Description
Toots And The Maytals’ status as one of music’s all-time greats is unassailable. Their 1968 single ‘Do The Reggay’ literally gave the genre its name, and subsequent hits ‘Pressure Drop’, ‘Monkey Man’ and ’54-46 (That’s My Number)’ are immortal.
With their joy and defiance in the face of adversity, their music has inspired one generation after another and will continue to do so ad infinitum. When it comes to ‘Got To Be Tough’, their first album of original material in over a decade, frontman Frederick ‘Toots’ Hibbert and co. are a band with little to prove. Nearly 60 years since they formed, The Maytals’ message of resistance remains the same. Politically minded, brutally honest but maintaining the heartfelt and soulful nature of reggae and ska, Got To Be Tough calls the world to task, and has them dancing all the while. It’s bright and glossy, full of boisterous horns and chugging guitars. It’s a maximalist record, every corner crammed with one noise or another – subtlety is not the order of the day…..the perfect COVID19 companion…& well beyond…..it’ll have you dancing “like no-one is watching”!! And we need more of that!!
