Babylon the Bandit is an album by the reggae band Steel Pulse, released in 1986.[2] It won the Grammy Award for Best Reggae Album, the only time the award has been won by a non-Jamaican artist.[3][4]
| Babylon the Bandit | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1986 | |||
| Recorded | 1985 | |||
| Genre | Reggae | |||
| Length | 40:00 | |||
| Label | Elektra[1] | |||
| Producer | Jimmy "Senyan" Haynes | |||
| Steel Pulse chronology | ||||
| ||||
Production
editThe album was produced by Jimmy "Senyan" Haynes.[5]
Critical reception
edit| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [6] |
| The Encyclopedia of Popular Music | [7] |
| The Rolling Stone Album Guide |  [1] |
Trouser Press wrote that "it was clear that the band’s professed ideals were no longer jibing with their attempts to crack the (American) market ... Protest lyrics swathed in slick, upwardly mobile production were pretty hard to take seriously."[8] The Providence Journal thought that "while exploring weighty themes, Steel Pulse never becomes shrill or ponderous and the album is smartly leavened with catchy, fun songs about school boy crushes, gold-digging women, and the ups and downs of love."[9] The Omaha World-Herald opined that "the songs, overall, have a very calm, almost benign feel, with very simple love songs seeming to dominate over songs about saving culture in history and music."[10]
Track listing
edit- "Save Black Music" – 4:17
- "Not King James Version" – 4:13
- "School Boy's Crush (Jail Bait)" – 4:18
- "Sugar Daddy" – 4:35
- "Kick That Habit" – 3:42
- "Blessed Is the Man" – 4:25
- "Love Walks Out" – 4:26
- "Don't Be Afraid" – 4:56
- "Babylon the Bandit" – 5:08
Charts
edit| Chart | Peak position |
|---|---|
| New Zealand Pop Albums | 35[11] |
References
edit- ^ a b The Rolling Stone Album Guide. Random House. 1992. p. 669.
- ^ "Steel Pulse | Biography & History". AllMusic.
- ^ Campbell, Howard (2014) "Steel Pulse Creates History", Jamaica Observer, 20 January 2014. Retrieved 24 January 2014
- ^ "Steel Pulse". Grammy Awards. 14 September 2024.
- ^ Best, Curwen (15 March 2012). The Popular Music and Entertainment Culture of Barbados: Pathways to Digital Culture. Scarecrow Press. ISBN 9780810877504 – via Google Books.
- ^ Anderson, Rick. "Babylon the Bandit - Steel Pulse". allmusic.com. AllMusic.
- ^ Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 7. MUZE. pp. 727–728.
- ^ "Steel Pulse". Trouser Press. Retrieved 23 June 2021.
- ^ Boehm, Mike (9 February 1986). "RECORDINGS: Rock that confronts struggle and conflict". The Providence Journal. p. I-08.
- ^ Catlin, Roger (16 February 1986). "Songs Often Are Used Just to 'Sell' the Movie: Where Does the Film End and the Soundtrack Begin?". Omaha World-Herald. Entertainment.
- ^ "Steel Pulse: Babylon The Bandit". charts.nz.
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