Barrington Levy 'Poorman Style'

Some of Barrington Levy's most significant and enduring recordings from Channel One Studio, mixed by Scientist. Originally released in 1982. It's difficult to overstate the transformative effect that Barrington Levy's earliest recordings had on the sound of Jamaican music. In late 1979, Levy's spare, hauntingly arranged early singles such as 'Shine Eye Gal,' 'Collie Weed,' and 'Shaolin Temple' completely overtook Jamaican dancehalls and street side sound clashes. By the time Levy released Poorman Style in 1982, he was arguably Jamaica's preeminent vocalist. Poorman Style features a set of punishing rhythms from the crack studio outfit The Roots Radics, with production work from singer-turned-label owner Linval Thompson and former King Tubby protégé Scientist. The title track — a crisply observed sufferers' tale full of tragic notes and indelible details from everyday life — hits particularly hard.