Ranking Joe Zion High
Jamaican toaster Ranking Joe was only 20 when he recorded 1980’s Round The World in […]
Jamaican toaster Ranking Joe was only 20 when he recorded 1980’s Round The World in a single two-hour session. Now reissued under the title Zion High, this crucial disc showcases Joe’s easy chatting style over Dennis Brown productions like “A Cup of Tea” and “Slave Driver.” Bonuses include long unavailable tracks from Brown (“Bubbling Fountain”) and Black Uhuru (“Wood For My Fire”) backed by a young Sly and Robbie. Still, all this additional star power can’t outshine the true ram dance master. Joe’s trademark rapid-fire bong-diddleys and easy, pure voice sail over the tracks, and King Tubby and Scientist’s versions are every bit as thick as the smoke clouds in the studio.