SOCA GOLD Volumes 1-8
These eight volumes take you on a journey through the garden of
Soca from the late seventies to the early nineties. If you were
old enough to party between, say, 1979 and 1985, this collection
will bring back fond memories of revels past. If you weren't, it
will open your ears to a more innocent time in Soca, when the
music was less edgy and composers and arrangers like Leston Paul,
Winsford Devines, Ed Watson, Art de Coteau and the late Dennis
Williams (Merchant) ruled the roost.
With a few exceptions, most everything on Volumes 1-5 can be
called a classic. You can also trace the early roots of tendencies
such as the Bajan invasion (Ras Iley's Spring Garden On Fire,
Volume Two.) On Volumes 6-8, however, the gems (e.g. Johnny King's
inimitable Wet Me Down, Volume Seven) occasionally rub shoulders
with some dubious selections. Most of the tunes are the original
versions, though the producers sneak in the occasional cover. Some
liner notes would have been nice, too, to provide context and tell
(or remind) us when these songs were released. Many of us were too
carried away to remember. (GP/eC) |