Main CD Review Page "aleiNation" NYC Reggae Collective (Benchwarrant Records, 2004]
Review by Ted Boothroyd

Relax a little bit, let you hair down, and ease into a listen to alieNation by the NYC Reggae Collective.� Released in 2004 on New York-based Benchwarrant Records, this unit features many members of other bands collaborating together to create a blend of reggae and ska that listeners can use as a form of calm reflection.� Through the use of alternating vocalists and mainly horn, guitar, and percussion instruments, this group provides us with a light, laid back, but intelligent musical work.� Written and produced almost entirely by Louie Fleck (brother of Bela Fleck from Bela Fleck and The Flecktones), all the songs on this album can be found on the same musical plane, while the lyrical content varies from track to track.

The album begins with a motivational song entitled: Future Feeling. This is an inspiring song in which the message suggests that we let go of previous failures and focus on what is to come. At the beginning of this track, an introspective Original Smurph sings "I've got a future feelin//And the past can't stop me now." He continues to encourage the listener to look beyond the anguish and sorrow of previous days, erase those heavy thoughts, and look to the brighter days and times down the road of life.

The content of the fifth track: Think, touches on many topics. This time, Original Smurph attempts to spark some thought and supply us with vocal advice. Some of the issues he touches on include nature, friendship, honesty, the state of our nation, and race, as in his line "Think black, think white."

Next, more guidance comes in the form of: She Might Say Yes (Ask Her To Dance). Marcia Davis singing explains the feelings and rituals involved in courting and wooing a woman. She suggests that a man should go ahead and try his luck, because his female love interest may reciprocate his feelings. Late in this song, Brian "Milo" Lowe lends his compassionate rap, "She might say yes, she might say no/She might say come and rock your lover easy and slow//She might say no, she might say yes/She might open up her heart and confess/About the love between a man and a woman, not the love between a boy and a girl/About how love, it makes me uneasy, but there's not enough in my world."

Another musical highlight: UFO, features the liveliest and best production on the album. The electric guitar, horns, and piano all form a toe-tapping track that supports a political message. While the low bassline drives this song, lead vocalist, Kalvin Kristi, verbalizes a high degree of political mistrust and describes the secretive hold the government places on members of society. Louie Fleck's stirring lyrics in the final verse encourage people to take up arms and protect themselves before all of their rights are suppressed.

Following up that message comes: Nuclear War;; a humorous parody about the continued discussions and plans some higher level bureaucrats have for in investing in and starting this global catastrophe. Along with a strong brass section, Charmaine DaCostass voice delivers the self-explanatory chorus, "Let's have a nuclear war/I want a nuclear war/You need a nuclear war/We need a nuclear war." Towards the end of this song, DaCosta reflects the scary thoughts of the decision makers by claiming that a war would be "fun and bring everyone closer."

A subtly angry piece contained on this album is given away by its title; I'm Not Your Donkey Anymore. From a quick glance at the list of song titles on the back cover, this track will grab any music lover's attention more than any other. Keith E. Johnston takes the vocal lead here, singing largely about lifess new beginnings, in areas like employment, residency, and relationships. Again singing Fleck's words, Johnston's voice describes how well he is treated by his new employer, as he tells his former boss, "So I guess you can go to hell." A song everyone can relate to, the lyrical content celebrates the relief that is felt when tough times have passed and positive changes have been made for the better. A listing for Linden, California's Peaceful Valley Donkey Rescue included on the in-lay card serves as a knowledgeable and conscientious sidebar to this song, as well.

A parallel to Alfred Hitchcockss 1951 classic film, on this album: Strangers On A Train serves as a sharp, appropriate metaphor for the distance and ambivalence that can often manifest itself in relationships. On this song, Marcia Davis singing, backed by Original Smurph and Maggie Roche, runs through an entire bond that a woman and a man once had. Fleck's lyrics in the first verse make mention of aa crush as the beginning, and the second verse presents the tension and insecurity that builds. By the final verse, the relationship has completely derailed and the two have parted ways.

