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LP - NORRISMAN - MUCH MORE TO LIFE

by Tiger records

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about

The question, however, is precisely how good is "Much More To Life"? The answer is very.

The album seems to have a very streamlined and personal type of vibes to it throughout. It seems to begin at the cover which is very simple and, again, personal - that apparently was the thought behind it as well. One of the most fascinating aspects of this project is the presence of six different Skits which really just kind of carry the album along with Norris Man, occasionally chiming in to give an opinion or an explanation at various points along the way. There're six of them in total (including an intro) which pushes the track number here to an obese twenty-three, which was daunting because I am… ridiculous and, unlike everyone else, I simply have to mention every song on the album, so seventeen is not only much more manageable for my own selfish purposes but, if I recall correctly, six of Norris Man's previous albums have exactly seventeen songs on them (WHAT!) (Yes, I am a nerd and I remember things like that). Following the intro, which is one second long, we get to the very first song on Norris Man's brand new album for Tiger Records, "Much More To Life", 'Murdera'. The album's opener is a beautiful song and not the smallest detail of which is that golden track behind it. That thing grows and grows throughout the song and, by tune's end, it has built to the point of really delivering a high level of intensity to a composition which demands such emotion. For his part, Norris Man delivers one of the finest pieces on the record and a significant social commentary. Following the second skit, on which Norris gives a setting for the tune to follow, the title track, which is actually very good in its brevity. The song is also a winner. It's probably one of the more broadly focused selections here, but it is still very well written and the riddim, although somewhat dynamic, is very simple and fits the song very well. Things go considerably higher on the next tune in, however, the excellent 'Warning'. 'Warning' is high-powered and AGGRESSIVE modern Roots Reggae music which is something the chanter is very strong at when he really makes an attempt at pushing something with a bit of a BITE to it and this tune is the first sign of something like that on this album.

He delivers a pair of songs in 'All Day Long' and 'Dreaming', which make for a powerful pair. The first is actually the stronger of the two, but it has kind of a 'loose' feeling to it a times, especially in its second verse. Then when 'Dreaming' comes over, you notice that it carries the same riddim as the tune ahead of it and it also has a very free vibes to it, but even more in its case. I actually take them both as a pair, they're just one really long good song to my ears, but they become intertwined on the skit which follows, the album's final, on which the artist says that it worked out exactly like that: "We have just recorded that song. So spontaneously - just right off the bat, off the top". That's fantastic because what I'm imagining is the track playing and Norris enjoying it so much after completing the first song that he basically just kept singing and another tune, one with its own meaning and uniqueness, was born. So the skits, although very short in most cases, definitely do add to the texture of the album and help it along quite a lot. This one, especially, is very informative and is my favourite as not only does Norris Man outline what happened in the case of 'Dreaming' but he also goes into inspiration and music in general - pinnacling at one point when he says that sometimes not even he, himself, comprehends what something he does is or where it comes from. On their own, neither of these tracks, although well solid, register amongst the album's finest moments, but taken together and then with the skit - it is a HUGE highlight here.

Also making their marks on "Much More To Life" are a few tunes which're familiar to my ears as they are Norris Man's songs from previous Tiger Records tracks. Such a tune would be the most identifiable piece, on paper, on the album to my eyes, the LUSH 'We Are The People'. This tune comes through on my favourite riddim from Tiger's vault, the Box Guitar (and every time I hear it, I just immediately start yelling, "we ready, ready, ready, ready, ready, when the revolution start!!!") (biggup Junior X), where it was the second best offering. It hasn't lost a thing over the past few years and I was so happy to see it on this album, where it also ranks very highly. The song is fantastic and is probably the best vocal display you'll find here. An acoustic piece and very skeletal on the Dutty Foot Riddim, but it's the best song of its kind on this album and I'll tell you again, don't just hear it once and pass it over, it takes a minute to advance. 'Let Love Control', on the other hand, brings no such delay. It's big from first spin on the Ol' Sitt'n Riddim as Norris Man, again, turns in a very impressive vocal performance. There's also the sublime 'Trying Man' on what may be Tiger's most well known composition, the Wharfedale Riddim.

