Debut album from a long-lasting British reggae band. Heavily-inspired by Bob Marley, they got their first big break opening for him in Europe, and were apparently terrified of the man. Imagine that, being scared of Bob- a perpetually stoned fellow who tirelessly preached peace, love, and unity.

Like most reggae acts of the time, Steel Pulse was heavily concerned with heritage, historical wrongs, and herb, as evidenced by song titles like Ku Klux Klan, Bad Man, and Macka Splaff. Their style, especially at this point, was very similar to Bob’s, with laid-back guitar and organ jams decorated by David Hinds’ Marley-esque voice (although his hair, which was frequently sculpted into a tower of weirdness, is entirely his own). Groovy for the most, with lyrics less lovey and more incendiary than something Bob would do.

Handsworth Revolution was named after the band’s hometown, a suburb of Birmingham, England, and center of the British car industry (I’m envisioning the rougher part of Detroit with Rastas instead of gangbangers). British though they were, they shake their finger at the sceptered isle on Soldiers for its maltreatment of the world, and “Babylon” in general on the title track. They were kind of cranky, to say the least, though they sound mellow enough.

Highlights include the funky Prodigal Son, the flamenco guitar-adorned Prediction, and Sound Check, where we get praises to Jah and a little harmonica (a little is all anyone ever needs of that instrument). Really, though, the whole album sounds like itself throughout, which fans might call “consistent” and detractors “samey”.

I’d probably recommend the more atmospheric Aswad over these guys, but Steel Pulse’s first three albums are far from worthless. Handsworth is by far the strongest of the trio, and placed them at the forefront of the late 70’s reggae scene. All three are available on Sound System: The Island Anthology, but be forewarned that the Ku Klux Klan you’ll find on there is the 12” version. I usually prefer shorter album versions over longer remixes, but what you won’t get on here is Nyah Love, the song that got them signed, or Bun Dem, the excellent B-side of KKK. It all just depends on how much Steel Pulse you feel you need.

If you like and have explored the Marley stuff, then Steel Pulse is a natural step from there. They weren’t as revolutionary as Black Uhuru or Aswad in their use of then-new technology, nor did they conjure up the smell of sea salt and bananas the way Burning Spear did. They were politically-minded and very competent on their instruments, and if their melodies weren’t that memorable, the lyrics had a fiery anger that made them interesting. Check it out.

Recommended: Yes