NYC Reggae Collective is the brainchild of Louie Fleck, who wrote or co-wrote all of the songs on this disc as well as producing and adding the backing vocals. AlieNation is a unique blend of well-played reggae rhythms and pop jazz-influenced vocals overlaid with unusual instrumentation, including pedal steel, cello and theremin.
The CD features many of the same personnel as The Motives Project, another Fleck-produced CD from just a couple of years ago. Several different vocalists share lead duties, including Marcia Davis, Keith E. Johnston, Simone Gordon, Original Smurph, Charmaine DaCosta, Brian MMilo Lowe and Dub Poet Anton. Despite the use of so many singers, the CD has a very cohesive feel, although the overuse of certain vocal effects distracts somewhat from the individual vocalists distinctive expression.  The lyrics reflect the odd sense of humor of the writer/producer. This works well on cuts such as UUFO and IImm Not Your Donkey Anymore, but some songs, such as the upbeat NNuclear War are a little over the top, lyrically speaking. Fleck handles bass, keys, guitar and drum programming, and is ably assisted on several tracks by drummers David Delgado and Astor E. Campbell. Other notable contributors are former Burning Spear trumpeter Pam Fleming (who, along with Jennifer Hill and Dan Levine, adds some sweet horn parts to several cuts) and banjo legend Bela Fleck, who plays electric banjo and sslidy guitar (thatss what the credits say) on the cut Music Is The Message. This excellent song combines a driving reggae rhythm with bright, pop vocals and positive, uplifting lyrics. Other standout cuts include Better Than It Was, Open Road and UFO. While this music is not for reggae purists, it should be appealing to fans of eclectic pop music.

MGS Magazine MAY 2004 issue # 1 By: DehCruzan
This month was a rare treat for me. I got to interview an artist from one of my favorite genres of music, Reggae. Well I would have loved to hit the road on this one, but unfortunately that just wasn't possible this time around. So I had to settle for the long distance interview instead. Better luck next time. This group features a large collection of seasoned musicians combining to produce a soulful blend of melodies. Enough of my babbling here's the interview.

MGS: Who or what makes up the NYC Reggae Collective?
FLECK: After my previous band THE MOT!VES broke up, I put out a CD of music from that band as
filltered through my production process. THE MOTIVES PROJECT: so much more CD is a studio album that was rather experimental compared to what has been happening in Reggae and Ska. While I was happy with the result to some extent, I felt that it would be possible to make a CD that was more human sounding and easier to absorb. So I started recording some Reggae drummers playing to a click track and built the songs around more traditional Reggae drumming. I played most of the bass lines live. When it came to overdubbing, I looked for unusual instruments like Theremin, Pedal Steel, Banjo and Cello and tried to find ways for them to be integrated without getting what I call the "Tubular Bells" effect. The music arrangements are dense and different, but they are rooted in a classic Reggae foundation.

The CD features vocals by Original Smurph, Simone Gordon, Dub Poet Anton, Milo, Marcia Davis, Keith Johnston, Maggie Roche, Kalvin Kristi, and Papa Linley. There are guest performances by such notable instrumentalists:
Ronnie Butler - guitar (Meditations, Israel Vibration, Eek-A-Mouse & countless others) Gene Clemetson - Guitar (Burning Spear, Meditations, many others) Pamelia Kurstin, Jason Kessler Theremin Pam Fleming - trumpet (Burning Brass) Bela Fleck - banjo & guitar (Flecktones) Dan Levine - trombone (Might Be Giants, Ray Charles, Frank Sinatra!) and many others. There was a lot of interaction among the group about the shape of the CD. As mixing neared completion, we listened to the music as a group and everyone had a say in the final product. So there really is a collective aspect to the project.

MGS: What instruments do you play?
FLECK: I play bass, guitar, keyboards and percussion with limited ability, but I sing very badly!

MGS: How did you come up with the name NYC Reggae Collective?
FLECK: While working on this album, I was tossing around a few ideas with the other musicians and NYC REGGAE COLLECTIVE seemed to be the most true. However, since the recording group features my songs at this point I sometimes think it might be better to have a different name like: The Donkeys! Perhaps I'll do that in the future!

MGS: What do you think of Dancehall music?
FLECK: I love Dancehall music from the 70ss and 80ss. I want to like the current stuff, but it is often alienating because it is hard to understand the lyrics. I also find current Dancehall to be a Jamaican version of Rap, so there is less melody and the arrangements and production are sometimes less interesting.

MGS: Would you ever make a Dancehall album?
FLECK: That would be an interesting idea. I wrote a Dancehall song called: Everybody Gets What They Deserve that appeared on THE MOT!VES PROJECT: so much more CD, and I'd like to do more of that eventually. But lately, I've been writing more introspective love songs, that seem to reflect my current state of mind.

MGS: Which other artists do you listen to? Who inspires you?
FLECK: Believe it or not, I've been listening to a lot of current Pop music like Britney Spears, Madonna, No Doubt, even Janet Jackson because I have recently become a Spinning Fitness instructor! So I need to find music for classes that is high energy and motivating. I also actively look for other Reggae that is made independently. I also love all types of Brazilian music. I am always reading biographies of musicians that I have been inspired by; I guess I want to know what makes these people tick. Right now I am reading a biography of Bob Dylan. But there are things other than music that inspire me. I am becoming interested in the nature of Power, Hindu mythology.

