When Birmingham met Kingston, 01 Dec 2008
Few people have acknowledged the fact that Steel Pulse predicted the Handsworth Riots three years before they happened with this visionary, melodic but gritty album. The potent social, political and historical references demonstrate just why they were so adored by the punk fraternity. Plus they produced the best badges to adorn any leather jacket.

No rest in Birmingham, 01 Apr 2008
In the late 1970s, amid the hurricane of the new wave, Steel Pulse were seen as the UK reggae band most likely to mix it with other newcomers, and were hardly ever out of the NME. Every track on this album seems to me to be tied to the title track, its portentous 'Babylon is falling' warning set to a restless undercurrent. Steel Pulse seemed to capture some of the social discontent of the time with a no-nonsense approach to their music. They occasionally added colour, as in the guitar flourishes on 'Soldiers,' but they were direct rather than poetic. The titles tend to leave little to the imagination. Other than on the celebratory 'Sound Check' they chart fairly gloomy territory, until the closing 'Macka Splaff,' which seems to represent comfort rather than solution. They never achieved the acclaim that seemed to be predicted for them, but 'Handsworth Revolution' is a satisfying album, and one which highlights how half-baked most white interpretations of the form are.

A world classic, 13 Feb 2005
I've read and agreed with everything the other reviewers have said about this Roots/Dub masterpiece,the only things I can add is that this album is one of THE greatest ever,in or out of the UK.It stands shoulder to shoulder with anything by Burning Spear,Culture,U-Roy,LKJ,Augustus Pablo....I could go on.
One word of caution though,after purchasing this album you will own Steel Pulse' best recordings by a country mile.

handsworth revisited, 28 Aug 2002
I'd forgotten just how good this album is! A blast from the past, Handsworth Revolution resurrects the spirit of the time; Rock Against Racism marches, Anti Nazi League protests all rounded up with a party of punks, dreads and like minded people in unison! Enough nostalgia, Steel Pulse's Handsworth Revolution has stood the test of time; smooth vocals over original dub bass representing the struggle of that era all contribute to an album which should be hailed as a reggae classic.

'The' classic British reggae album, 26 Jun 2001
Birmingham's Steel Pulse provided us with the only truly great British reggae album of the last 30 years in 1978's Handsworth Revolution. Seven great reggae musicians from all over north Birmingham, ie ,Lozells, Handsworth and Handsworth Wood, got together to create an unforgettable sound that is true to the roots of Jamaican reggae, unlike the over-commercialised offerings of UB40 and Aswad throught the 1980s (although both bands did strive for authenticity on their first couple of albums).

There is a real positive vibe to this music, with classics such as Klu Klux Klan, Sound System and Prodgical Son (a Top 40 hit) providing the standout moments.

Meanwhile, fellow Brummies UB40, together with Aswad, were waiting in the wings with their crossover reggae-pop for the 'reggae-ignorant' mainstream audience. Forget this lot, this is true reggae with real spirit.

When Birmingham met Kingston, 01 Dec 2008
Few people have acknowledged the fact that Steel Pulse predicted the Handsworth Riots three years before they happened with this visionary, melodic but gritty album. The potent social, political and historical references demonstrate just why they were so adored by the punk fraternity. Plus they produced the best badges to adorn any leather jacket.

No rest in Birmingham, 01 Apr 2008
In the late 1970s, amid the hurricane of the new wave, Steel Pulse were seen as the UK reggae band most likely to mix it with other newcomers, and were hardly ever out of the NME. Every track on this album seems to me to be tied to the title track, its portentous 'Babylon is falling' warning set to a restless undercurrent. Steel Pulse seemed to capture some of the social discontent of the time with a no-nonsense approach to their music. They occasionally added colour, as in the guitar flourishes on 'Soldiers,' but they were direct rather than poetic. The titles tend to leave little to the imagination. Other than on the celebratory 'Sound Check' they chart fairly gloomy territory, until the closing 'Macka Splaff,' which seems to represent comfort rather than solution. They never achieved the acclaim that seemed to be predicted for them, but 'Handsworth Revolution' is a satisfying album, and one which highlights how half-baked most white interpretations of the form are.

