Desmond Dekker – You Can Get It If You Really Want
welcome back to the Skaject folks! today we’re looking at 1970’s You Can Get It If You Really Want by Desmond Dekker!
the title track here, You Can Get It If You Really Want, is a cover- i’m familiar with the track from the original Jimmy Cliff version (though i wouldn’t have known it was him prior to this, haha) – but apparently this version went on to be popular in it’s own right. neat! i dig it. I Believe is a pleasant follow up. i like the interplay of Dekker’s voice against the chorus, it’s fun. Perseverance has some great grooves to it – i think this is my fave off the record. Get Up Little Suzie has some real delightful little horn riffs in it, but otherwise just kinda washes over me. i got no strong feelings on Peace On the Land. Cindy doesn’t really grab me at all. it feels kinda all over the place, the funky guitar and drums not meeting Dekker’s croonier vocals. Pickney Gal feels like an older ska track, at a slightly slower pace, haha. a toe tapper for sure. the strings on You Got Soul are very fun, and a nice pair to Dekker’s vocals here. v good track. Coomyah is a real sunny track. good time. the chorus on That’s the Way Life Goes is great, with the choral voices joining in and swelling together. Peace of Mind feels like a nice wind down, and a funny twist on the title, haha. not a huge fan of Polka Dot. it’s a nice closer and the message is nice but it’s just fine.
faves – You Can Get It If You Really Want, Perseverance, You Got Soul
dislikes –
yeah this was nice. Dekker’s vocals are pleasant for a majority of the record, having some low moments and some incredibly high moments – on the whole very fun. instrumentally i really dug a lot of the horns and the guitar work here, but holistically was just fine. generally, i’ll probably come back to a track or two but otherwise enjoyed the record for the time i had it.
You Can Get It If You Really Want – 6/10
next up we’re gonna be checking out Prince Buster’s 1971 record, Big Five!
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