The Jukebox Rebel

The first Maytals LP was released without their say so. Like so many Jamaican singers, the trio were seeing very little of the proceeds of their work. Producer Coxsone Dodd was the man cashing in, even going so far as to take extreme liberties by licensing titles to Island UK under pseudonyms such as The Flames and The Vikings. “Never Grow Old”, the album, was all the doing of the bolshie Dodd. Unfortunate background aside, the album does a fine job of rounding up Maytals hit sides of 1962 and 1963. The title-track serves as a simply joyous opener… the harmonies are ace and the Skatalites are razor sharp. The swinging “My Destination” is another first-side highlight; again all ingredients are terrific from harmonies to trombone to the tough back beat. Not so great throughout the album are the ventures into western pop territories; “True Love” and “Don’t Let” are the worst of the offenders. These probably sound better to Jamaican ears – Americans or Brits probably heard them as the second-class derivatives that they were. Lead singer Frederick Hibbert and producer Dodd share the song-writing credits throughout, excepting the politically inspired “War No More”, a traditional which was originally recorded (as far as anyone knows) as “I Ain’t Goin’ to Study War No More” by Fisk University Jubilee Singers away back in December 1920. It stands as a nice statement on the album and leads nicely into the soul stirring Ska finale of “Tell Me You Love Me”. A patchy set all in all – but with enough worthwhile selections to merit a decent rating.

The Jukebox Rebel
12–Feb–2012

A1	[02:06] The Maytals - I’ll Never Grow Old (Clement Seymour Dodd, Frederick Hibbert) Ska / Rocksteady
A2	[02:38] The Maytals - Sweet Sweet Jenny (Clement Seymour Dodd, Frederick Hibbert) Ska / Rocksteady
A3	[02:57] The Maytals - Are You Mine (Clement Seymour Dodd, Frederick Hibbert) Rock n Roll Ballad
A4	[02:43] The Maytals - Matthew Mark (Clement Seymour Dodd, Frederick Hibbert) Ska / Rocksteady
A5	[02:44] The Maytals - My Destination (Clement Seymour Dodd, Frederick Hibbert) Ska / Rocksteady
A6	[02:56] The Maytals - True Love (Clement Seymour Dodd, Frederick Hibbert) Pop
B1	[02:24] The Maytals - Just Got To Be (Clement Seymour Dodd, Frederick Hibbert) Ska / Rocksteady
B2	[02:43] The Maytals - Treat Me Bad (Clement Seymour Dodd, Frederick Hibbert) Ska / Rocksteady
B3	[02:39] The Maytals - Hallelujah (Clement Seymour Dodd, Frederick Hibbert) Ska / Rocksteady
B4	[03:02] The Maytals - Don’t Let (Clement Seymour Dodd, Frederick Hibbert) Pop
B5	[02:55] The Maytals - War No More (Traditional) Ska / Rocksteady
B6	[02:29] The Maytals - Tell Me You Love Me (Clement Seymour Dodd, Frederick Hibbert) Ska / Rocksteady

ratings by TJR