line up 1 (1969-)

- Lloyd "Judge" Ferguson (aka The Judge, aka  Judge Diamond)  --

  vocals 

- Donald "Tabby" Shaw -- vocals 

- Fitzroy "Bunny" Simpson -- vocals

- none known

Genre: reggae

Rating: 4 stars ****

Title:  Indestructible

Company: Alligator

Catalog: AL 8303
Year: 1990

Country/State: Trenchtown, Jamaica

Grade (cover/record): VG+/VG+

Comments: --

Available: 1

Catalog ID: 5466

Price: $15.00

Teamed with producer Augustus 'Gussie' Clarke, 1981's "Changes" featured updated and reworked versions of older songs.  The album was originally released on the small Music Works label, but in an odd partnership, Bruce Iglauer's Chicago-based blues oriented Alligator label acquired US distribution rights.  As far as I know it was Alligator's only venture into reggae ...  

"Changes" Music Works 

catalog number #BSLP 11981)

I've never really understood the way marketing departments work, but for some reason Alligator decided to repackage the LP.   Retitled "Indestructible" the album was given new cover art and the track 'Wanna Be With You' was replaced with two songs - 'Tamarind Farm' and 'Wise Son'.  Beats me what the logic was.  Anyone know?  Musically the results were quite good - certainly one of their better LPs.   They'd always been more commercial than much of the competition and tracks like the easy going 'Party Time', 'Love Is Never Hard To Find' and 'All I Have Is Love' underscored their penchant for accessibility - great soul influenced vocal harmonies and melodies that would have sounded great on top-40 radio. That wasn't to say they were beyond making political, or social statements - anyone who thought they were just a reggae pop band need only check out 'No Crying, No Bawling', or 'Revolution'.  Music Works tapped the album for a single in the form of 'Pass the Kouchie' b/w 'Version'.  The song proved a hit in Jamaica, but the UK-based kid band Musical Youth scored a worldwide pop hit with their modified cover of the track.  Aware that a pro-weed song probably wouldn't get much airplay, they replaced 'Pass the Kochie' with the lyric 'Pass the Dutchie' which was a slang word for a cooking pot.

"Indestructible" track listing:
(side 1)

1.) Tamarind Farm   (Lloyd Ferguson - Fitzroy Simpson - Donald Shaw) - 4:33

2.) Party Time   (Sibbles) - 3:48

3.) No Crying, No Bawling   (Lloyd Ferguson - Fitzroy Simpson - Donald Shaw) - 4:52

4.) Love Is Never Hard To Find   (Lloyd Ferguson - Fitzroy Simpson - Donald Shaw) - 3:46

5.) All I Have Is Love   (Johnny Osbourne) - 3:15

(side 2)
1.) Pass the Kouchie   (Lloyd Ferguson - Fitzroy Simpson) - 3:32

2.) Hurting Inside   (Rita Marley) - 3:43

3.) Wise Son   () - 2:44

4.) Your Heart's Desire   (Lloyd Ferguson - Fitzroy Simpson - Donald Shaw) - 3:44

5.) Fancy Lady (Superstar)   (Lloyd Ferguson - Fitzroy Simpson - Donald Shaw) - 3:02

6.) Revolution   (Lloyd Ferguson) - 3:38

Thanks to YouTube you can see a love performance of 'Pass the Kouchie':

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5JcCQlZXMAM&feature=related