Tings an' Times
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| Tings an' Times | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1991 | |||
| Studio | Sparkside, Dulwich Road, London | |||
| Genre | Reggae, dub, spoken word | |||
| Label | Shanachie[1] | |||
| Producer | Linton Kwesi Johnson, Dennis Bovell | |||
| Linton Kwesi Johnson chronology | ||||
| ||||
Tings an' Times is an album by the Jamaican dub poet Linton Kwesi Johnson, released in 1991.[2][3] It was Johnson's first album in six years.[4] Tings an' Times also served as the title of a book of Johnson's poetry.[5]
The album was produced by Johnson and Dennis Bovell.[6] Johnson was again backed by the Dub Band, with the sound fleshed out by the addition of accordion and violin.[7][8] Steve Gregory contributed on flute and saxophone.[9]
Critical reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [10] |
| Robert Christgau | A[11] |
| The Encyclopedia of Popular Music | [12] |
| Los Angeles Times |  [7] |
| Orlando Sentinel | [13] |
| The Rolling Stone Album Guide | [8] |
| Spin Alternative Record Guide | 8/10[14] |
Robert Christgau wrote that "the riddims skip by on Dennis Bovell's ska-speedy tempos, graced with tricky guitar hooks and colored with fiddle and accordion that sing Hungary and Algeria and Colombia and the Rio Grande."[11] The Los Angeles Times lamented that "Johnson’s delivery is both tentative and buried a bit in the mix, lessening the impact."[7] The Orlando Sentinel opined that "Johnson's thoughtful lyrics float over gorgeous elongated reggae tracks flavored with jazz-influenced horns, accordion, piano, violin and flute."[13] The Commercial Appeal noted that Johnson's "spry quips and brusque cadences [ride] over tough rhythms."[15]
AllMusic thought that Johnson's "outlook is intensely African, and his socio-political lyrics (some in English, some in an African language) are a passionate call for democracy in Africa."[10] The Spin Alternative Record Guide praised the "increased doses of joy and irony in LKJ's meditations."[14] Trouser Press deemed Tings an' Times "an upbeat but stringently critical album that is at once traditional and modern."[1]
