Max Romeo

This is some seriously classic roots, people! The fun starts with the powerfull one step forward and never really lets. Stealing in the Name of Jah is beathtaking - the first time I heard I couldn't believe a song this good could exist. I Chase the Devil, War ina Babylon and One Step Forward see the album at a fierce boil threatening the incinerate an unattended iPod. I walked into a public restroom belting out the "ahhhhhh's" in the begginning of Tan and See and I swear I was about the get stomped on by some mean looking biker dudes.

Pick this one up at the same time you get Junior Murvin "Police and Thieves."

The albums are companions from one of Lee Perry's strongest periods as Producer and deserve to be heard together.

I bought this for one reason: UPTOWN BABIES DON'T CRY. In a list of the top 100 reggae songs it probably doesn't show. In a list of the 1,000 greatest songs of all genres in the past 50 years, not a blip. Yet, the personal artistic struggle of the artist, and the message of the growing gap between rich and poor inthe world is incapsulated in this song. No matter what your politics, you could probably see every Middle School or High School social studies class building a course around this song...single moms working...immigrant families doing domestic jobs to survive...poor kids doing without the creature comforts of privileged kids...you see as the song says...the UPTOWN babies don't cry...perhaps because "they have mommies....AND daddies, and toys of their own....."

Max Romeo's more famous songs about war and thoser who wage war or on this album, but since I only own 3 or 4 reggae CD's I am glad to have this back in my collection.

This is the best reissue available of Romeo's classic album. The core album is here, featuring the the title track, "One Step Forward," "Norman" and "Chase The Devil," plus the exceptional (but lesser known) cuts "Stealing In The Name Of Jah," "Smile Out Of Style" and "Tan And See."

This reissue is expanded with the single and dub mixes of "One Step Forward" and "War Ina Babylon" (the single mix doesn't have that annoying synthesizer noodling that appears on the album version), plus the crazy extended mix of "Norman" featuring chatter Jah Lloyd and the card game skit at the opening ("Jack a Clubs, Jack a Hearts, Jack a Diamonds, Jack a Spades." "Ya tief, man!").

The best presentation of this album to date, and the only one you'll need.

For more Max, check 'The Ultimate Collection' on Hip-O Select's parent label (?) Hip-O and Blood & Fire's 'Open The Iron Gate.'

For more on Lee 'Scratch' Perry, who co-wrote and produced this album, check The Upsetters' 'Super Ape' and George Faith's 'To Be A Lover' albums on Hip-O Select, Junior Murvin's 'Police & Thieves' (be sure to get the 2002 reissue with the bonus tracks), and Lee Perry's 'Arkology' and 'Ultimate Collection.'

i agree that romeo's album does not always get the full credit that it deserves. i am not sure that this album is a classic. i do know that it contains a classic with the title song. and herein lies the problem, no other songs on the album reaches the pike as war in babylon. they still deserve a listen to, nevertheless. one step forward, chase the devil, norman,and smokey room are all good songs.another reason as to why i like album is that it focuses on the gap that exists between the rich and poor...(uptown babies don't cry basically still applies to prsent state of our world where the poor continues to suffer at the hands of the rich).

This lp has everything a reggae fan could possibly want- great grooves, pertinent vocals, and Lee "Scratch" Perry.

This is certainly one of the most underrated and consistent efforts I have come across. Romeo's stylings mix perfectly with the tight grooves of the Upsetters. He came a long way from his "Wet Dream" single in the late 60's, and it shows through clearly on the lp.....Of course, Perry's presence is written all over the lp, which just adds to its greatness.

Fans of this lp should also get Perry's amazing "Arkology" 3 cd set for many alternate takes from Romeo, Junior Murvin, etc... It offers incredible insight into the amazing mind of both Perry and Romeo, who made a great team.

"Lucifer, son of the morning, I'm gonna chase you outta earth." -Max Romeo

You did just that, Maxxie. Jah be praised.

Open the Iron Gate aka Revolution Time was recorded after Max Romeo left Lee "Scratch" Perry's stable. Though Scratch's influence persists, it's a notch or two below War Ina Babylon and not nearly as accessible. The biggest drawback to this otherwise fine album is that the lyrics are quite dated. Romeo was enlisted as a mouthpiece by Michael Manley's PNP party, which promised socialism and change for the poor, yet failed to deliver once elected. If you can get past the Rasta communist maxims, there's a great roots album in here, with stellar riddims and groovy, dub-inflected production. My personal favorite is a "1/4 lb of I'shen" which can hold its own with any roots song from the same period. But if you want Romeo's hits, you're better off with War Ina Babylon or his Ultimate Collection. And while Open the Iron Gate isn't far off the mark, there are better Blood + Fire releases out there.

