Language Barrier is a studio album by Jamaican musical duo Sly and Robbie, released in 1985 by Island Records. The album features guest musicians Herbie Hancock, Bob Dylan, Afrika Bambaataa, and Manu DiBango.
| Language Barrier | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1985 | |||
| Studio | RPM Recording Studios, NYC Compass Point Studios, Nassau, Bahamas Channel One Studios, Kingston, Jamaica | |||
| Genre | Dub, world music | |||
| Length | 39:35 | |||
| Label | Island | |||
| Producer | Bill Laswell | |||
| Sly and Robbie chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [1] |
Release and reception
editAllMusic awarded the album with three stars and its review by Scott Bultman states: "Sly & Robbie team with producer Bill Laswell for an edgy dub set".[1] Village Voice critic Robert Christgau called it a "world-music mishmash".[2]
The single "Make 'Em Move" reached No. 83 on the UK Singles Chart in November 1985.[3] The album brought the duo international recognition and led on to their subsequent hit album Rhythm Killers in 1987.[4]
Track listing
edit- "Make 'Em Move" (S. Dunbar, R. Shakespeare, B. Aasim, B. Laswell, B. Worrell) — 7:58
- "No Name on the Bullet" (S. Dunbar, R. Shakespeare) — 6:03
- "Miles (Black Satin)" (Miles Davis, S. Dunbar, R. Shakespeare, B. Laswell) — 7:20
- "Bass and Trouble" (B. Laswell, S. Dunbar, R. Shakespeare, Manu Dibango) — 7:58
- "Language Barrier" (Wally Badarou, S. Dunbar, R. Shakespeare, M. Chung, B. Reynolds) — 6:51
- "Get to This, Get to That" (S. Dunbar, R. Shakespeare, B. Fowler, B. Worrell) — 5:17
Personnel
edit- Musicians
- Sly Dunbar – drums, percussion
- Robbie Shakespeare – bass
- Wally Badarou – keyboards
- Herbie Hancock – keyboards
- Bernie Worrell – keyboards
- Robbie Lyn – keyboards
- Manu Dibango –saxophone
- Bob Dylan – harmonica
- Africa Bambaataa – vocals
- Bernard Fowler – vocals
- Doug E Fresh – human beatbox
- Eddie Martinez – guitar
- Pat Thrall – guitar
- Mike Hampton – guitar
- Mikey Chung – guitar
- Barry Reynolds – guitar
- Daniel Ponce – percussion
- Technical personnel
- Clive Smith – Fairlight CMI programming
- Robert Musso, Steven Stanley, Solgie – engineers
- Howie Weinberg – mastering
- Tony Wright – art direction
- Chris Garnham – photography
- Issey Miyake – glasses
References
edit- ^ a b Bultmann, Scott Allmusic Review: Sly & Robbie - Language Barrier AllMusic, accessed 6 October 2018
- ^ Christgau, Robert (2 June 1987). "Consumer Guide". The Village Voice. New York. Archived from the original on 5 September 2012. Retrieved 20 November 2012.
- ^ "SLY & ROBBIE | Artist". Official Charts. Retrieved 2018-10-03.
- ^ Taylor, Greg (4 October 1987). "Two Jamaicans Make Rhythm with Crunch". The Sydney Morning Herald. p. 115. Retrieved 20 November 2012.