Crucial Vibes – Control Yourself LP

A gifted guitarist and singer-songwriter, Lascelles Beckford has a long history in reggae. After playing with Harold Butler in the late 1970s, Beckford began fronting Crucial Vibes, based in Old Harbour, west of Spanish Town, the band making waves in Canada in 1983. One of the leading Jamaican backing bands of the mid-1980s, debut album Control Yourself is an excellent blend of hard-hitting roots tunes, protest music and sophisticated love songs, all driven by their excellent musicianship, with the percussionist Skully and saxophonist Dean Fraser adding exquisite touches. Quality from start to finish – one for all roots connoisseurs.