I'm hesitant to give an album 5 stars. But this album is really that good. Vocally, Max Romeo puts on a great show, outshining his work on "War Inna Babylon" by a good amount. The production is top notch, with tracks being laid down at the legendary Black Ark, Harry J's, and Randy's. The back-up band is also legendary, including, amongst others, "Family Man" and Carlton Barrett and Chinna Smith.

One reviewer (somewhat bizarrely) weighed in on the "Marxist" lyrics. "On the minus side of the ledger, the lyrics are cartoonishly Marxist..but Romeo comes across as more of an earnest naif than as a danger to an island economy." Romeo--if it wasn't obvious already--proves on this set that he's far too intelligent to be dismissed as naive.

Max Romeo's less-is-more ethos is evident with spare arrangements that perfectly showcase his soulful, Heptone-esque voice.

Like an artist who uses empty canvas to good effect, Romeo uses the silence between notes to evoke both outer-space alienation and the warm ambiance (think "Us and Them" by Pink Floyd or "Another Green World" by Brian Eno). It's no easy trick.

If you haven't heard of Max Romeo before, you may be surprised to find how close he comes to achieving transcendant greatness on a couple of tracks. On "Warning Warning" he goes into a zone, while "Every Man ought to Know" has unforgettably great backing vocals.

On the minus side of the ledger, the lyrics are cartoonishly Marxist (smiting Babylon with hammers, sickles, and whatnot), but Romeo comes across as more of an earnest naif than as a danger to an island economy.

This wildly underappreciated album belongs in any reggae collection that goes beyond 10 CDs. Even if you don't agree that it is great, it can't be argued that this doesn't stand up well to repeated listens. I must have listened to this disc twenty times in recent months, which outside of, say, Blackmarket Clash just doesn't happen on my CD player.

This is an absolutely stunning collection of deep, catchy, warm, political, deadly dread Reggae! Although Max Romeo is best known for his excellent album 'War Ina Babylon' (produced & co-written by the great Lee Perry) I think 'Open the Iron Gate' to be his best! (By the way, talking about Lee Perry: "Three Blind Mice" is an Upsetter track from 1974 and the corrosive "Fire Fe De Vatican" was recorded at the Black Ark).
In fact 'Open The Iron Gate' is made up of Max's 1975 'Revelation Time' album as well as various tracks from the period.
All the tracks are heavy killers and the booklet contains a good text on Max Romeo and some very nice pictures!
I think you really need this album, there's no way out!!!

As far as some people are concerned, Blood and Fire can do no wrong. Much as I admire their re-issue programme myself, I don't feel that every single release is necessarily a must-own CD. However, Max Romeo's Open The Iron Gate is most assuredly one such release. This is arguably Max Romeo's finest hour, even though many classics such as War Inna Babylon, Chase The Devil and One Step Forward are to be found on the earlier War Inna Babylon LP -- nearly every track is a gem. Socialism, class struggles and the great divide between the rich and the poor are all major themes, explored with great flair and lucidity on tracks such as No Peace, Warning Warning and Revelation Time. War Inna Babylon, Romeo's signature track, is recast as the incendiary Fire Fe The Vatican, a scathing denunciation of the Catholic church. Other highlights include the palpable pathos of A Quarter Pound Of I'cense, the brilliant Three Blind Mice, whose Trenchtown Rock-style celebration of dance culture seems to have only grown more poignant with the passage of time, and the impassionate appeal of the title track. Needless to say, the Lee 'Scratch' Perry-influenced production (although only Romeo himself is credited on this release) is first-rate throughout; also, some (but sadly not all) tracks come with dub versions mixed in. I would have preferred separate tracks for the dubs, but they are excellent otherwise. All in all, an impeccable roots reggae record.

This is a good addition to any collection if you like reggae at all. One step forward, I chase the devil and Norman are highlights. Solid cd from front to back.

It's hard to say just how good this collection is. It spans his full range from the selections that you'd put on to get the mood going, to the social statements, right through to the big smokin tunes. Buy it.