A world classic, 13 Feb 2005
I've read and agreed with everything the other reviewers have said about this Roots/Dub masterpiece,the only things I can add is that this album is one of THE greatest ever,in or out of the UK.It stands shoulder to shoulder with anything by Burning Spear,Culture,U-Roy,LKJ,Augustus Pablo....I could go on.
One word of caution though,after purchasing this album you will own Steel Pulse' best recordings by a country mile.

handsworth revisited, 28 Aug 2002
I'd forgotten just how good this album is! A blast from the past, Handsworth Revolution resurrects the spirit of the time; Rock Against Racism marches, Anti Nazi League protests all rounded up with a party of punks, dreads and like minded people in unison! Enough nostalgia, Steel Pulse's Handsworth Revolution has stood the test of time; smooth vocals over original dub bass representing the struggle of that era all contribute to an album which should be hailed as a reggae classic.

'The' classic British reggae album, 26 Jun 2001
Birmingham's Steel Pulse provided us with the only truly great British reggae album of the last 30 years in 1978's Handsworth Revolution. Seven great reggae musicians from all over north Birmingham, ie ,Lozells, Handsworth and Handsworth Wood, got together to create an unforgettable sound that is true to the roots of Jamaican reggae, unlike the over-commercialised offerings of UB40 and Aswad throught the 1980s (although both bands did strive for authenticity on their first couple of albums).

There is a real positive vibe to this music, with classics such as Klu Klux Klan, Sound System and Prodgical Son (a Top 40 hit) providing the standout moments.

Meanwhile, fellow Brummies UB40, together with Aswad, were waiting in the wings with their crossover reggae-pop for the 'reggae-ignorant' mainstream audience. Forget this lot, this is true reggae with real spirit.

masterpiece, 13 Dec 2008
Listening to this in the car the other day with a friend from way back when... we went to see Steel Pulse together on the 'Caught You' tour in 1980. "Listening to this now, it's even better than Handsworth Revolution" said my friend. "Babylon makes the rules" I said "and the rule is that nothing betters Handsworth Revolution!".

Well blow me - 4 repeated listens later and I've got to agree!! See back in the day the 45 was king and this baby doesn't have 45's in abundance - It has long, rootsy beautifully produced (almost at odds with the strident militant lyrics) songs that evidently take years to be fully appreciated! Absolutely love KKK, Prediction and Solidiers and all that but I've just heard them too many times - this is a whole new voyage of discovery, even if I have owned the damn LP for a quarter of a century! It will never be so neglected again.

From Unseen Guest right through to Blasphemy there isn't a dud in sight - Since buying the CD (another Amazon bargain), I now find myself singing along as I hoover the hall or wash the pots "we're gonna hunt the National Front" "George Jackson solidad brother" etc - quite preposterous really when you consider the content, but hey, just go and own this thing - it's a life changer that was cruelly ignored in it's day - shame coz the Pulse were never so vital again and made ever more commercial records (see State of Emergency, Babylon the Bandit etc) after this one in a bid to recover the massive sales and mainstream crossover of their debut. Should have stayed on this true and righteous path.



overlooked masterpiece, 13 Dec 2008
As the follow up to the deservedly lauded Handsworth Revolution, TTTM had it's work cut out to match the excitement and impact of that brilliant debut. HR truly was an album of it's time satisfying the appetite of those hungry for new reggae sounds following the global breakthrough of BMW's Exodus and also the Rasta/Punk movement permuatated with some considerable style by the efforts of Clash and resident Roxy DJ Don Letts.....not forgetting the legions of Stranglers fans who witnessed reggae for the first time when seeing Steel Pulse play support to the men in black throughout 1978 - not all of them appreciative however!

By the time TTTM was released in 1979 the Clash were off conquering America and in the UK, both Punk and Reggae were diluting into the corporate mainstream represented weekly on TOTP by the likes of the Police, Third world, Sham 69, the Uk Subs and the most pop friendly tunes of Bob Marleys career - "Three Little Birds", "Is this Love", Satisfy my Soul" etc.

Steel Pulse in the meantime had lost founder member Michael Riley (he of the combat fatigues and sweet backing harmonies) and after a period of internal tension, lead singer David Hinds assumed the role of band leader and sole song writer.... a role he carried out to marvelous effect on TTTM...and indeed to this day.

TTTM is essentially a concept album paying homage to those that died in the struggle for racial equality and those whose names live on as reminders of past injustice from apartheid to institutionalised police brutality. As a piece of work and social commentary it was largely ignored at the time of its release, but listening to it now, the sheer quality of the muscianship, songwriting and production are simply overwhelming - it is fresher than ever and deserving of re-appraisal and a new ranking in the hierarchy of great British reggae albums.

