''Victims'' is an album by the South African musician
Lucky Dube
Lucky Philip Dube (pronounced ''duu-beh'';
luckydubemusic.com, Retrieved 19 October 2007
, released in 1993. It has sold more than a million copies. Lucky Dube supported the album with a North American tour.
Production
The album was produced by Richard Siluma and
Simon Law
Simon Law (born 28 May 1961, in Luton, England) is a producer, keyboardist and songwriter for Soul II Soul.
Career
Law is an original member of Soul II Soul. The band had a #1 UK hit single with "Back to Life (However Do You Want Me)", where h ...
. The title track, about black-on-black crime, references
Bob Marley
Robert Nesta Marley (6 February 1945 – 11 May 1981; baptised in 1980 as Berhane Selassie) was a Jamaican singer, musician, and songwriter. Considered one of the pioneers of reggae, his musical career was marked by fusing elements o ...
's "
Redemption Song
"Redemption Song" is a song by Jamaican singer Bob Marley. It is the final track on Bob Marley and the Wailers' twelfth album, ''Uprising'', produced by Chris Blackwell and released by Island Records. The song is considered one of Marley's gre ...
". "Keep On Knocking" is about the love of a mother for her child. Lucky Dube based his lyrics on the experiences of real people, rather than news coverage of political events.
Lucky Dube used a horn section and emphasized a more rock guitar style. Lucky Dube's backing band, the Slaves, performed on ''Victims''.
Critical reception
''
The Philadelphia Inquirer
''The Philadelphia Inquirer'' is a daily newspaper headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The newspaper's circulation is the largest in both the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the Delaware Valley metropolitan region of Southeastern Pennsy ...
'' wrote that "Lucky Dube's buttery baritone, Rasta preacher vibe and relaxed old-style groove will come as a delight to fans of the classic Wailers records."
[ The '']Chicago Tribune
The ''Chicago Tribune'' is a daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States, owned by Tribune Publishing. Founded in 1847, and formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" (a slogan for which WGN radio and television ar ...
'' noted that the album "mixes Jamaican and African influences with a sharply modern pop-oriented approach." ''The Tampa Tribune
''The Tampa Tribune'' was a daily newspaper published in Tampa, Florida. Along with the competing ''Tampa Bay Times'', the ''Tampa Tribune'' was one of two major newspapers published in the Tampa Bay area.
The newspaper also published a ''St. Pe ...
'' called it "an appealing blend of solid, grooving music with a concern for the plight of the oppressed."
''The Gazette
The Gazette (stylized as the GazettE), formerly known as , is a Japanese visual kei Rock music, rock band, formed in Kanagawa Prefecture, Kanagawa in early 2002.''Shoxx'' Vol 106 June 2007 pg 40-45 The band is currently signed to Sony Music Recor ...
'' determined that "the singer's studio delivery always seems less fiery, less passionate ... that has never been truer than on his latest release." ''The Boston Globe
''The Boston Globe'' is an American daily newspaper founded and based in Boston, Massachusetts. The newspaper has won a total of 27 Pulitzer Prizes, and has a total circulation of close to 300,000 print and digital subscribers. ''The Boston Glob ...
'' stated that "smooth horns and a myriad of percussion instruments keep things moving seamlessly as Dube tackles his usual themes of oppression, racism and liberation in the spiritual and physical sense." The ''Boston Herald
The ''Boston Herald'' is an American daily newspaper whose primary market is Boston, Massachusetts, and its surrounding area. It was founded in 1846 and is one of the oldest daily newspapers in the United States. It has been awarded eight Pulit ...
'' concluded that Lucky Dube's "range of material—from heart-wrenching groovers to tough-minded reggae-rockers—and vivid arrangements make this album a contemporary roots reggae treasure."
AllMusic
AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...
wrote that the album "manages to ease him into a lighter, more commercial setting without diluting his message or sound."The Columbus Dispatch
''The Columbus Dispatch'' is a daily newspaper based in Columbus, Ohio. Its first issue was published on July 1, 1871, and it has been the only mainstream daily newspaper in the city since ''The Columbus Citizen-Journal'' ceased publication in 19 ...
'' included ''Victims'' on its list of the best albums of 1993.
Track listing
References
{{reflist
1993 albums
Shanachie Records albums
Albums by South African artists