I love Max Romeo but this isn't the best collection of his work. Sure there are a few classic tunes here that are wicked songs. But they miss out on a lot of other great track at the expense of some really obscure Romeo songs. Anyhow, that's why I got this CD - for the rare tracks, as I have all the others. But this CD doesn't even have We Dream - a rude boy classic that chugs along on a wicked rhythm.

So I hate to give Max a three stars - but there are much better comps out there. Get a collection of his early years "Pray For Me" or get the scortching "Open the Iron Gate".

This is some seriously classic roots, people! The fun starts with the powerfull one step forward and never really lets. Stealing in the Name of Jah is beathtaking - the first time I heard I couldn't believe a song this good could exist. I Chase the Devil, War ina Babylon and One Step Forward see the album at a fierce boil threatening the incinerate an unattended iPod. I walked into a public restroom belting out the "ahhhhhh's" in the begginning of Tan and See and I swear I was about the get stomped on by some mean looking biker dudes.

Pick this one up at the same time you get Junior Murvin "Police and Thieves."

The albums are companions from one of Lee Perry's strongest periods as Producer and deserve to be heard together.

I bought this for one reason: UPTOWN BABIES DON'T CRY. In a list of the top 100 reggae songs it probably doesn't show. In a list of the 1,000 greatest songs of all genres in the past 50 years, not a blip. Yet, the personal artistic struggle of the artist, and the message of the growing gap between rich and poor inthe world is incapsulated in this song. No matter what your politics, you could probably see every Middle School or High School social studies class building a course around this song...single moms working...immigrant families doing domestic jobs to survive...poor kids doing without the creature comforts of privileged kids...you see as the song says...the UPTOWN babies don't cry...perhaps because "they have mommies....AND daddies, and toys of their own....."

Max Romeo's more famous songs about war and thoser who wage war or on this album, but since I only own 3 or 4 reggae CD's I am glad to have this back in my collection.

This is the best reissue available of Romeo's classic album. The core album is here, featuring the the title track, "One Step Forward," "Norman" and "Chase The Devil," plus the exceptional (but lesser known) cuts "Stealing In The Name Of Jah," "Smile Out Of Style" and "Tan And See."

This reissue is expanded with the single and dub mixes of "One Step Forward" and "War Ina Babylon" (the single mix doesn't have that annoying synthesizer noodling that appears on the album version), plus the crazy extended mix of "Norman" featuring chatter Jah Lloyd and the card game skit at the opening ("Jack a Clubs, Jack a Hearts, Jack a Diamonds, Jack a Spades." "Ya tief, man!").

The best presentation of this album to date, and the only one you'll need.

For more Max, check 'The Ultimate Collection' on Hip-O Select's parent label (?) Hip-O and Blood & Fire's 'Open The Iron Gate.'

For more on Lee 'Scratch' Perry, who co-wrote and produced this album, check The Upsetters' 'Super Ape' and George Faith's 'To Be A Lover' albums on Hip-O Select, Junior Murvin's 'Police & Thieves' (be sure to get the 2002 reissue with the bonus tracks), and Lee Perry's 'Arkology' and 'Ultimate Collection.'

i agree that romeo's album does not always get the full credit that it deserves. i am not sure that this album is a classic. i do know that it contains a classic with the title song. and herein lies the problem, no other songs on the album reaches the pike as war in babylon. they still deserve a listen to, nevertheless. one step forward, chase the devil, norman,and smokey room are all good songs.another reason as to why i like album is that it focuses on the gap that exists between the rich and poor...(uptown babies don't cry basically still applies to prsent state of our world where the poor continues to suffer at the hands of the rich).

This lp has everything a reggae fan could possibly want- great grooves, pertinent vocals, and Lee "Scratch" Perry.

This is certainly one of the most underrated and consistent efforts I have come across. Romeo's stylings mix perfectly with the tight grooves of the Upsetters. He came a long way from his "Wet Dream" single in the late 60's, and it shows through clearly on the lp.....Of course, Perry's presence is written all over the lp, which just adds to its greatness.

Fans of this lp should also get Perry's amazing "Arkology" 3 cd set for many alternate takes from Romeo, Junior Murvin, etc... It offers incredible insight into the amazing mind of both Perry and Romeo, who made a great team.

"Lucifer, son of the morning, I'm gonna chase you outta earth." -Max Romeo

You did just that, Maxxie. Jah be praised.

