Take Me to God is an album by the English musician Jah Wobble, released in 1994.[1][2] It is credited to his Invaders of the Heart.[3] The first single was "Becoming More Like God".[4] Take Me to God peaked at No. 13 on the UK Albums Chart.[5] Wobble supported it with a UK tour.[6] He considered 1998's Umbra Sumus to be a sequel.[7]
| Take Me to God | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1994 | |||
| Label | Island | |||
| Producer | Jah Wobble | |||
| Jah Wobble chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Take Me to God | ||||
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Production
editWobble used 12 guest vocalists on the album.[8] Dolores O'Riordan sang on "The Sun Does Rise".[9] Abdel Ali Slimani contributed vocals to the raï song "I'm an Algerian".[10] Natacha Atlas sang on the three songs that she cowrote.[11] Baaba Maal guested on "Angels".[12]
Critical reception
edit| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [13] |
| The Encyclopedia of Popular Music |  [14] |
| MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide | [15] |
The Guardian said that "Wobble sensibly allows a prodigious list of guests to lead the line, while his own Blakean declarations add a nutty metaphysics to a deliriously creative album"; the paper's Caroline Sullivan later listed the album as the seventh best of 1994.[16][17] Trouser Press concluded that "the record takes on far too much to be thoroughly solid, but it is still recommended."[18] The Independent determined that "it's the rhythms that count: deep, unhurried and underpinned by the marvellous bass of Wobble himself."[19] The Times noted that "Wobble has evolved into a figure of almost buddha-like calm and authority as he threads his fat, languid bass lines through a cosmopolitan patchwork of musical styles."[20] The Oakland Tribune praised "the propulsive dance-rock rhythmic base."[21]
AllMusic wrote that "it's an interesting assortment of tracks combining currents flowing through mid-'90s alternative rock, world music, reggae, club beats, dub, and African pop, adding up to an extremely heterogeneous whole."[13] In 2024, Uncut listed Take Me to God as the 301st greatest album of the 1990s.[22]
Track listing
edit| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "God in the Beginning" | |
| 2. | "Becoming More Like God" | |
| 3. | "Whisky Priests" | |
| 4. | "I'm an Algerian" | |
| 5. | "Amor" | |
| 6. | "Amor Dub" | |
| 7. | "Take Me to God" | |
| 8. | "The Sun Does Rise" | |
| 9. | "When the Storm Comes" | |
| 10. | "I Love Everybody" | |
| 11. | "Yoga of the Nightclub" | |
| 12. | "I Am the Music" | |
| 13. | "The Bonds of Love" | |
| 14. | "Angels" | |
| 15. | "No Change Is Sexy" | |
| 16. | "Raga" | |
| 17. | "Forever" |
References
edit- ^ Gittins, Ian (May 21, 1994). "The God's bollocks — Take Me to God by Jah Wobble's Invaders of the Heart". Melody Maker. Vol. 71, no. 20. p. 35.
- ^ Strong, Martin Charles (2000). The Great Rock Discography. Canongate. p. 923.
- ^ Rotondi, James (Nov 1996). "Jah Wobble: Dub's Cockney Rebel". Bass Player. Vol. 7, no. 11. p. 48.
- ^ Glanville, Rick (15 Apr 1994). "A Wobble in the mix". Features. The Guardian.
- ^ "Jah Wobble". Official Charts. Retrieved 17 May 2024.
- ^ Johncox, Louise (Jun 2, 1994). "A Wobbly ride". Gigs. Daily Mirror. p. 13.
- ^ Bessman, Jim (Feb 6, 1999). "Jah Wobble explores 'Deep' Celtic sounds on Paras Group's 'Poets'". Billboard. Vol. 111, no. 6. p. 18.
- ^ McKay, Alastair (9 Sep 2005). "The ace of bass". Features. The Independent. p. 12.
- ^ The Rough Guide to Rock. Rough Guides. 2003. p. 1181.
- ^ Gill, Andy (2 June 1994). "Pop". Pop Music Page. The Independent.
- ^ Zwerin, Mike (9 Aug 2000). "Singing Mideast Fusion". Features. International Herald Tribune. p. 10.
- ^ "Pick of the albums". South Wales Echo. Jul 15, 1994. p. 41.
- ^ a b "Take Me to God Review by Richie Unterberger". AllMusic. Retrieved 17 May 2024.
- ^ Larkin, Colin (2011). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Omnibus Press.
- ^ MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide. Visible Ink Press. 1996. p. 545.
- ^ Spencer, Neil (15 May 1994). "Pop Releases". The Observer Review Page. The Guardian.
- ^ Sullivan, Caroline (16 Dec 1994). "The best CDs of the year". Features. The Guardian.
- ^ "Jah Wobble". Trouser Press. Retrieved 17 May 2024.
- ^ Cavanaugh, David (15 May 1994). "Jah Wobble's Invaders of the Heart: Take Me to God". The Sunday Review Page. The Independent.
- ^ Sinclair, David (21 May 1994). "Pop Albums". Features. The Times.
- ^ Becker, Dave (Oct 2, 1994). "Musicians finally getting some overdue attention". Oakland Tribune. p. C2.
- ^ "The 500 Greatest Albums of the 1990s". Uncut: The Archive Collection. No. 7. 2024. p. 29.