CD: Searching For Love
ARTISTE: Andy Livingston
ANDY LIVINGSTON'S Searching For Love is aptly titled and not for the obvious reasons.
Sure, the first seven songs are what one would expect, with a title like that. The cover of Babyface's When Your Body Gets Weak sets the tone for 'man and woman business', right through to Something On Your Mind.
However, the title track at number 8 changes the tone appreciably, to a more philosophical mood. After another introspective track at number 9, Windmill of Time, the album tackles themes of justice, social harmony and Blackness, surging to a close with the uptempo Old Gun Town, which expresses Livingston's disgust with the city's violence, where:
When the police come
Yu tink yu safe
But all dem do is push yu roun'
Mi tiad a de ol' gun town
The three aspects of the almost totally roots reggae Searching For Love the 'Afromantic', the philosophical and the social commentary are excellent. My preference leans towards the commentary, but that is not because of a dramatic increase in quality, but simply personal bias.
In addition to the range of topics, Andy Livingston has the voice to handle all three moods. He soars on the chorus of When Your Body Gets Weak; he does the husky voice intro thing on Lean on Me (not a cover of the well-known song).
He also sounds deeply happy on the title track, he is intense, without sounding too 'preachy' on Windmill of Time and he may be searching for love, but that does not mean that he is weak, as he sings militantly against the Jamaican politics of the day in Burn Parliament.
The pedigree of the players is reflected in the rhythms they have put together for Mr. Livingston to work with Sly Dunbar, George Miller and Mafia are among the drummers, Robbie Shakespeare and Richard Daley just two of the bass players, Fluxy and Herbie Harris part of the keyboard ensemble and Cat Coore helps out on some guitar. Horns are from (who else?) Dean Fraser.
Brian and Tony Gold and 'Twiggie' Gittens are among the many voices that produce the great harmonies.
Speaking of voices, the three artistes who chip in on lead vocals, Natural Black, Nadz and Daddy Rings, are great assets to the project, Nadz's rap flowing smoothly and, above all, very sensibly.
Andy Livingston even finds time to take a look at globalisation from a media perspective in My Roots:
I need to get in touch with my roots
Turned on my television
All I am seeing is American
So I tuned to my radio
Aint hear nothing bout my African...
Still Searching For Love is a good album, with good original lyrics saved for where noted, well sung, with solid music and showing depth of thought.
Picks on the disc: Put The Woman First, Searching For Love, Windmill of Time, Gunman, Blood Bredda.
- Mel Cooke
TRACK LISTING
When Your Body Gets Weak
If You Say
Lean on Me
Can't Stop Falling in Love
Put The Woman First
Kisses
Something on Your Mind
Searching For Love
Windmill of Time
Stand Up For Justice (feat. Natural Black)
Gunman
Blood Bredda (featuring Nadz and Daddy Rings)
Burn Parliament
My Roots
Forever Black
