Within the realm of '90s reggae music,
Anthony B.'s brilliant debut album, So Many Things, did much to help usher in the age of the conscious DJ. Picking up where the late
Garnett Silk left off,
Anthony B. unites Rastafarian roots to dancehall rhythms. With "so many things to teach right now," his messages are thoroughly positive, even when in defiant mode as in "Fire Pon Rome." Calls for political justice, repatriation, and an end to youth violence are tempered with spiritual rapture as the production of Richard Bell fuels the fires. "Raid the Barn" serves as an excellent example of
Anthony B. at his best, with his melodic singing nicely complementing his rhythmic chatting. A duet with
Garnett Silk called "World in Trouble" takes the textured concept to its beautiful extreme. Inspiring from start to finish, So Many Things stands as a cultural stalwart in a sea of moral midgets. ~ Robert Gabriel