Happines is........ finding Lloyd Parks for 9 euros....

It was a sunny thursday afternoon, and I was grazing in the reggae section of Twist & Shout....and oh what joy, I found a Lloyd Parks album for 9 euros.......The album kicks of with Wonderfull Moment, a nice 'n positive song, but way too dull, something wich tends to happen regurlary with Trojan productions, then We'll Get over it (available in an earlier version on the Impact! compilation, see below), not as haunting as the Impact version, but still a righteous lament of a man in the ghetto who tries to hold his faith together. Baby Hang up the phone comes on pretty cheesy (it is said to have been a minor hit), but you just have to like Lloyd's beautifull falsetto voice which is capable of very soulfull sounds. In Wolf, the whole biblical rasta theme is used over a rocking rhythm with a kind of Linval Thompson style-vocal performance. Nice, but not stunning, which brings us to the next track: Carl Douglas' hit song from the Tv Series Kung Fu Fighting kicks as hard as The Honarable Bruce Lee, with fuzzy psychedelic guitars on top, making the whole thing into a real pleasant and funky experience, why isn't this track on a Dynamite compilation? I instantly forgive this man for any cheesy and boring love song with strings he did. Side A ends with Forgive Me, again a mediocre song with soulfull lyrics, but still pleasant. Upon hearing the first song of the next side, joy filled my heart and I felt a huge amount of endorphine being pumped into my bloodstream. I already heard this version of Minnie Ripperton's classic Loving You before, but was not able to figure out whose version it was, and now finally, the really, really nice & funky reggae version of one of my alltime favourite soul songs. What I actually mean is do yourself a favour and buy a Minnie Ripperton compilation. But then again, I don't wanna live anymore without the Lloyd Parks version neither, why isn't this track on a Dynamite compilation? Wrapped up is the weakest spot on the album, so let's not get into that cheesy stuff. Next up is Strike, a militant rockers song, done pretty good, but Lloyd's voice seems to be more credible for soulfull and desperate stuff. He just not is the rasta type with the camouflage and all, he's definitely the romantic one...which might explain why the ballad I'll Be Your Man is that deep. And I mean deep, as deep as Dave Godin's Deep Soul treasures....is that If Loving you is Wrong, I don't wanna be Right I'm hearing? The Wonder of You also has been released as a single, but not really as convincing as whe know from the last song he can go way deeper. The last track Push Push has a very groovy and familar rocking riddim with nice horn sections.In conclusion it can be said that the album is great, but it is only essential for someone into funky reggae.

Tracklist: Wonderfull Moment, We'll get over it, Baby Hang up the Phone, Wolf, KungFu Fighting, Forgive Me, Loving You, Wrapped Up, Strike, I'll Be Your Man, Wonder of You, Push Push

Engineered by Errol Thompson & Ernest,
Produced by LLoyd Parks,
Arranged by Lloyd Parks,
Recorded at Randy's, Channel One, Studios
Bass: Lloyd Parks,
Guitars: Raughy McLean, Rad Bryan,
Drums: Sly Dunbar,
Organ: Ansel Collins,
Harmonica: Ansel Collins

Other releases: Officially Parks - Lloyd Parks ATLP 1009 GirlIn The Morning -Lloyd Parks TRLS 109
also check the essential Soul Jazz release Impact! Rare and Unreleased Reggae, Funk & Soul from the Vault of Impact and Randys Records, for the ultimate version of Lloyd's We'll Get over It. And the wonderfull Mafia 7 inch on pressure sounds of course.......