Named after
Latin Quarter
's most popular song,
Radio Africa
compiles tracks from the group's three '80s albums --
Modern Times
,
Mick and Caroline
, and
Swimming Against the Stream
-- none of which had yet appeared on CD when this collection was released in 1997.
's heavily political lyrics may not be understood by some, especially when the band's references are too obscure or forgotten in the passage of time. When the music is taken into focus,
sounds best when the group strays from their
folk-rock
origins. The ghostly keyboards and woeful vocals of
"No Rope As Long As Time,"
confronting apartheid and violence in South Africa with sadness and anger, hasn't lost its punch even when lyrics like "
Nelson Mandela
in the prison" make it outdated. The risk of tackling current issues, no matter how controversial, in
rock & roll
is that the succeeding years can render the words irrelevant. Nevertheless, the cuts from
-- mainly
"Radio Africa,"
"America for Beginners,"
and
"Toulouse"
-- remain fresh and engaging.
channels the socially conscious rage of
the Clash
into a design of their own, borrowing from
folk
soul
, dance,
reggae
new wave
. ~ Michael Sutton