"Yes I am a trying man
Want my stability
Survival is the game
I've got to ignore the pain
You see we work so hard
Bound to get over
Binghi man tough up wi heart
This is what they say now
All the rumours they spread, whoa
And I seh Rasta will prevail!

They cannot conquer me
Rastafari protect and keep I & I alive
They cannot conquer me
Cause mi protected by The Most High that is higher than high
They cannot conquer me
Rastafari protect and keep I & I alive
They cannot conquer me
Cause mi protected by The Most High, higher than high

We believe in ourselves
Nothing to pull us down
We got to go through -
Firm and be strong
This is the revelation!
It is the day!
Got to be strong
When many rumours are said - and I said whoa
Rastaman no watch no face"

I love that song (on what remained of that track after Tanya Stephens smashed it over her head) and I had kind of forgotten about it, but an album like it this can definitely give it a much deserved reincarnation. I also know 'Read Between the Lines' which is a fantastic praising piece from Norris Man.

Still now, with all of that being said, the single best moment that I hear on "Much More To Life" is from a new song, or one which is new to my ears, the mammoth 'The Soul'. TEARS! There is just something about this tune which made it crawl all over my affections in about four listens or so and, eventually, it reached a point where it was just this very curious (it doesn't really sound like any other song on the album) piece which had well grown on me. There're elements of Gospel and maybe even a few other things, but whatever you want to call it they mine gold on this track! Another track which I had never heard which is damn impressive is 'Oh Jah'. It is another one which comes with a nice skit in front of it and what follows is another fine praising tune - and one of a similar quality level of the aforementioned 'Jah Rule Always'.

"His foundation is in the Holy Mountain
King of Kings, so dem crown him
WHEN HIM STAND UP, I SEE EVERYTHING GROUNDED
I see the greatest of the greatest surround HIM!"

It isn't at all the most complicated of moments you'll find, but the melding of lyrics and riddim here is one of the most remarkable moments on the album and, much like as was the case with 'Murdera', what you see is an amplification of the song, in general, and what you end up with is such an EXCITING Roots piece that it cannot go ignored. "Much More To Life" concludes with another strong acoustic set (which I think is the album's third), 'Ovastand'. This song is another one where you get the feeling that it just kind of organically developed into what it becomes. Although it isn't very complex, there're many different ideas expressed with the main one being to comprehend not only what it is that you are going through, but also to do the same and appreciate what someone else's situation may be. Although not at all surprising and, in fact, somewhat expected, 'Ovastand' is still a nice ending for this album.

Overall, I can definitely say that "Much More To Life" features Norris Man in a fine form. This is a "GOOD NORRIS MAN ALBUM" and as I said, such a thing, alone, should be more than enough to get your attention. If it isn't, then specifically what this album has going for it are several different things. Looking back, one of its more remarkable aspects is its versatility. It is very much a modern Roots Reggae record in the typical sense, but it is a subtly colourful one which is a big credit to both Norris Man, Sherkhan and Tiger Records. Also the skits really do add quite a bit here (which is a good thing, because there are so many of them). They're almost like six small interviews and as someone who really enjoys attempting to break things down, when you have the person who wrote the song doing that for you or at least putting you in the proper direction, it is a very helpful and creative addition to mix in. Following such a remarkable year that he had in 2012, Norris Man continues to make headlines in 2013 with one of the better album releases of his career, "Much More To Life". Very good.

by Achis.
achisreggae.blogspot.nl

credits

released April 1, 2013

Writers: C. Campbell / R. Chiffre
Musician: Romain 'Sherkhan' Chiffre
Harmonies: Sherida Sharpe, Diana Rutherford,
Jodeena Brown and Lymie Murray
Saxophone: Sheldon 'Saxy' Palmer
Recorded and mixed at Tiger Studio V
Produced by Sherkhan for Tiger records and Home and Away music

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Tiger records Kingston, Jamaica

Tiger records is the label of the french producer Sherkhan living in Jamaica

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