Prince Buster – The Outlaw
welcome back to the Skaject folks! today we’re looking at The Outlaw a 1969 record by the Prince Buster –
the opening track of this record is Gun the Man Down, and i gotta say, this is another one of those tracks that just exposes an influence if an artist ive heard a lot. in this case, theres a lot of stylistic decisions that Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra made early that came from track like this, even down to vocalizations. v fun track. The Baddest has a real fun sax line to it, i dig that. some weird stuff happening with the vocals here but its not too bad. i could see myself really loving this track next time i sit down, haha. Cinncinnati Kid is a nice track – i appreciate the way the vocals have been used so far on this record, as short, catchy punctuations, but i think its a lil distracting on this track, with a little too much repetition. the band’s doing a fantastic job on this song though – and the whole package is still a nice track. The Sermon leans a lil more rocksteady, and i enjoy it. another nice one. Al Capone’s one of the flashier tracks here, haha. another one i can hear the influence it has later, haha. Any More’s a little more of a ballad – i can tell some of the medium degredation has hit this track a little harder than others, which is a real shame. ooh Happy Reggae is a smooth track, i like how this one uses the sax in a different way for a real nice effect. Hold Them is fine. feels like it would be at home on a Fallout soundtrack, haha. the title track, The Outlaw, is also fine. Burke’s Law is a weird track, mostly due to the strange vocals… vocalizations? vocals. it looks like this track and Al Capone were both bigger tracks from an album from 1965 called It’s Burke’s Law (Jamaican Ska Explosion) i had to skip for lack of access. interestin. Fever is, almost ironically, a very mellow track. Phoenix City closes us out and leans back into some of the cowboy themeing, and its a fun track for sure.
faves – Gun the Man Down, Happy Reggae
dislikes –
yknow this was definitely my favorite Prince Buster record so far. the band did a fantastic job, instrumentally – some real catchy and moving hooks and rhythms here. and Buster himself on the vocals has some really cool tracks here. many of them thematic and humorous, some of them he steps back and lets the band go buck wild, and in others he takes a little more active role on the mic. i think i had at minimum a p good time with basically every track here. very pleasant record.
The Outlaw – 7/10
next up we’re gonna be checking out our first 1970 record, Derrick Morgan’s Moon Hop!
previous: The Skatalite! | next: Moon Hop
previous Prince Buster record: Wreck a Pum Pum | next: Big Five
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