True Democracy is a studio album by the British reggae band Steel Pulse. It was released on 1 March 1982 through the band's own label Wise Man Doctrine Records.[1]
| True Democracy | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1 March 1982 | |||
| Recorded | "Feedback" Studios, Aarhus, Denmark, 1981 | |||
| Genre | Reggae | |||
| Length | 41:50 | |||
| Label | Wise Man Doctrine | |||
| Producer | Karl Pitterson | |||
| Steel Pulse chronology | ||||
| ||||
The album got to at least No. 14 on the Independent Albums Chart.[2] In the US it peaked at No. 120 on the Billboard 200.[3]
Production
editWhen the band started work on the album, they had no record deal.[4] While on tour in New York in 1981 they met Karl Pitterson, with whom they recorded five demos.[4] While the demos didn't prompt any offers from major labels, a small Danish label offered the use of their studios to record an album.[4]
The album was recorded over 25 days at Feedback Studios in Aarhus, with Pitterson producing.[5][6]
It was released in March 1982 through the band's own label Wise Man Doctrine Records.[1] It was later released through Elektra Records for distribution in the United States.[4]
Critical reception
edit| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [7] |
| Robert Christgau | B[8] |
| The Encyclopedia of Popular Music | [9] |
| The Rolling Stone Album Guide | [10] |
Boo Browning of The Washington Post called True Democracy "a cheerful album, almost buoyant in its musical exhortations to dance even as its lyrics tackle less-than-merry topics."[11]
Style Weekly, in 2018, called it "still ... one of the most danceable political albums ever."[12]
Track listing
editAll tracks written by David Hinds, except where noted.
- "Chant a Psalm" – 4:30
- "Ravers" – 3:56
- "Find It... Quick!" – 3:26
- "A Who Responsible?" – 3:54
- "Worth His Weight in Gold (Rally Round)" – 4:35
- "Leggo Beast" – 3:44
- "Blues Dance Raid" – 4:53
- "Your House" – 3:42
- "Man No Sober" – 4:29
- "Dub Marcus Say" (Phonso Martin) – 4:41
Bonus tracks for CD
edit- "Ravers [12" Version]" - 5:56
- "Leggo Beast [12" Version]" - 6:40
- "Your House [Dub Version]" - 3:50
- "A Who Responsible? [Dub Version]" - 4:00
Personnel
edit- Steel Pulse
- Ronald "Stepper" McQueen - bass
- Steve "Grizzly" Nesbitt - drums
- Selwyn Brown (musician) - keyboard, vocals
- Alphonso Martin - percussion, vocals
- David Hinds - guitar, vocals
- Basil Gabbidon - lead guitar
- Technical
- Cover Concept - Steel Pulse
- Art Direction - Ron Coro
- Design - Kathy Morphesis
- Photography - Eric Watson
References
edit- ^ a b Lewis, Sarah, ed. (15 February 1982). "Steel Pulse Launches Own Label" (PDF). Record Business. Vol. Four, no. 46. London: Record Business Pubs. p. 8. Archived (PDF) from the original on 17 September 2024.
- ^ Lewis, Sarah, ed. (29 March 1982). "Independent Labels: Indie Albums" (PDF). Record Business. Vol. Five, no. One. London: Record Business Pubs. p. 13.
- ^ "Steel Pulse". Billboard.
- ^ a b c d Campbell, Howard (2022) "True reflections", Jamaica Observer, 9 February 2022. Retrieved 13 February 2022
- ^ Van Pelt, Carter (1995). "Roots Resurrection". The Beat. 14 (2): 46.
- ^ "Billboard's Recommended LPs". Billboard. Vol. 94, no. 21. 29 May 1982. p. 65.
- ^ "True Democracy - Steel Pulse | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic" – via www.allmusic.com.
- ^ "Robert Christgau: CG: Steel Pulse". www.robertchristgau.com.
- ^ Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 7. MUZE. pp. 727–728.
- ^ The Rolling Stone Album Guide. Random House. 1992. p. 669.
- ^ Browning, Boo. "Uncompromised Edge of Steel Pulse". The Washington Post. Retrieved 22 June 2021.
- ^ "Ziggy Marley and Steel Pulse at Innsbrook After Hours". Style Weekly. 4 September 2018.