The biggest mistake in promoting this album lay in the release of the catchy but unradical pop reggae jam "Sound System" as it's lead single. For me, the least representative song on the album (but a fine tune nonetheless and deseving of it's place on the album a la Soundcheck from Handsworth Revolution) - it suffered in comparison to the magnificent "Ku klux Klan" and "Prodigal Son" singles from their debut. In an instant their audience (and the NME) came to the damming conclusion that SP had gone soft and had somehow 'sold out'. The reality is that TTTM is a fantastic concsious reggae album packed with killer harmonies and 7 awesome roots anthems that reveal themselves gradually over 5 or 6 minutes apiece, seamlessly linking with each other and the constant themes of the album - racism, persecution, courage in the face of adversity, whilst acknowledging throughout the great freedom fighters and black leaders who fought so hard to bring about positive change.

Unseen Guest, Jah Pickney (should have been the single!), Uncle George, Biko's Kindred Lament, Blasphemy - all as powerful and vitriolic as anything on the first album and anything that SP (or any other reggae or punk group for that matter) ever recorded and unlike some of the tracks on HR, none have suffered from over exposure.

If you failed to buy this 29 years ago because it wasn't full of instant 3 minute sloganeering or because you were unaware of it's existence, there is still time for your redemption brother....and if you're new to Steel Pulse or just want to buy into a couple of bona fide British Reggae classics, buy both this and Handsworth Revolution. They are surely two of the greatest (and in TTTM's case - underrated) slabs of vinyl ever pressed at Island HQ. Wallop!

I-Roy, Joe Gibbs, Mikey Dread, Prince Far I, Peter Tosh, Familyman etc etc etc RIP.

When Birmingham met Kingston, 01 Dec 2008
Few people have acknowledged the fact that Steel Pulse predicted the Handsworth Riots three years before they happened with this visionary, melodic but gritty album. The potent social, political and historical references demonstrate just why they were so adored by the punk fraternity. Plus they produced the best badges to adorn any leather jacket.

No rest in Birmingham, 01 Apr 2008
In the late 1970s, amid the hurricane of the new wave, Steel Pulse were seen as the UK reggae band most likely to mix it with other newcomers, and were hardly ever out of the NME. Every track on this album seems to me to be tied to the title track, its portentous 'Babylon is falling' warning set to a restless undercurrent. Steel Pulse seemed to capture some of the social discontent of the time with a no-nonsense approach to their music. They occasionally added colour, as in the guitar flourishes on 'Soldiers,' but they were direct rather than poetic. The titles tend to leave little to the imagination. Other than on the celebratory 'Sound Check' they chart fairly gloomy territory, until the closing 'Macka Splaff,' which seems to represent comfort rather than solution. They never achieved the acclaim that seemed to be predicted for them, but 'Handsworth Revolution' is a satisfying album, and one which highlights how half-baked most white interpretations of the form are.

A world classic, 13 Feb 2005
I've read and agreed with everything the other reviewers have said about this Roots/Dub masterpiece,the only things I can add is that this album is one of THE greatest ever,in or out of the UK.It stands shoulder to shoulder with anything by Burning Spear,Culture,U-Roy,LKJ,Augustus Pablo....I could go on.
One word of caution though,after purchasing this album you will own Steel Pulse' best recordings by a country mile.

handsworth revisited, 28 Aug 2002
I'd forgotten just how good this album is! A blast from the past, Handsworth Revolution resurrects the spirit of the time; Rock Against Racism marches, Anti Nazi League protests all rounded up with a party of punks, dreads and like minded people in unison! Enough nostalgia, Steel Pulse's Handsworth Revolution has stood the test of time; smooth vocals over original dub bass representing the struggle of that era all contribute to an album which should be hailed as a reggae classic.

'The' classic British reggae album, 26 Jun 2001
Birmingham's Steel Pulse provided us with the only truly great British reggae album of the last 30 years in 1978's Handsworth Revolution. Seven great reggae musicians from all over north Birmingham, ie ,Lozells, Handsworth and Handsworth Wood, got together to create an unforgettable sound that is true to the roots of Jamaican reggae, unlike the over-commercialised offerings of UB40 and Aswad throught the 1980s (although both bands did strive for authenticity on their first couple of albums).

There is a real positive vibe to this music, with classics such as Klu Klux Klan, Sound System and Prodgical Son (a Top 40 hit) providing the standout moments.

