The beating heart of the Congos

Any discussion of roots reggae's late '70s heyday will bring such top talents as Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, Burning Spear and Max Romeo into the mix, each responsible for one or more of the era's essential albums.

But what about the Congos? The fortunes of the vocal group built around tenor "Ashanti" Roy Johnson and falsetto Cedric Myton have waxed and waned since the pair first came together in 1977 to record the single At The Feast for Lee "Scratch" Perry, but that year's debut album Heart Of The Congos left an indelible high-tide mark on the Jamaican sands.

Perry's work behind the console at his Black Ark studio elevated the album to greatness, the convention-defying producer striking a perfect balance between eccentricity, invention and sympathy for the spiritual nature of the material.

Sadly for the Congos, that harmony did not extend to Perry's relationship with Island Records, which meant a limited release for what was one of his most carefully tailored works.

Other major talents were on hand.

Backing vocalists Gregory Isaacs, the Meditations, and Earl Morgan and Barry Llewellyn from the Heptones joined the likes of Upsetters bassman Boris Gardiner and premier drummer Lowell "Sly" Dunbar for the sessions.

Perry mixed the results into a stunning collection of meditative reggae grooves, generously dousing vocals in Echoplex reverb and employing Mutron phaser to add a trippy quality to backing tracks.

And while he was typically unafraid to push the boundaries (using a mooing cow children's toy on Children Crying and Ark Of The Covenant) he avoided the chaotic consequences that sometimes followed the use of his powers, instead lending only what was needed to propel Johnson and Myton's songs to mystical heights.

From the opening snare shot in Fisherman to the closing bars of Solid Foundation, Heart Of The Congos is an uplifting blend of melody, message and maverick reggae madness.