Joe Higgs - Life Of Contradiction (Pressure Sounds) CD

Joe Higgs first came to prominence in the early sixties as one half of the Higgs & Wilson duo of Manny Oh fame, cutting sides for Coxsone including the original versions of There’s A Reward and Song My Enemy Sings. He is credited with acting as vocal coach to both the Wailing Souls and The Wailers, his influence perhaps most apparent in the vocal style of Peter Tosh. He broke away from Coxsone to forge a career as a solo artist in the early seventies when he recorded this album in 1972 with the Now Generation Band, originally scheduled for release through Island, it finally emerged on Micron in 1975 (Grounation in the UK). Always highly regarded by the few who heard it, its unique charms were far removed from the rasta roots of the day and the album has been hard to find since the end of that decade. Pressure Sounds have now made it available again, completely re-mastered and featuring the distinctive original artwork. The CD features two extra tracks, both also reissued in their original format (on Higgs’ Elevation label in Jamaica) as 7” singles by Pressure Sounds, Let Us Do Something and its instrumental version Freedom Journey by trombonist Karl Masters & Joe Higgs, the vinyl issue is the same as the original release. Higgs passed away in 1999, and this is a fitting tribute and testimony to his talent and influence.

Track Listing:
1. Come On Home
2. Got To make A Way
3. Wake Up & Live
4. Life Of Contradiction
5. Who Brought Down The Curtains,
6. There’s A Reward
7. Hard Times Don’t Bother Me
8. My Baby Still Loves Me
9. She Was The One
10. Song My Enemy Sings
11. Let Us Do Something*
12. Freedom Journey – Karl Masters & Joe Higgs*
CD Bonus tracks*