I don't have a technical or exhaustive review for this release. It's a sweet sounding roots album that made my morning complete this last sunday. My wife and little four year old boy really liked it also, and that is really something. The songs work well with each other, and even with the social undertones of some of the songs, it has has a really nice presentation, a positive irie vibe, and the band's right on. I have over a hundred reggae albums and this one is up at the top of my current rotation. I can't believe after all this time I haven't paid more attention to him.

This is some seriously classic roots, people! The fun starts with the powerfull one step forward and never really lets. Stealing in the Name of Jah is beathtaking - the first time I heard I couldn't believe a song this good could exist. I Chase the Devil, War ina Babylon and One Step Forward see the album at a fierce boil threatening the incinerate an unattended iPod. I walked into a public restroom belting out the "ahhhhhh's" in the begginning of Tan and See and I swear I was about the get stomped on by some mean looking biker dudes.

Pick this one up at the same time you get Junior Murvin "Police and Thieves."

The albums are companions from one of Lee Perry's strongest periods as Producer and deserve to be heard together.

I bought this for one reason: UPTOWN BABIES DON'T CRY. In a list of the top 100 reggae songs it probably doesn't show. In a list of the 1,000 greatest songs of all genres in the past 50 years, not a blip. Yet, the personal artistic struggle of the artist, and the message of the growing gap between rich and poor inthe world is incapsulated in this song. No matter what your politics, you could probably see every Middle School or High School social studies class building a course around this song...single moms working...immigrant families doing domestic jobs to survive...poor kids doing without the creature comforts of privileged kids...you see as the song says...the UPTOWN babies don't cry...perhaps because "they have mommies....AND daddies, and toys of their own....."

Max Romeo's more famous songs about war and thoser who wage war or on this album, but since I only own 3 or 4 reggae CD's I am glad to have this back in my collection.

This is the best reissue available of Romeo's classic album. The core album is here, featuring the the title track, "One Step Forward," "Norman" and "Chase The Devil," plus the exceptional (but lesser known) cuts "Stealing In The Name Of Jah," "Smile Out Of Style" and "Tan And See."

This reissue is expanded with the single and dub mixes of "One Step Forward" and "War Ina Babylon" (the single mix doesn't have that annoying synthesizer noodling that appears on the album version), plus the crazy extended mix of "Norman" featuring chatter Jah Lloyd and the card game skit at the opening ("Jack a Clubs, Jack a Hearts, Jack a Diamonds, Jack a Spades." "Ya tief, man!").

The best presentation of this album to date, and the only one you'll need.

For more Max, check 'The Ultimate Collection' on Hip-O Select's parent label (?) Hip-O and Blood & Fire's 'Open The Iron Gate.'

For more on Lee 'Scratch' Perry, who co-wrote and produced this album, check The Upsetters' 'Super Ape' and George Faith's 'To Be A Lover' albums on Hip-O Select, Junior Murvin's 'Police & Thieves' (be sure to get the 2002 reissue with the bonus tracks), and Lee Perry's 'Arkology' and 'Ultimate Collection.'

i agree that romeo's album does not always get the full credit that it deserves. i am not sure that this album is a classic. i do know that it contains a classic with the title song. and herein lies the problem, no other songs on the album reaches the pike as war in babylon. they still deserve a listen to, nevertheless. one step forward, chase the devil, norman,and smokey room are all good songs.another reason as to why i like album is that it focuses on the gap that exists between the rich and poor...(uptown babies don't cry basically still applies to prsent state of our world where the poor continues to suffer at the hands of the rich).

This lp has everything a reggae fan could possibly want- great grooves, pertinent vocals, and Lee "Scratch" Perry.

This is certainly one of the most underrated and consistent efforts I have come across. Romeo's stylings mix perfectly with the tight grooves of the Upsetters. He came a long way from his "Wet Dream" single in the late 60's, and it shows through clearly on the lp.....Of course, Perry's presence is written all over the lp, which just adds to its greatness.

Fans of this lp should also get Perry's amazing "Arkology" 3 cd set for many alternate takes from Romeo, Junior Murvin, etc... It offers incredible insight into the amazing mind of both Perry and Romeo, who made a great team.

"Lucifer, son of the morning, I'm gonna chase you outta earth." -Max Romeo

You did just that, Maxxie. Jah be praised.