All Time (Itown, 1996)

*GUEST REVIEW*
This is John Brown's Body's first album, and I would say it's still their best one. This album has the same drum and bass feel as their other albums. They did pretty damn good here; I don't know how to explain it well, but the bass line seems to shift differently on some of the songs, and it made the songs sound nice and mystical like on "If You Want to Sing" and on "A little Bit of Dub". "A Little Bit of Dub" also has that Augustus Pablo melodica feel to it. Another standout track is "Words of the Prophets (A.D. 1996)". I would say this song reminds me of something the Wailing Souls would do. At one point on "Words of the Prophets(A.D. 1996)," Kevin Kinsella even sounds a bit Winston "Pipe" Matthews-ish. "Tree of Life", "Love and Affection," and the title track are also good. "Give Some Love" wasn't really my cup of tea, but I would say my favorite tracks on All Time are "Superstar" and "If You Want To Sing". Pretty good stuff from these guys.

- Julio

Among Them (I-Town, 1998)

Listening to John Brown's Body, there is little to indicate that this band is not born and bred in Kingston; in fact, they are from the good ol' USA.  Their authentic roots sound indicates a genuine understanding of and respect for reggae and its heritage, similar to how Gondwana managed to evoke the reggae spirits from all the way in Chile on their debut Together.  With Among Them, the group's second album,  John Brown's Body has managed to cement its place as one of  premier American reggae bands.  What makes John Brown's body stand out even more is that they not only have an authentic roots sound, but they have an authentic vintage roots sound.   Much of their music sounds like it could've been recorded in the '70s, or even the '60s, since they throw in some rock steady/ska flavor here and there, as on "Love Is a Fire."  This track, along with "Play On" and "This Is Not the End," display the group's upbeat, up-tempo side, while "Orange & Gold" and "Music Is My Only Friend" are more righteous in an Abyssinians/Israel Vibration mode.  My favorite cut, however, falls into neither of these two categories.  "Among Them" is more in the style of Singers & Players; it has a definite Adrian Sherwood vibe: heavy, funky bass and drum with an echoing dub edge.   And lead singer Kevin Kinsella's vocals are ethereal and effective.  However you describe it, it is an instant classic.  As it is, Among Them is excellent; if it had more material as good as its title track, it would be simply out of this world.  Note: Shanachie also released this album, with two additional tracks.

Spirits All Around Us (Shanachie, 2002)

John Brown's Body continues to cement its standing as one of -- if not the best all-American reggae acts (Groundation fans might disagree) with Spirits All Around Us, perhaps their most consistent album to date.  While roots reggae continues to be their focus, the band here also touches upon elements of dub, dancehall, rock steady, lovers rock, even disco/funk, each performed with the expert craftsmanship we've come to expect from them.  Despite space-age cover art, traditional roots is still JBB's sound of choice, even with occasional ventures into more modern styles, as on the spacey, dancehall-fusion number "33 RPM" or the warped dub of "Instrument."  Although lead singer Kevin Kinsella still seems to be the driving force behind the group -- writing 9 of the 14 tracks -- other members step to the forefront a bit more, particularly the other singer,  Elliot Martin, who penned perhaps the two best songs on Spirits: the funky, impassioned "Original Man" and the bewitching "Ambrosia," which sounds like it should've been a hit of at least the magnitude of 311's "Amber" (JBB probably suffers on that front from being an actual reggae band performing reggae as opposed to a rock band like 311 or No Doubt who occasionally dabble in reggae.).  Other strong tunes include the buoyant "Feel," the echoing dub-like "2 Bulls" (an inferior version of which was on JBB's 10 Foot Ganja Plant project Hillside Airstrip), and the rock steady of "Forward Always."  The only problem I sometimes have with John Brown's Body is that Kinsella's wispy, thin vocals, when combined with a light, happy-go-lucky rhythm (as on "Garden Tree," "Eyes of the Maker," and "Good Vibes"), tend to give the group a retro-hippy vibe that's somewhat distracting . . . to me, at least.  But don't let that stop you; maybe it's just a personal problem. 

