Toyan - Spar With Me

You See ... Strictly Dancehall

Reviewed by Hans on September 05, 2007

VP Records hit the streets with 80's re-releases in the series "Reggae Rewind". The series features classic and essential reggae and dancehall albums remastered and re-issued.

One of the latest Reggae Rewind releases is the re-issue of danchehall Toyan's 1982 album 'Spar With Me'.

After Toyan's co-operation with Roots Tradition producer Don Mais, Toyan made his debut album in 1981 for Greensleeves Records: 'How The West Was Won', produced by Henry Junjo Lawes. A year after this Toyan's second album was released: 'Spar With Me' on Jah Guidance Records.

When playing the LP you can hear how similar Toyan's 1982 DJ style is to his 1981 style. Toyan used his trade-mark shout-outs like 'You see ... ' and 'Do It Jah ..' again. As on 'How The West Was Won' Toyan's DJ style and The Roots Radics rhythms on this album are a perfect match. As you might expect, Junjo used some well known rhythms like 'Gunman', 'Zunguzunguguzunguzeng' and Little John's 'Dancehall Style'. While Toyan is riding the Volcano rhythms with his murderous DJ style all flowing together with the rhythm section. I keep on skanking to this album - wherever i'm playing it!

Together with the ten original 1982 album tracks and the original front and backcover design, this re-issue brings two extra tracks. The first is 'Walk And Talk With Jah', released before by VP Records and the second is 'Stylee', which was originally recorded in 1985. Listen to the different sounds of the 'zunguzunguguzunguzeng' rhythm on 'Braga-Dat' and 'Stylee'.

It's a scorcher album, recorded at the zenith of the dancehall reggae scene.

Hans - Roots Archives, September 2007
Edited by Leggo Rocker