Meanwhile, fellow Brummies UB40, together with Aswad, were waiting in the wings with their crossover reggae-pop for the 'reggae-ignorant' mainstream audience. Forget this lot, this is true reggae with real spirit.

masterpiece, 13 Dec 2008
Listening to this in the car the other day with a friend from way back when... we went to see Steel Pulse together on the 'Caught You' tour in 1980. "Listening to this now, it's even better than Handsworth Revolution" said my friend. "Babylon makes the rules" I said "and the rule is that nothing betters Handsworth Revolution!".

Well blow me - 4 repeated listens later and I've got to agree!! See back in the day the 45 was king and this baby doesn't have 45's in abundance - It has long, rootsy beautifully produced (almost at odds with the strident militant lyrics) songs that evidently take years to be fully appreciated! Absolutely love KKK, Prediction and Solidiers and all that but I've just heard them too many times - this is a whole new voyage of discovery, even if I have owned the damn LP for a quarter of a century! It will never be so neglected again.

From Unseen Guest right through to Blasphemy there isn't a dud in sight - Since buying the CD (another Amazon bargain), I now find myself singing along as I hoover the hall or wash the pots "we're gonna hunt the National Front" "George Jackson solidad brother" etc - quite preposterous really when you consider the content, but hey, just go and own this thing - it's a life changer that was cruelly ignored in it's day - shame coz the Pulse were never so vital again and made ever more commercial records (see State of Emergency, Babylon the Bandit etc) after this one in a bid to recover the massive sales and mainstream crossover of their debut. Should have stayed on this true and righteous path.



overlooked masterpiece, 13 Dec 2008
As the follow up to the deservedly lauded Handsworth Revolution, TTTM had it's work cut out to match the excitement and impact of that brilliant debut. HR truly was an album of it's time satisfying the appetite of those hungry for new reggae sounds following the global breakthrough of BMW's Exodus and also the Rasta/Punk movement permuatated with some considerable style by the efforts of Clash and resident Roxy DJ Don Letts.....not forgetting the legions of Stranglers fans who witnessed reggae for the first time when seeing Steel Pulse play support to the men in black throughout 1978 - not all of them appreciative however!

By the time TTTM was released in 1979 the Clash were off conquering America and in the UK, both Punk and Reggae were diluting into the corporate mainstream represented weekly on TOTP by the likes of the Police, Third world, Sham 69, the Uk Subs and the most pop friendly tunes of Bob Marleys career - "Three Little Birds", "Is this Love", Satisfy my Soul" etc.

Steel Pulse in the meantime had lost founder member Michael Riley (he of the combat fatigues and sweet backing harmonies) and after a period of internal tension, lead singer David Hinds assumed the role of band leader and sole song writer.... a role he carried out to marvelous effect on TTTM...and indeed to this day.

TTTM is essentially a concept album paying homage to those that died in the struggle for racial equality and those whose names live on as reminders of past injustice from apartheid to institutionalised police brutality. As a piece of work and social commentary it was largely ignored at the time of its release, but listening to it now, the sheer quality of the muscianship, songwriting and production are simply overwhelming - it is fresher than ever and deserving of re-appraisal and a new ranking in the hierarchy of great British reggae albums.

The biggest mistake in promoting this album lay in the release of the catchy but unradical pop reggae jam "Sound System" as it's lead single. For me, the least representative song on the album (but a fine tune nonetheless and deseving of it's place on the album a la Soundcheck from Handsworth Revolution) - it suffered in comparison to the magnificent "Ku klux Klan" and "Prodigal Son" singles from their debut. In an instant their audience (and the NME) came to the damming conclusion that SP had gone soft and had somehow 'sold out'. The reality is that TTTM is a fantastic concsious reggae album packed with killer harmonies and 7 awesome roots anthems that reveal themselves gradually over 5 or 6 minutes apiece, seamlessly linking with each other and the constant themes of the album - racism, persecution, courage in the face of adversity, whilst acknowledging throughout the great freedom fighters and black leaders who fought so hard to bring about positive change.

Unseen Guest, Jah Pickney (should have been the single!), Uncle George, Biko's Kindred Lament, Blasphemy - all as powerful and vitriolic as anything on the first album and anything that SP (or any other reggae or punk group for that matter) ever recorded and unlike some of the tracks on HR, none have suffered from over exposure.

