20 November 1984). "Slipping discs...". Wycombe Midweek. No. 822. p. 22.
- ^ "On Release". The Birmingham Post & Mail. 24 November 1984. p. 19.
- ^ Sutton-Smith, John (21 March 1985). "The Critical List". LA Weekly. p. 39.
- ^ Clover, Charles (17 December 1984). "Records of the Year". The Daily Telegraph. p. 8.