Pressure Points (Easy Star, 2005)

Pressure Points, John Brown's Body's fifth album, is their first since switching labels from Shanachie to Easy Star, but the full-blooded roots sound that carried their earlier efforts remains intact on tracks like "Heart and Soul," "Full Control," "Not Enough" (featuring the legendary harmony trio the Meditations), and the title track.  That said, this is nonetheless the JBB album most likely of any thus far to cross over.  Mild pop rock overtones waft through several tunes, including the bouncy "New Blood," the funky electric rock of "Make It Easy," and the soulful, early UB40 sound of "Picking Up."  This new sound is likely indicative of the increased creative input from co-vocalist Elliot Martin.  Martin, whose 2002 solo release Black Castle incorporated a range of rock, drum 'n bass, and dub influences, wrote/co-wrote all but two tracks on Pressure Points.   Traditional lead singer and founding member Kevin Kinsella thus takes on more of a supporting role, but JBB fans are in good hands with Martin, who wrote perhaps the two best cuts on Spirits All Around Us in "Original Man" and "Ambrosia."  Martin's writing and vocal influence actually lends a refreshing quality to the JBB sound.  There's a slight old school DJ lilt in his style that harkens back to Shinehead's heyday and provides a likeable street edge to "Resonate," "What We Gonna Do?," and "Follow into Shadow."  It's hard to say if America is ready to embrace reggae, but this is one of those precious few reggae albums that could find (relatively) universal acceptance.  It's accessible enough for the mainstream, and only the most elitist of reggae fans will find that the subtle, occasional pop inclination negates the album's rich roots base.  Pressure Points is remarkable statement of arrival by John Brown's Body.  It's their strongest effort to date, with "Heart and Soul," "Blazing Love," "Full Control," and the title cut immediately standing alongside the group's best material so far.

*Alternate Review*

Amplify (Easy Star, 2008)

John Brown's Body has undergone some significant lineup changes since their last album, 2005's Pressure Points. Gone is singer/guitarist Kevin Kinsella, along with horn players Dan Delacruz and Chris "C-Money" Welter and, tragically, the late bassist Scott Palmer, who died from cancer in 2006. It's remarkable, then, that the group's latest effort, with Elliot Martin on full-time lead vocals, maintains the trademark JBB sound -- that is, the spacy, electronic sound that began on Spirits All Around Us (not coincidentally, where Martin began singing a significant number of the songs). The shiny sound is, in and of itself, not bad -- and indeed, I loved Spirits All Around Us -- but Amplify takes it to the next fearful level of shiny pop-dom, becoming the most pop-inclined album in the band's decade-plus discography. This completes the distinct -- though not disastrous -- shift in sound from their early roots reggae releases. On the two albums before Amplify, the mix of pop and reggae was palatable and downright ingenious at times, but on Amplify, the sound is more troublesome. The seemingly forced inclusion of rappers on "Shake the Dice" and "Amplify" -- neither of which feature hip-hop beats -- will certainly upset some listeners, while several other tracks venture outside the reggae realm, from the funk of "Make Your Movie" to the pop of "So Aware." The end result makes for an exuberant experience, but one that seems aimed at crossing over to the mainstream. That doesn't have to be a bad thing, though, and indeed, Amplify isn't a bad album. The bigger issue is that the songs just aren't as strong as we've become accustomed to from the band. There are four great tracks -- the swaying sunshine tune "Give Yourself Over," the fun dance track "Push Some Air" and a pair of darker cuts, '"The Gold" and the edgy "Speak of the Devil," featuring guest vocals by Midnite's Vaughn Benjamin -- but the rest is lacking, with too many efforts coming off as generic JBB ("Sky Juice," "Zion Triad," "Be at Peace"). The band thus becomes a victim of its own genius, delivering an album that by most standards would be above average, but by its own lofty standards is a bit of a disappointment.