If you failed to buy this 29 years ago because it wasn't full of instant 3 minute sloganeering or because you were unaware of it's existence, there is still time for your redemption brother....and if you're new to Steel Pulse or just want to buy into a couple of bona fide British Reggae classics, buy both this and Handsworth Revolution. They are surely two of the greatest (and in TTTM's case - underrated) slabs of vinyl ever pressed at Island HQ. Wallop!

I-Roy, Joe Gibbs, Mikey Dread, Prince Far I, Peter Tosh, Familyman etc etc etc RIP.


Steel Pulse, 12 Oct 2005
STEEL PULSE may have explored various styles of music since they started out in 1975, but when it comes to the message, the UK's Grammy - Winning reggae band has remained close to their roots.

The Group have continued their commitment to fighting injustice, educating the masses, and promoting positive messages through spiritually uplifting music.

"We just can't ignore the politics, because every life and soul that's born on this earth is a political manoeuvre for someone, at some stage", Hinds explains.

The band's international success has resulted in a Grammy award for their Babylon The Bandit album, and nominations for Earth Crisis, Victims, Rastafari Centennial and Rage & Fury.

True Democracy is a re issue of the 1982 album. Originally issued on the prestigious Electra Label. True Democracy is one of the bands classic albums and has not been available in the UK for some time. This re issue includes a reprint of the full lyrics and faithful reproduction of the original artwork.

Respect!

When Birmingham met Kingston, 01 Dec 2008
Few people have acknowledged the fact that Steel Pulse predicted the Handsworth Riots three years before they happened with this visionary, melodic but gritty album. The potent social, political and historical references demonstrate just why they were so adored by the punk fraternity. Plus they produced the best badges to adorn any leather jacket.

No rest in Birmingham, 01 Apr 2008
In the late 1970s, amid the hurricane of the new wave, Steel Pulse were seen as the UK reggae band most likely to mix it with other newcomers, and were hardly ever out of the NME. Every track on this album seems to me to be tied to the title track, its portentous 'Babylon is falling' warning set to a restless undercurrent. Steel Pulse seemed to capture some of the social discontent of the time with a no-nonsense approach to their music. They occasionally added colour, as in the guitar flourishes on 'Soldiers,' but they were direct rather than poetic. The titles tend to leave little to the imagination. Other than on the celebratory 'Sound Check' they chart fairly gloomy territory, until the closing 'Macka Splaff,' which seems to represent comfort rather than solution. They never achieved the acclaim that seemed to be predicted for them, but 'Handsworth Revolution' is a satisfying album, and one which highlights how half-baked most white interpretations of the form are.

A world classic, 13 Feb 2005
I've read and agreed with everything the other reviewers have said about this Roots/Dub masterpiece,the only things I can add is that this album is one of THE greatest ever,in or out of the UK.It stands shoulder to shoulder with anything by Burning Spear,Culture,U-Roy,LKJ,Augustus Pablo....I could go on.
One word of caution though,after purchasing this album you will own Steel Pulse' best recordings by a country mile.

handsworth revisited, 28 Aug 2002
I'd forgotten just how good this album is! A blast from the past, Handsworth Revolution resurrects the spirit of the time; Rock Against Racism marches, Anti Nazi League protests all rounded up with a party of punks, dreads and like minded people in unison! Enough nostalgia, Steel Pulse's Handsworth Revolution has stood the test of time; smooth vocals over original dub bass representing the struggle of that era all contribute to an album which should be hailed as a reggae classic.

'The' classic British reggae album, 26 Jun 2001
Birmingham's Steel Pulse provided us with the only truly great British reggae album of the last 30 years in 1978's Handsworth Revolution. Seven great reggae musicians from all over north Birmingham, ie ,Lozells, Handsworth and Handsworth Wood, got together to create an unforgettable sound that is true to the roots of Jamaican reggae, unlike the over-commercialised offerings of UB40 and Aswad throught the 1980s (although both bands did strive for authenticity on their first couple of albums).

There is a real positive vibe to this music, with classics such as Klu Klux Klan, Sound System and Prodgical Son (a Top 40 hit) providing the standout moments.

Meanwhile, fellow Brummies UB40, together with Aswad, were waiting in the wings with their crossover reggae-pop for the 'reggae-ignorant' mainstream audience. Forget this lot, this is true reggae with real spirit.

masterpiece, 13 Dec 2008
Listening to this in the car the other day with a friend from way back when... we went to see Steel Pulse together on the 'Caught You' tour in 1980. "Listening to this now, it's even better than Handsworth Revolution" said my friend. "Babylon makes the rules" I said "and the rule is that nothing betters Handsworth Revolution!".

