Just who are the Chosen Brothers? Why, Lloyd Bullwackie Barnes and members of his Wackies stable, of course. Renowned as a producer, Barnes actually began his career as a singer back in the ska age, cutting Time Is Hard for Prince Buster. Perhaps that background is why Barnes consistently brought out the best in his artists, even when they proved less than worthy of his fabulous riddims. On occasion, the producer picked up the mic himself, cutting the occasional single under the Brothers alias before releasing the self-produced, full-length Sing Shout album in 1985. Once a singer, always a singer, and six years later, Barnes recorded his sophomore album, this time sharing the production credit with Jackie Mittoo and Sugar Minott. No doubts then, that Keep on Dancing is one sweet set. The title track is actually a recut of a song from Barnes' debut set, and stands the test of time and change in styles well. The producer had spent most of the '80s unleashing phenomenal rockers riddims, but by this time he had come to grips with the more minimalistic sound of the dancehall. Even so, Barnes hadn't lost his love of strong melodies, which continue to be the fulcrum of his productions. Just check out his covers of Don't Be Afraid and Smoke Gets in Your Eyes for proof of that, or the sumptuous versions he creates elsewhere, be it the bouncy Real Rock that powers his emotive cultural number Keep the Peace, or his splendidly tinkling take on My Conversation utilized on Good Feeling. The riddims are absolutely fabulous, and although you'd think by now Barnes had versioned some of them to death, they're dancehall fresh and uniformly seeped in sparkling electric keyboards and lush organs. He excels, too, as a singer on most of the numbers, positively glowing on Dancing in the Rain and the equally romantic Girl I Wonder. His dulcet tones light up True Love and Feeling, while his emotions quiver on How Can I Be Sure, then command on the cultural numbers Peace and Stand Up. Equally notable are the harmonies splendidly layered across the set. A satisfying album on multiple levels that was aimed both at the lovers rock market and the contemporary dancehall scene, even older fans who derided the digitized riddims of the day would find this a winning, winsome set. ~ Jo-Ann Greene, Rovi

1		Don`t Be Afraid
2		Keep On Dancing
3		Dancing In The Rain
4		Girl I Wonder
5		True Love
6		Keep The Peace
7		Good Feeling
8		Smoke Get In Your Eyes
9		How Can I Be Sure
10		Stand Up

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