Jah Shaka has found great success by returning to the studio legendary roots artists whose careers had slipped under the wire with time. The mighty Prince Alla is the latest in this high caliber league to undergo Shaka's back from the past attack. It may be 1996, but listeners unaware of Jah Children Gather Round's genesis will be forgiven for thinking this is a long-lost Alla album dug up from the archives. The deep roots atmosphere, the sparse instrumentation, Earl Flabba Holt's thick as a boa constrictor and just as sinuous bassline, the General's militant beats, Felix Deadly Headly Bennett's bright blasts of brass, everything about this set including the production and arrangement reeks of the early '80s, with only the synth occasionally giving the game away. Alla certainly doesn't, he sounds as good, if not better, than he did during the roots era, filling the entire album with strong and thoughtful cultural messages. And with Johnny Clarke providing the close harmonies, even the one updated number on the set, Born a Fighter, reaches new heights. Every track here is notable, kicking off with the militant tinged rallying cry Gather Round, while the more delicate adoration of Rastafari comes from the other end of the roots spectrum. Togo the Lion, an incendiary version of the Drum Song riddim, is lethal, even though the lion doesn't roar as much as snarl like a peeved kitten. The sufferer's song It Ain't Easy is particularly haunting, a touch of jazzy horns beautifully illuminates the Righteous, while King Midas is a strong retelling of the legendary regent. Captive Birds and Souls to Save are both themed around justice (or lack of it) provided by both man's and Jah's law. By album's end you, like Alla, will Feel the Spirit, as the singer, musicians, and Jah Shaka re-energize the roots realm. ~ Jo-Ann Greene, Rovi

1		Gather Round
2		Rastafari
3		Togo the Lion
4		It Ain't Easy
5		Righteous
6		King Midas
7		Captive Birds
8		Souls to Save
9		Feel the Spirit
10		Born a Fighter

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