Love Is So True

One of the greatest reggae singers of all time, Dennis Brown made an incredible impact during a career that spanned four decades, his reign cut short by his tragically early death from a collapsed lung in 1999, aged just 42. First released in 1995 under the title Take A Stand and also known as Temperature Is Rising, the album Love Is So True was expertly produced by Anthony Dehaney, alias Bunny Gemini, at the Record Factory studios in Kingston, then home to some of the better dancehall being cut in Jamaica.

Along with saxophonist/arranger Dean Fraser and the Fire House Crew and Rhythm Twins Sly and Robbie, the featured musicians include the stalwart keyboardist Ansel Collins of Double Barrel and Stalag fame, guitarist Lascelles Beckford and bassist Danny "Axe Man" Thompson of the Gifted Roots band, trumpeter David Madden of Zap Pow, and keyboardist Dennis "Jah D" Fearon.

The keen musicianship brought forth by these players helped coax the best out of Brown on songs such as Never Let Your Heart Be Troubled, which rides a tough re-cut of the Full Up rhythm, and Temperature Is Rising, on a durable re-cut of the Far East / Jah Shakey rhythm; A Little Respect makes use of a bouncing update of Pressure And Slide, the meditative Sea Shore is on a great dancehall cut of Real Rock, and the anti-rude boy Gangster is voiced on a beautiful dancehall interpretation of Freedom Blues. There's even a dancehall take of the Beatles You Wont See Me, delivered as only Dennis Brown can, as well as a likeable re-make of Dennis' own Have You Ever.

Tracklist

1. Is It Me Your'e Loving
2. Sea Shore
3. Youre Mine
4. Gangster
5. Something In Reserve
6. Have You Ever
7. Love Is So True
8. Never Let Your Heart Be Troubled
9. Take A Stand
10. You Wont See Me
11. Never Stop Trying