MAX ROMEO - WAR IN A BABYLON - 1976 - ORIGINAL MUSIC PRESS 8" X 10" PHOTO

Like the epochal Police & Thieves by Junior Murvin, which also originated at Lee "Scratch" Perry's Black Ark Studio and thus shares with this album Perry's trademark dark, swampy ambience, War ina Babylon is something of a mountain on the reggae landscape. But what makes it so remarkable is not just the consistently high quality of the music -- indeed, by 1976 one had come to expect nothing but the finest and heaviest grooves from Perry and his studio band, the Upsetters -- rather, it's the fact that Max Romeo had proved to be such a convincing singer of cultural (or "conscious") reggae after several years of raking it in as a purveyor of the most abject slackness. (His "Wet Dream" had been a huge hit in England several years earlier, and had been followed by such other delicacies as "Wine Her Goosie" and "Pussy Watch Man.") But there's no denying the authority of his admonishing voice here, and the title track (which describes the violent mood during Jamaica's 1972 general election) has remained a standard for decades. Other highlights include "One Step Forward" and "Smile Out a Style." Essential to any reggae collection.

This original press kit photo was provided to record reviewers to promote the release of Max Romeo's classic "War In A Babylon" album in 1976. I was a record reviewer, interviewer and writer for music publications in Southern California and Florida. I've been the only owner of this press kit photo since then. This 8 inch by 10 inch photo has been scanned low-res but the photo you will receive is sharp and in excellent condition. 

Be sure to check out my other listings, many are rare.

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