Lion Heights - Same Situation (Rebel Sound Records)

The Lion Heights band members clearly know their classics as for the songs on 'Same Situation', a mix of conscious and lovers tunes, a number of Jamaican classics, the one somewhat more obscure than next, were dusted off. For title song 'Same Situation' Lion Heights revisited the well-known classic Cuss Cuss, for 'Dream Girl' they recycled Wailing Souls' 'Firehouse Rock', for the excellent lovers tune 'Wandering Girl' they used Augustus Pablo's 'Upfull Living', 'Cut Them Out' is a reality tune about the many hustlers roaming the concert business world, for which Clint Eastwood & General Saint's 'Can't Take Another World War' was reused, somewhat less obvious is may be 'Help Me', a version over Mikey Dread's 'Jah Jah Love (In The Morning)' - also one of our favorites on 'Same Situation' - and 'No Love Dub' is an instrumental version of Horace Andy's 'Zion Gate'.

'Same Situation' sounds so different from the majority of the US reggae releases, that we spontaneously developed a soft spot for this album and by extension this band. Excellent release from the Friendship State!