Although referred to on occasion as “one of the forgotten men of Reggae,” Freddie McKay (born Frederick McLean in Linstead, Jamaica in 1947) was beyond any reasonable doubt, one of Jamaica’s most expressive and impressive vocalists.
Originally released in 1979, ‘Creation,’ was expertly produced by the ace Jamaican keyboardist Ossie Hibbert, accompanied by the top-ranking band of the era, The Revolutionairies. The album showcases a skillfully curated blend of soon-to-be classic cuts alongside several inspired, anthemic covers, such as “Creation Rebel” by Burning Spear and Dennis Brown’s “Here I Come,, both of which can truly stand up to the originals. Fans of Gregory Isaacs and Leroy Smart will recognize the backing tracks to “Here I Come” from “Set The Captives Free” and “Shame And Pride,” respectively.
In keeping with Jamaican music release trends at the time Creation paired the Dub mixes with the vocal tracks in sequence, colloquially referred to as a ‘Showcase album.. This allowed the music to breathe and created space to highlight the brilliance of the musicians playing in the classic Rockers / Steppers style that dominated the latter half of the seventies. The Vocals & Dubs were pressed loud, clean and with a heavy bass, so, naturally Creation quickly garnered attention from Roots Rock Reggae fans upon release, add to that the iconic sleeve illustration and it soon becomes clear why it was also so sought-after by collectors outside of the genre.
VP Records has a substantial history with the music on this album – several of the tracks were released as 7” and 12” singles on its ‘Love’ and ‘Roots From The Yard’ imprints, including “La La By Woman,” “Nah Make It Look So,” and “I Man.”
Out-of-print and coveted by collectors for over four decades, Creation is now finally getting the reissue treatment it so thoroughly deserves. This new edition features impeccable sound restoration, rare photos on the inner sleeve, and extensive liner notes from the highly respected Reggae historian Harry Wise aka Noel Hawks.
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