Review of Dennis Brown's LET ME BE THE ONE

Up until his death, Dennis Brown was in the studio recording music. And despite all his battles with drugs, he still managed to lay down some of the best vocals of the time.

It seems like there have been half a dozen albums "recorded right before" Dennis' death, and Let Me Be the One is another. This one, though, may be the best of the bunch.

The title track starts things off nicely, with some classic Dennis vocals over solid, upbeat production by Don C. Hewitt. "Catch Me If You Can" and "I Dig You Baby" follow it up with some more positive modern lovers sounds. All the songs are solo cuts, aside from "Baby, I'm a Want You," a solid duet with Gregory Isaacs.

"Keep Your Love a Coming" is one of the album's best cuts, a lovers song with a more classic roots sound. "Keep it Up Girl" is another cut in the same vein, and is also quite strong.

Some of the cuts fall a little short, like "Never My Love," mainly because due to the production. The album's closer, "A Song for Dennis," is also not particularly strong (the drums are awkwardly mixed). All-in-all, though, Hewitt's production stands up to Brown's strong vocal presence.

Dennis' catalog is absolutely extensive, and this work from near the end of his career (and life) is a good example of how capable a singer he was. It's good to know that the Crown Prince of Reggae went out singing.

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