Sanctuary Records Group - Trojan

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Give and Take - Best of The Pioneers

Released on 18 November 2002.

The first single CD set featuring the most popular works of the mighty Pioneers over their entire recording career, 'Give And Take' includes the trio's three major chart triumphs 'Long Shot Kick De Bucket', 'Let Your Yeah Be Yeah' and 'Give And Take', along a number of highly collectable rarer sides from the sixties and seventies.

A mix this album, some great tracks, some commercial and worthwhile and some not so good. See the Ethiopians review for a contrast. The Pioneers were completely different, equally valid but they broke through on the strength of great material and talent but by breaking through ended up in the commercial morass of substandard product.

Let your Yeah is joyous and uplifting, evokes memories of tha day, and is valid. Long Shot Bus me bet is pre popularity, great fun lyric riding on the 'People Funny Boy, Wet Dream' riddim, if only it stayed like this, marvelous stuff. Long Shot kick the bucket remains one of the best and my favourite of those that got through in the late sixties early seventies, it won through on it's own strength devoid of commercial pressures.

'Starvation' however is kind of where it starts to go wrong, lightweight and middle of the road.

I'm afraid on this one it's look at the dates and pick out the early ones, such as Jackpot again using the same rhythm as Wet Dream. Give Me a little loving is more 'hardcore' jamaican vocal soul music, great stuff. Alli Button is top quality ska, as is Easy Come Easy Go, evoking memories of those old skool ska dances decked out in your best sta's and dancing brogues, though Shake it up is earlier than that in rocksteady groove.

Into 1969 and Samfie Man, a great lazy organ led groove, superb vocals reminiscent of Singer Man by the Kingstonians.

I'm afraid that the 1970 and later cuts don't do much for me, too commercial or pointless covers. The ones worthy of some credit are Sweet Inspiration, Simmer Down Quashie, Give and Take purely because of the strength and beauty of Sidney Crooks vocal.

Tracks : -Let Your Yeah Be Yeah, Long Shot Bus Me bet, Long Shot Kick De Bucket, Starvation, Time Hard (aka Everyday), Jackpot, Battle Of The Giants, Samfie Man, You Don't Know Like I Know, Give Me Little Loving, I Need Your Sweet Inspiration, Ali Button, I Believe In Love Black, Black Bud, Reggae Fever, Get Ready, Easy Come Easy Go, Papa Was A Rolling Stone, Poor Rameses, Pusher Man, Na Na, Simmer Down Quashie, Na Na Hey Hey (Kiss Him Goodbye), Shake It Up, Give And Take.

 

 

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