Jamaica's elder statesman of lovers ballads procures another patented, soulful recipe on Music Is Life.
One of only a few living reggae legends, the unassuming Hammond has the power to transform any listening environment into a contemplative Caribbean getaway.
Hammond's effortless delivery and near flawless vocal quality call to mind an atmosphere of swaying palm trees, cool blue water, and overall positive vibrations.
His enduring Jamaican hit of 2000, "They Gonna Talk," is as calmly groovy as it is heartfelt.
The more up-tempo "Dance for Me" pairs Beres with one of his devoted aficionados, Wyclef Jean, in a near facsimile of Wyclef's crossover duet with Santana, "Maria, Maria." While Hammond is a clear virtuoso of rocksteady and lovers reggae, he also demonstrates versatility on this offering.
The more bittersweet ballads, "Mary, Mary" and "Angel Eyes," are haunting as well as eloquent.
But, the pièce de résistance may be "Gonna Shine Again," a low-tempo track teeming with heart-wrenching emotion.
Hammond takes traditional roots flavors and transposes them just enough to satisfy purists and new listeners alike.
The resulting formula is soothing, accessible, and thought-provoking reggae music.
| Title/Composers | Performer | Listen | Time | Size | Size | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ain't It Good to KnowClement "Coxsone" Dodd, Beres Hammond | Beres Hammond | Play | 03:57 | 9 MB | 0 MB |
| 2 | They Gonna TalkBeres Hammond | Beres Hammond | Play | 03:55 | 8 MB | 0 MB |
| 3 | Wanna CryBeres Hammond | Beres Hammond | Play | 03:49 | 8 MB | 0 MB |
| 4 | Dusty RoadClement "Coxsone" Dodd, Beres Hammond | Beres Hammond | Play | 03:59 | 9 MB | 0 MB |
| 5 | Rock AwayBeres Hammond | Beres Hammond | Play | 03:57 | 9 MB | 0 MB |
| 6 | Angel EyesClement "Coxsone" Dodd, Beres Hammond | Beres Hammond | Play | 04:01 | 9 MB | 0 MB |
| 7 | Mary, MaryD. Dennis, Beres Hammond | Beres Hammond | Play | 04:04 | 9 MB | 0 MB |
| 8 | Don't Play With My HeartBeres Hammond | Beres Hammond | Play | 03:40 | 8 MB | 0 MB |
| 9 | Gonna Shine AgainBeres Hammond | Beres Hammond | Play | 03:53 | 8 MB | 0 MB |
| 10 | Music Is LifeBeres Hammond, Lee "Scratch" Perry | Beres Hammond | Play | 03:43 | 8 MB | 0 MB |
| 11 | Tender LoveBeres Hammond | Beres Hammond | Play | 03:40 | 8 MB | 0 MB |
| 12 | Give Me a FriendBeres Hammond | Beres Hammond | Play | 03:57 | 9 MB | 0 MB |
| 13 | I Love Jah (feat. Flourgon) | Beres Hammond, Flourgon | Play | 03:47 | 8 MB | 0 MB |
| 14 | Dance 4 Me (feat. Wyclef Jean) | Beres Hammond, Wyclef Jean | Play | 04:18 | 9 MB | 0 MB |
| 15 | Honey Wine & Love Songs | Beres Hammond | Play | 03:51 | 8 MB | 0 MB |
| 16 | Rise & Shine | Beres Hammond | Play | 03:43 | 8 MB | 0 MB |
| 17 | African People (feat. Pam Hall & Bopee) | Beres Hammond, Bopee, Pam Hall | Play | 04:17 | 9 MB | 0 MB |
| 66 mins | 152 MB | |||||
| 0 mins | 0 MB | |||||
| Artist | Job | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Robert Angus | Guitar |
| 2 | Christopher Birch | Keyboards |
| 3 | Winston Bowen | Guitar, Primary Artist |
| 4 | Philip "Fatis" Burrell | Producer |
| 5 | Leroy Champaign | Design Direction |
| 6 | Paul Crosdale | Keyboards, Organ |
| 7 | Dwight Dawes | Keyboards |
| 8 | D. Dennis | Composer |
| 9 | Donald Dennis | Bass |
| 10 | Lloyd Denton | Keyboards |
| 11 | Clement "Coxsone" Dodd | Composer |
| 12 | Sly Dunbar | Drums, Guest Artist |
| 13 | Cortez Farris | Mixing |
| 14 | Fatta | Producer |
| 15 | Michael Fletcher | Bass |
| 16 | Flourgon | Primary Artist, Vocals |
| 17 | Dean Fraser | Guest Artist, Horn, Sax (Tenor) |
| 18 | Brian & Tony Gold | Harmony |
| 19 | Tony Gold | Harmony |
| 20 | James Goring | Project Coordinator |
| 21 | Pam Hall | Performer, Primary Artist |
| 22 | Beres Hammond | Composer, Executive Producer, Harmony, Percussion, Primary Artist |
| 23 | Errol "Flabba" Holt | Bass, Percussion |
| 24 | Wyclef Jean | Bass, Composer, Guest Artist, Guitar, Primary Artist, Vocals |
| 25 | Anders Jones | Photography |
| 26 | Robert Lyn | Keyboards, Overdubs |
| 27 | David Madden | Horn |
| 28 | Lynford "Fatta" Marshall | Engineer, Mixing Engineer, Producer |
| 29 | Howard Messam | Horn, Saxophone |
| 30 | Sydney Mills | Drums |
| 31 | Robert Murphy | Engineer |
| 32 | Lee "Scratch" Perry | Composer |
| 33 | Dwight Pinkney | Guitar |
| 34 | Nambo Robinson | Horn |
| 35 | Roots Radics | Musician |
| 36 | Fernando Rosario | Guitar |
| 37 | Style Scott | Drums |
| 38 | Anthony Selassie | Engineer |
| 39 | Robbie Shakespeare | Bass |
| 40 | Paul Shields | Mastering |
| 41 | Earl "Chinna" Smith | Guitar |
| 42 | Steven Stanley | Mixing Engineer |
| 43 | Nadine Sutherland | Harmony |
| 44 | Karl Toppin | Mixing Engineer, Producer |
| 45 | Nicola Tucker | Harmony |
| 46 | Mervis Walsh | Associate Executive Producer |
| 47 | Rolando Wilson | Drums |
| 48 | Dorette Wisdom | Harmony |
| 49 | Collin "Bulbie" York | Composer, Mixing Engineer, Producer |
| Quality | Format | Encoding | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | MP3 | 320kps 44.1kHz | MP3 is an audio coding format which uses a form of lossy data compression. The highest bitrate of this format is 320kbps (kbit/s). MP3 Digital audio takes less amount of space (up to 90% reduction in size) and the quality is not as good as the original one. |