One of the most astounding debuts in Jamaican history, Message from the Meditations arrived in late 1976 like a revelation. Dobby Dobson took production credit, although three of the tracks -- the gorgeous There Must Be a First Time, the deeply cultural Rastaman Prayer, and the lovely and timely Running From Jamaica -- were recorded at Black Ark Studio with Lee Scratch Perry at the controls. Tricked was overseen by bandmember Ansel Cridland, while Woman Is Like a Shadow had been moldering on the shelf at Channel One until Dobson asked JoJo Hookim for it. The album compiled up many of the Meditations' singles to date, including Babylon Trap Them and "Woman Piabba," which were originally released as solo singles by Danny Clarke and Winston Watson, respectively, while the aforementioned Tricked was credited to Ansel the Meditations. In fact, it was with Message From the Meditations that the Meditations were officially born, although the three men had been backing each other's songs since 1974. Even though the tracks were recorded over a two-year period at a number of different studios with a variety of backing musicians, Message, amazingly enough, still has an album feel about the set. This is doubly surprising considering the range of styles and themes within, ranging from the militant Tricked and Babylon Trap Them to the dubby rocker of Running, through the sweet reggae of First Time and Shadow, and on to the lighthearted Piabba and Do Mama Do. Seven of the tracks were released as singles, virtually all were hits, and the remaining three were equally worthy. All three men's songs are showcased, with each taking lead vocals along the way. The harmonies are gorgeous, with the arrangements, mostly rocker-styled, showcasing each of the numbers to their best. An absolute masterpiece. ~ Jo-Ann Greene, Rovi

1		Running from Jamaica
2		There Must Be a First Time
3		Tricked
4		Do Mama Do
5		Rome
6		Woman Is Like a Shadow
7		Babylon Trap Them
8		Woman Piabba
9		Changing Times
10		Rastaman Prayer

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