Third World Albums (19)
'Black Gold & Green'
Release Date 7/26/2005
Tracks 13
Label Shanachie
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What The Critics Say
Roots fans who have trouble coming to terms with Third World's embracing of pop and slick are going to find Black Gold & Green the most positive step forward the band has taken in a decade or so, but nearly as uneven and frustrating as usual. The opening title track is an effervescent and ultimately empty ode to their island home, but it's the Third World problem in a nutshell: giving bland, safe material the same importance and enthusiasm as the truly deep material. The good news is the album has more vital material than expected, most of it hungry, inspired, and the polar opposite of the gimmicky filler. "Nah Sweat"'s brilliant couplet "While they gamble on the e trade/I and I and I and I bun on a high grade" gives listeners a beach-eye view of how some Jamaicans see the world, while an excellent version of Junior Byles' ominous "Fade Away" earns the fist-pumping on the album's cover. The bright and sunny take on Ashford & Simpson's "Solid" is more genuine than expected, while the acoustic version of "There's a Reward" sprinkles some sweetness on the generally righteous album. Add to this a driven version of Bruce Cockburn's "Lovers in a Dangerous Time" and it sounds like a winner, but the drab, overly synthetic numbers still take up too much space to call this classic. ~ David Jeffries, All Music Guide
'Riddim Haffa Rule'
Release Date 10/4/2004
Tracks 11
Label Music Avenue
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What The Critics Say
Third World has always been very much a pop-reggae band, preferring slickness over roots authenticity. So on this live two-CD set, the defining moment doesn't come when they reprise their big hits -- "Now That We Found Love," "96 in the Shade," or "Try Jah Love" -- but when they cover the Police's faux-reggae "Do Do Do, Da Da Da." It might not be quite as bland as the original, but it's close. And that's what Third World does -- they water down reggae and add touches of soul and pop, making it easier for mass consumption. There's nothing intrinsically wrong with that; it's their shtick, and they've got it down to an art. However, it's a very dated type of shtick; musically they're still stuck in the '80s, which was the period of their greatest success. They can even get into the quiet storm type of soul on "Conversation." Again, none of this is necessarily bad. But you have to question its relevance, little different than any other band dishing up hits from 20 years in the past without moving on and being creative. Third World can play and sing more than competently, but their hearts don't seem to be in the music -- it's all show. ~ Chris Nickson, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
After a re-grouping and three year hiatus, reggae's crossover kings returned with Generation Coming, an album that delivers the kind of accessible if tame, pop-flavored reggae that their fans have come to expect. The title track captures the band at their best, with a bouncy beat and hopeful lyrics. The cover tunes don't fare as well, with Third World offering an embarrassingly weak Police cover, "Da Do Do Do," a bland treatment of Randy Newman's "Baltimore," and a mediocre showing of the O'Jays' "Love Train." The re-mix of "Reggae Party with Shaggy and Bounty Killer, glimpses the kind of fire that the group is capable of. ~ Rosalind Cummings-Yeates, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Committed not only proclaimed Third World's renewed commitment to reggae and Rastafarian culture, but it also signaled the group's new label and theoretical new start. From the bold red, gold, and green of the Ethiopian flag on the CD's back cover to the equally prominent Lion of Judah, Third World was intent on displaying where their heart was. Indeed, the vocals and musical arrangements are fresher and more reggae-focused than anything the group had done in the previous five years. From the bass-heavy groove of the opening track, "Riddim Haffe Rule," to the sweet lovers rock melodies on the title song, Third World was back with a vengeance. Make no mistake, the pop orientation that the band had adopted during decades of playing is still here, from the pop-light tones on "Living for the Sunshine" to the sappy "Love Needs a Little More Love." But it appears to a much lesser degree, and gems like the patois-laden "Mi Legal" more than make up for the less authentic tunes. ~ Rosalind Cummings-Yeates, All Music Guide
'You've Got the Power'
Release Date 10/25/1990
Tracks 9
Label Columbia
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What The Critics Say
When Third World collaborated with Stevie Wonder, the reggae band was rewarded with their second highest charting single, "Try Jah Love," a Top 25 R&B hit. Its follow-up was another Wonder-written and produced single, the ominous-toned "You're Playing Us Too Close," which perfectly captures some of the '80s-era concerns of people of color. Other standouts are the soft inspiring title track and a nice cover of the Bacharach/David song and Chuck Jackson hit "I Wake Up Crying." [You've Got the Power was reissued on CD in October. "Try Jah Love" is also on Reggae Ambassadors: 20th Anniversary Collection and Super Hits.] ~ Ed Hogan, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Third World's self-produced Sense of Purpose fused the group's forward-thinking reggae sound with some of the stylistic changes that were occurring during the mid-'80s. The band, which was coming off a number 23 R&B hit, "Try Jah Love" (written and produced by Stevie Wonder), incorporated hip-hop/dance influences into the title track single, "Sense of Purpose." As remixed by Shep Pettibone, the track is built on a "Planet Rock"-type beat, interesting lyrics, and some of Third World's most shimmering harmonies. It received massive radio play in substantial markets during the spring of 1985. The soft-chugging album track "World of Uncertainty" earned lots of radio play, with its lyrics taking on a special poignancy during later times. Other standouts are the thrusting, peace-themed "Children of the World," the wistfully innocent "Can't Get You (Outta My Mind)," the simmering second single "One to One," and the delicate "Girl From Hiroshima," which no doubt stirred sales for Sense of Purpose as a popular radio-aired album track. The poor chart showings of Sense of Purpose and its singles probably led to Third World departing Columbia for Mercury, where the band's debut single for the label, Forbidden Love with rapper Daddy O, was a number 17 R&B hit in the spring of 1989. Some of the album's tracks, including "Sense of Purpose," are on Hip-O's Ultimate Collection, the Sony Legacy CD Super Hits, and Reggae Ambassadors: 20th Anniversary Collection. ~ Ed Hogan, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Third World's combination of reggae and pop was in the forefront on their second release for the Columbia label in 1983, All the Way Strong. While this isn't the most memorable record in Third World's large discography, it is worth checking out for fans, especially since it was reissued by Collectables in 2004 as part of their Budget Collection series. ~ Al Campbell, All Music Guide
