Yabby You & The Prophets - Conquering Lion: Expanded Edition (Pressure Sounds)

'Conquering Lion' was first released in a limited edition on the Jamaican Micron label in 1975 and in 1976 under the title 'Ram-A-Dam' and with a rearranged tracklist on the English Lucky label. For this reissue, Pressure Sounds opted for an 'Expanded Edition', as dub versions by grandmaster King Tubby were added for as many tracks as possible.

Even though Yabby You was known as 'Jesus Dread' and always remained a controversial figure who regularly clashed with the dogmas within the Rastafarian community, at the time, the Micron label still chose to depict (a young) Haile Selassie on the cover of 'Conquering Lion'. Yabby You maintained a pragmatic stance on the matter: "You have the rasta business, like the rastamen believe Emperor Haile Selassie is the creator who create people. I used to try to show them he is just another man like anyone of us. I show them Jesus Christ is recorded in history as a great individual and H.I.M. also great. So with God now: I was trying to educate them and I feel like if I use music I will be able to spread out all over the world, spread out and reach those type of people, for they have a zeal for godliness!".

The track list features now classic songs like title track 'Conquering Lion', the song which earned Vivian Jackson his nickname Yabby You, opener 'Run Come Rally', a powerful call to turn away from the earthly badness of "the land of the sinking sand" before the coming apocalypse, just like 'Jah Vengeance' recorded at Lee Perry's Black Ark Studios: "Black Ark was a great studio and Lee Perry is really a great producer with a great sound. Lee Perry have a unique sound when you record. Is a pity him turn mad business, but between me and you, I don't really think him mad, you know, him just turn to that business. Him had to keep off certain artists who come pressure him for money. But sometimes I think him take it too far!". Then there's 'Love Thy Neighbour', in which Richard 'Dirty Harry' Hall plays the fife, a small flute related to the piccolo: "Me used the fife and people always wonder where me get that sound. Well sometimes we used like three fifes, like lead, tenor and alto, and that fife thing was a unique special sound. Tommy McCook would play one fife and you had this brother named 'Dirty Harry' who used to blow tenor sax too, and then me would dub back the third one on top. You see, horns take a lot of time and are very expensive. And those days reggae music was very poor, and so most producers try fe avoid using horns.".

For those who, like yours truly, have a soft spot for Jamaican music, the English expression "essential listening" doesn't quite capture it. Must-have classic!