MGS: Who in the industry would you like to work with?
FLECK: I love working with the musicians and vocalists that are part of NYC REGGAE COLLECTIVE. Also, I have always wanted to work with Gregory Isaacs. It would be great to work with some of the originators and innovators of Reggae, of course. I would love to do something with Bjork! The best thing is working with people who I really like as people, as well as what they can do musically.

MGS: How did you first hear of MyGlobalSound.com?
FLECK: I am always looking around on line for opportunities to get the music out to people and MyGlobalSound seems like a bunch of really together people!

MGS: Where do you envision your musical career 5, 10 years from now?
FLECK: I would love to be touring with a band that plays my songs to a large appreciative audience. I would like to be able to experiment with some of the musical ideas I haventt had time for. I think I would enjoy scoring for film.

MGS: Do see MyGlobalSound playing an integral in your musical future?
FLECK: It is my experience that promotion is the hardest part of the music business. Anybody or group that has integrity and is sincere about working with our music is a welcome partner.

MGS: Do you write your own music?
FLECK: Writing and arranging songs is my main thing. It is incredibly exciting to hear a new song come to life. My writing process usually (but not always) begins with the lyrics. I have studied lyric writing for musical theatre and there is a lot of craft that can be applied to scantion and rhyming structure along with making sure that the message or story is clear. Right now I want the audience to understand and identify with what I meant or felt when I was writing the song. I really think it is important to eliminate the distractions that obscure the message. Then I try to write a melody in my head and when there is something there, I go to my guitar or keyboard to figure out some fundamental chord structure. Here the chords sometimes influence the melody. Then I go to the computer and record the chords to a simple drumbeat, letting the melody evolve. From here I try out a few instrumentation ideas that lead me to a bass line. The song continues to evolve, as I am always playing with the melody and lyrics until and even after I record a scratch vocal. I think it is possible to keep an evolutionary approach to songwriting and often return to songs I wrote ten or fifteen years ago and rewrite them to reflect my current state. Then there are other times when I hear a groove or bass line and let it lead me to a song.

MGS: What do you want people to think of when they listen to your music?
FLECK: I want people to connect to the lyrics. I try to make them accessible, meaningful and honest. Sometimes it is hard to keep a lyric honest when trying to apply craft. I realize that my music is somewhat dense and requires several listening, but I hope that more will be revealed with every listening, just like my favorite songs and recordings.

MGS: Is music your fulltime occupation? If not do you intend for it to be?
FLECK: I have a lot of jobs. I am a freelance video designer and I teach at The School for Visual Arts here in NYC. I would love to find a way to make music pay the bills, but I still have to pay some of the bills and feed the cat!

MGS: I noticed that you have a wide range of artists on your CD, How did that come about?
FLECK: For the last five years, we have had a continuous weekly Reggae jam at my place in Tribeca. Many different people with a spectrum of experience pass through regularly. As I began to plan this album, I wanted to work with my friends and bring many flavors to the party. I was looking for a way to provide variety and unity at the same time. That is why most of the background vocals are performed by people who sang leads as well. The same people are all over the CD in different roles.

MGS: If I were to call your music traditional reggae or roots music, would that be a fair classification? If not how would you classify your music?
FLECK: Our music doesn't fall into the traditional Reggae or Roots classification, but of course it is the major influence. It would probably be best to call our music Song Oriented American Reggae. (END)

A rather unusual present from Stone Premonition is this reggae album, as I had not previously associated the label with this style of music. The band name says it all – a collective of reggae musicians from New York have produced an album the like of which we seldom hear today, with the sound harking back to the classic 70's period which produced bands like Misty In Roots, Steel Pulse and Aswad. It might seem strange to compare this US album to Brittish reggae bands, but that is the very sound they are producing – a softer version of the genre than exponents like Burning Spear or The Abyssinians, but still more authentic than a lot of pop/reggae that is around. ‘Future Feeling’ sounds like it could have come out in the 70's, with its loping beat and warm vocals. ‘She Might Say Yes’ is a good time tune in the style of the aforementioned Aswad, and ‘I'm Not Your Donkey Anymore’ has an effective horn section, adding to the authenticity of the sound. One of the few times the modern world makes itself heard is the rock guitar solo on ‘Open Road’, but for the most part, they try to stay as real as they can. I don't pretend to be an expert on reggae, but I have enough albums to know what I like, and this one more than stands up to anything I own.