Capleton

"Capleton - ‘Arms House’ - Greensleeves - 1993

Two years on and the Bangra style rhythm still rules Jamaica. All the big producers are using it, inclusing Fatis, who produced this set. The production on this album is more consistent, then the various producers ‘Gold’ album, which is to be expected. The title track works best, but listening to the album still leaves me puzzled. The effect here, is like a reggae dj, deejaying over a rock rhythm or a jazz rhythm. It can be done, but by and large it doesn’t work. The reason for this is neither music evolved in this way. Or put simply, reggae dj’s need reggae rhythms. The rhyhtms here are interesting and complex, but they are not reggae."

"Capleton - Gold - Charm - 1991

DJ’s or deejaying as always been highly influenced by rhythms. U.Roy ‘s arrival on the music scene 70/71, came about by the man deejaying over Duke Reid’s rock steady Treasure Isle rhythms. Not the reggae/roots rhythms of the day. Capleton’s arrival on the scene in the nineties coincided with the emergence in reggae music of sub ragga style, that drew it’s main influence from Bangra, a form of Indian pop music. It never worked for me. Reggae is made up of bass and drum. This style is just pure drum.

Capleton’s approach to this is non-stop lyrics, not the fast style, but relentless all the same. Is commitment and hard work enough? What about sytle and fashion."

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Capleton - Good So - VP - 1994

Finally after two albums of pure Bangra rhythms, we get the chance to hear Capleton on a traditional rhythm rhythm - the magnificent ‘Cold Blooded Murderer’. Where all the promise of the singles true. Of course it was big hit single itself, but sometimes hit singles don’t make it onto albums. Unfortunatly the balance of the remaining rhyhtms are in the Bangra style, which makes this another difficult set to recommened. Lyrically most of the titles tend to be inspired by cultural or reality matters, but no matter how sincere the lyrics are, you need good ryhthms as well. It’s as simple as that. "

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Capleton - Prophesy - Def Jam - 1995 The first all self produced set - African Star Productions, that also gets a release on a major US label. Here the balance of the

rhythms is about right, and coming to terms with the slower traditional reggae rhyhtms actually forces Caplton to slow down his delivery. Thankfully he’s still in a very miltant mood. Hence titles like ‘Leave Babylon’ ‘Heathern Reign’ and ‘Babylon Judgement’. The big track here is the first one ‘Tour’. It probably brought him to the attention of Def Jam , although it cannot be compared tunes like Anthony B’s ‘Fire Pon Rome’ or Buju’s ‘Til I’m Laid To Rest’, and perhaps it is wrong to do so."