The older I get, the more I like the Dan. I’m not sure if that says more about me or the Dan. There was a time when the only thing I knew about them was the film clip they used to show continually on The Old Grey Whistle Test, a clip of them performing “Reeling Down The Years”, I hated it. A bunch of greasy looking, lank haired, moustachioed hippies noodling about. Yet here I now am, owning a copy of the very album that song lives on, what happened ?

The start of my conversion was hearing Donald Fagen’s solo album “The Nightfly” (see here if you missed it https://www.whiterabbitrecords.co.uk/blog/read_204163/2023-albums-thing-130-donald-fagen-the-nightfly.html) and was confirmed in the pub (all the best things happen in the pub right ?) when this albums second track, “Dirty Work”, came drifting across the bar one Sunday afternoon. What a song it is. The song that proceeds it and begins this record is one of their better known hits “Do It Again” which I had actually played at a few Open Mics as part of a trio I was briefly a part of.

“Can’t Buy A Thrill” was Steely Dan’s debut album, released in 1972. While Donald Fagen does feature as the lead vocalist on most songs (4 himself and 3 co-leads), because Fagen was concerned about his ability to sing live singer David Palmer  features on five songs (2 solo’s and 3 co-vocals with Fagen) and the quite fantastic “Midnite Cruiser” is sung by drummer Jim Hodder.

What Steely Dan did was perfect US FM Radio, “soft rock”, not something that was gonna catch my ear back in the mid 70’s, I was a Glam Rock kid back then. I needed to be a little more seasoned before I got the Dan, seems like I now am.

Dirty Work - https://youtu.be/kR5Ki6jjPaY?si=BFsbVeafkSTltbvI

Between “Caught You” and “True Democracy” Steel Pulse left Island Records and eventually signed with Elektra. When they began recording however, they had no record deal. Some demo’s were made in New York which prompted a small Danish label to offer their studio for recording which is how “True Democracy” came to be  recorded at Feedback Studios in Aarhus, Denmark.

The album continues “Caught You”s mix of social and religious comment and danceable reggae. “Chant A Psalm” begins things with a bit of both. It’s a smooth, easy skanking floorfiller with a killer chorus and positivity in it’s lyrics (“When pressure drop it cannot conquer dread no, So blow away your bluesy feeling”) something that gets forgotten about Reggae music is that it’s not just wonderful dance music or politically charged rebel music it’s can also be deeply religious music. “Chant A Psalm” has references to psalms (obviously), Lucifer, Armageddon, angels, Daniel, Moses, Samson and King David. Maybe if the Church had us chanting psalms on the one-drop rather than ploughing the fields and (f*cking) scattering they may have had more luck with us at school.

“Ravers” and “Blues Dance Raid” mix the dancefloor with politics. “Man No Sober” rails at the evils of alcohol and promotes a sober Rastafarian lifestyle (much as I love you I’m gonna pass on that David). The album plays out on the Dub of “Dub Marcus Say”.

“True Democracy” marks a turning point for Steel Pulse. It was the last album to feature guitarist and founding member Basil Gabbidon. Future albums would take on a more electronic sound that was becoming popular in Jamaica with the Dancehall style. Steel Pulse are quite simply one of the greatest bands ever to come out of Birmingham or the UK for that matter. If nothing else if you’re ever in the company of  someone who starts rattling on about UB40, give them a slap and preach the gospel of Steel Pulse.

Chant A Psalm - https://youtu.be/4nony-xB3tE?si=b3hihX993YG91NiJ

Steel Pulse’s 3rd album sees a shift in sound. This is more of a Reggae dance album, think along the lines of their previous songs “Sound Check” and “Sound System”, than their previous records which were liberally coated in politics and Rastafarianism. The politics and Rastafari are still there, we do begin on a song titled “Drug Squad”, but theres more of the pure joy of Reggae music in “Caught You” than previously. If I had to pick a word to describe it, it would be sunny (as the saying goes, reggae when the sun shines but country makes the road roll along) and has a poppier sound than previous albums.

Having said that following the first song “Drug Squad” (the trials of a Rasta musician travelling the world and trying to get through customs unmolested) we have “Harrasment” so maybe I’m talking out of my arse. That though is followed by “Reggae Fever” and after that “Shining”, both of them joyful pop reggae songs.

Over on Side 2 the fabulous “Caught You Dancing” is a song about meeting a girl at a dance (yes, this is Steel Pulse!). Everything is rounded up with “Nyahbinghi Voyage” (Nyahbinghi is one of the denominations or Houses of Rastafari. They are the largest group and are more traditional and militant Rastas) so the pop didn’t wash away the faith completely.

“Caught You” is a much more commercial album than its predecessors but at heart it’s the same sound, just cleaned up a little. It’s still the mighty Steel Pulse. 

Caught You Dancing - https://youtu.be/9grrXKeIt_A?si=UIjrPJKakmAj76cK