Well blow me - 4 repeated listens later and I've got to agree!! See back in the day the 45 was king and this baby doesn't have 45's in abundance - It has long, rootsy beautifully produced (almost at odds with the strident militant lyrics) songs that evidently take years to be fully appreciated! Absolutely love KKK, Prediction and Solidiers and all that but I've just heard them too many times - this is a whole new voyage of discovery, even if I have owned the damn LP for a quarter of a century! It will never be so neglected again.

From Unseen Guest right through to Blasphemy there isn't a dud in sight - Since buying the CD (another Amazon bargain), I now find myself singing along as I hoover the hall or wash the pots "we're gonna hunt the National Front" "George Jackson solidad brother" etc - quite preposterous really when you consider the content, but hey, just go and own this thing - it's a life changer that was cruelly ignored in it's day - shame coz the Pulse were never so vital again and made ever more commercial records (see State of Emergency, Babylon the Bandit etc) after this one in a bid to recover the massive sales and mainstream crossover of their debut. Should have stayed on this true and righteous path.



overlooked masterpiece, 13 Dec 2008
As the follow up to the deservedly lauded Handsworth Revolution, TTTM had it's work cut out to match the excitement and impact of that brilliant debut. HR truly was an album of it's time satisfying the appetite of those hungry for new reggae sounds following the global breakthrough of BMW's Exodus and also the Rasta/Punk movement permuatated with some considerable style by the efforts of Clash and resident Roxy DJ Don Letts.....not forgetting the legions of Stranglers fans who witnessed reggae for the first time when seeing Steel Pulse play support to the men in black throughout 1978 - not all of them appreciative however!

By the time TTTM was released in 1979 the Clash were off conquering America and in the UK, both Punk and Reggae were diluting into the corporate mainstream represented weekly on TOTP by the likes of the Police, Third world, Sham 69, the Uk Subs and the most pop friendly tunes of Bob Marleys career - "Three Little Birds", "Is this Love", Satisfy my Soul" etc.

Steel Pulse in the meantime had lost founder member Michael Riley (he of the combat fatigues and sweet backing harmonies) and after a period of internal tension, lead singer David Hinds assumed the role of band leader and sole song writer.... a role he carried out to marvelous effect on TTTM...and indeed to this day.

TTTM is essentially a concept album paying homage to those that died in the struggle for racial equality and those whose names live on as reminders of past injustice from apartheid to institutionalised police brutality. As a piece of work and social commentary it was largely ignored at the time of its release, but listening to it now, the sheer quality of the muscianship, songwriting and production are simply overwhelming - it is fresher than ever and deserving of re-appraisal and a new ranking in the hierarchy of great British reggae albums.

The biggest mistake in promoting this album lay in the release of the catchy but unradical pop reggae jam "Sound System" as it's lead single. For me, the least representative song on the album (but a fine tune nonetheless and deseving of it's place on the album a la Soundcheck from Handsworth Revolution) - it suffered in comparison to the magnificent "Ku klux Klan" and "Prodigal Son" singles from their debut. In an instant their audience (and the NME) came to the damming conclusion that SP had gone soft and had somehow 'sold out'. The reality is that TTTM is a fantastic concsious reggae album packed with killer harmonies and 7 awesome roots anthems that reveal themselves gradually over 5 or 6 minutes apiece, seamlessly linking with each other and the constant themes of the album - racism, persecution, courage in the face of adversity, whilst acknowledging throughout the great freedom fighters and black leaders who fought so hard to bring about positive change.

Unseen Guest, Jah Pickney (should have been the single!), Uncle George, Biko's Kindred Lament, Blasphemy - all as powerful and vitriolic as anything on the first album and anything that SP (or any other reggae or punk group for that matter) ever recorded and unlike some of the tracks on HR, none have suffered from over exposure.

If you failed to buy this 29 years ago because it wasn't full of instant 3 minute sloganeering or because you were unaware of it's existence, there is still time for your redemption brother....and if you're new to Steel Pulse or just want to buy into a couple of bona fide British Reggae classics, buy both this and Handsworth Revolution. They are surely two of the greatest (and in TTTM's case - underrated) slabs of vinyl ever pressed at Island HQ. Wallop!

