Children of Zion : the High Note singles collection

"Left out of pocket by producer Joe Gibbs despite the success of Culture's "Two Sevens Clash" among punk rockers, songwriter Joseph Hill took the rasta harmony group to rival mogul Sonia Pottinger, this three-disc set documenting the blizzard of singles they released for "Mrs P" in the late 1970s, including dub and DJ cuts. Less weighty than their works for Gibbs (who kept putting out "new" Culture material into the 1980s), Children Of Zion has primary-coloured melodies aplenty, "Natty Never get Weary", "Jah Rasatafari" and "Trod On" putting a smiley face on the dreadest of themes ... Hill's joyful take on the apocalypse beams on".

"After topping the reggae charts on both sides of the Atlantic with the apocalyptic "Two Sevens Clash", roots trio Culture formed an alliance with producer Sonia Pottinger, who paired them with the Revolutionaries for a series of sublime albums, issued by Virgin between 1977-79. At the same time, Pottinger issued singles on her High Note and Sky Note labels, and this brilliant 3-CD compilation gathers all of them, with previously unreleased disco mixes that heighten the appeal. Songs like "Work On Natty", "Stop The Fighting" and "Down In Jamaica" capture the group at their magnificent best and the dub B-sides allow us to better appreciate the musical intricacies ... Essential listening for Culture fans".