Artist: Easy Star All-Stars
Release: Thrillah
Label: Easy Star Records
Release: 28th August 2012
The Easy-Star All-Stars collective caused somewhat of a buzz with their first cover album “Dub Side of the Moon” a reggae-dub take of the Pink Floyd classic. That and the re-mixed “Dubber Side of the Moon” really worked for me. The follow up album “Radiodread” once again a reggae-dub twist this time of Radiohead’s “OK Computer” didn’t appeal as much although “Karma Police” is probably my favourite Easy-Star track of all I far preferred "the Bends" album. By the time they covered the Beatles “Sgt Pepper” album the novelty to me had begun to wane so how would they fare with the biggest selling album of all-time Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” I remember when they first screened the video in the UK it didn’t cause somewhat of a buzz it caused an absolute sensation! I don’t think a single kid in my school wasn’t talking about it.
I think this has been a brave step by Goldwasser, Smith and
Oppenheimer die hard fans could cry sacrilege or it could be there biggest hit
to date? You certainly can’t fault the production quality of the Easy Star
recordings and they have drafted in some fine reggae vocalists such as Michael
Rose (Black Uhuru) and Luciano but for me it doesn’t quite work with some of
the bigger hits from the album especially with “Beat It!” and "You Wanna Be Starting Something" is more funky than reggae. Although “Human
Nature” is very listenable and Mojo Morgan & Steel Pulse do a grand job of putting a reggae vibe to "The Girl is Mine". I guess as always you have to listen for yourself
and it will appeal to some.
Reviewed by Woodzee
Reviewed by Woodzee