I-Roy, Joe Gibbs, Mikey Dread, Prince Far I, Peter Tosh, Familyman etc etc etc RIP.


Steel Pulse, 12 Oct 2005
STEEL PULSE may have explored various styles of music since they started out in 1975, but when it comes to the message, the UK's Grammy - Winning reggae band has remained close to their roots.

The Group have continued their commitment to fighting injustice, educating the masses, and promoting positive messages through spiritually uplifting music.

"We just can't ignore the politics, because every life and soul that's born on this earth is a political manoeuvre for someone, at some stage", Hinds explains.

The band's international success has resulted in a Grammy award for their Babylon The Bandit album, and nominations for Earth Crisis, Victims, Rastafari Centennial and Rage & Fury.

True Democracy is a re issue of the 1982 album. Originally issued on the prestigious Electra Label. True Democracy is one of the bands classic albums and has not been available in the UK for some time. This re issue includes a reprint of the full lyrics and faithful reproduction of the original artwork.

Respect!

Skin, flesh, bones and dreadlocks, 30 Sep 2005
"Skin, flesh, bones and dreadlocks". That's how David Hinds, Steel Pulse's mainman, describes himself as he bounds on stage. He's right about the locks - he looks every inch the reggae superstar he is. And leave any
preconceptions at the door: you'll forget any idea about reggae being laid-back as Hinds bounces about the stage like a rubber ball. No wonder he wears a brightly-coloured designer tracksuit - Steel Pulse have been
true front-runners in world reggae since hitting the chart with their seminal 'Handsworth Revolution' album back in 1978.

These are militant roots rydims, all right - but like the name Steel Pulse, there's the tough and the tender: like Bob Marley, they know that reggae's got soul. From the joyous 'steppin' Out' (one of two crucial tracks from
the classic 'Earth Crisis' album) to the chilling climax of their first hit 'Klu Klux Klan', the Pulse beats strong with the assured musical teamwork born of constant touring from Greater Manchester to the Gambia.

"Our message is for everyone, black and white," says Hinds - your feet will tell you he's right! The engine room of long-time Pulsemen Steve 'Grizzly' Nisbett and percussionist Alphonso Martin fuel the fire as the group - led from the front by Hinds and keyboardist/vocalist Selwyn Brown - power through the cream of their 12 year back catalogue. Highlights are everywhere: 'Soldiers' from 'Handsworth Revolution' and the showstopping 'State Of Emergency' with its stunning light effects are just two of them. Reggae has been 'borrowed' by many of the greats of rock, from Sting to Led Zeppelin - but as this DVD proves, there's nothing like the real thing. Steel Pulse gives it to you straight from the source, live and direct.

Steel Pulse have made it their mission to take reggae to the world - and have even won headlining status in Jamaica, the home of roots music, by performances like this one that have made them the music's Number
One live legends. The Pulse beats on stronger than ever. As the man says, "Mash it!"

It seems astonishing that in a career spanning a quarter of a century, the much-loved and acclaimed Steel Pulse have never scored even a Top 30 hit. Their fifteenth album, recorded live in France, Puerto Rico and Holland over the past four years, makes it clear that despite the spread of grey into their facial hair, the band's core trio has lost little of its vigorous spirit, as they rip through a dozen tracks overflowing with a kaleidoscopic musical imagination that gives lie to the absurd notion that all reggae sounds the same. Nor are they afraid of taking liberties with the arrangements of familiar favourites, virtually all of which--including "Prodigal Son", "Ku Klux Klan" and "Reggae Fever", are represented here. David Hinds remains in fine, throaty voice, and this set works well as an introduction to his canon of classic roots-rock songs. --Johnny Black

It seems astonishing that in a career spanning a quarter of a century, the much-loved and acclaimed Steel Pulse have never scored even a Top 30 hit. Their fifteenth album, recorded live in France, Puerto Rico and Holland over the past four years, makes it clear that despite the spread of grey into their facial hair, the band's core trio has lost little of its vigorous spirit, as they rip through a dozen tracks overflowing with a kaleidoscopic musical imagination that gives lie to the absurd notion that all reggae sounds the same. Nor are they afraid of taking liberties with the arrangements of familiar favourites, virtually all of which--including "Prodigal Son", "Ku Klux Klan" and "Reggae Fever", are represented here. David Hinds remains in fine, throaty voice, and this set works well as an introduction to his canon of classic roots-rock songs. --Johnny Black