Skaject: Derrick Morgan – Forward March!
alrighty, we’re starting the Skaject off with Derrick Morgan’s first full LP in 1962, Forward March!
Forward March is a great opener, and a nice independence message. i really cannot get enough music like this about Jamaica’s independence. i can hear the threads that connect The Hop to the little bit of early 2-Tone ive heard, like Madness, and its really neat. Look Before You Leap has a fun vibe to it. feel pretty neutral on Don’t Be a Fool. i like the guest vocalist on It’s True My Darling, but on the whole its an alright track. i’m not huge on Housewive’s Choice, despite having a real good instrumental break right in the middle. The Blazing Fire ain’t really doing it for me, and I’ve Found A Queen kinda plays in the same space. Teach My Baby’s got a lovely sax but not a ton else. Angel With the Blue Eyes is a very pleasant little ballad. Last Chance stays at a similar vibe and honestly feels a little like an anti-ballad, tonally Don’t You Worry brings the pace back up for the closer, which is nice.
faves – Forward March, The Hop
dislikes –
yeah on the whole i found this a pleasant listen but with very little that stood out. part of the ding here is that like, unfortunately, this is old music on a medium prone to decay, and i even encountered a lot of that in my first reviews of Bad Manners during the old skaject, no surprise i’ve been seeing it through the singles and here as well. there are some places where it detracts from the music, for sure, but honestly on the whole this feels like very good music for just vibing too – not a lot here to get up and dance too, not a real deep or emotional listen, but nice for sure.
Forward March! – 3/10
next up, it’s the other 1962 full LP, from Byron Lee and the Dragonaires – Come Fly With Lee!
there is no previous review | next: Come Fly With Lee
again, this is the first, so there are no previous Derrick Morgan releases | next: Moon Hop
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