Reviewed by Philip Croft

Despite growing up as a Kalashnikov-carrying teenager in war torn Nigeria, Ben later found himself working hard as a peace campaigner alongside Nelson Mandela and Bishop Desmond Tutu in South Africa. On moving to the Midlands in the late 1980s Ben recorded a string of excellent albums which borrowed heavily on the influences of his favourite artists - Jimmy Cliff, James Brown and most notably Bob Marley And The Wailers - and benefited mightily from the production talents of Bob Lamb, who produced several of UB40s early releases. Despite being recorded in the late '80s and early '90s this, his 1992 release still sounds totally fresh and relevant as do the three new recordings which fit seamlessly into the mood. Amazingly this only sold 3,000 copies first time round but if there's any justice it should sell more like the 25,000 that it did in America.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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