"As
always, Big Youth performs like a cool king of riddim,
bubbling across the instrumental's steady-throbbing
bass-swollen beat like a repeater drum of the Nyabinghi
groundations. His sing/chant runs the gamut from crooning
rhymes, to bingiman chants, to soul-inspired falsetto
trills, to gleefully hysterical shouts. He feeds off his
Japanese fans and gives them back much more." &endash; Elena
Oumano, Liner Notes
"What a
wonderful evening!" &endash; Big Youth from CD
"Excellent!" - Doug Wendt, Pulse!
"He stands
dread and shoulders above most of the (DJ) pack. Youth is
one of only a few DJ's who sound as good live as they do on
disc." - Reggae Beat
"The first
reggae star to sport dreadlocks on stage was Big Youth (Joe
Frasier Revue &endash; Carl Carib Theatre 1973). This was a
defining moment not only in reggae but in Jamaican cultural
history. Everybody's jaw dropped. People just marveled at
what they were seeing. Before this Rastafarians were
vilified as low-life criminals, the dregs of society. Big
Youth roared onto the scene and began dominating the
Jamaican record charts." - Reggae Routes- Kevin O'Brien Chang & Wayne
Chen
"He was
the first genuine ghetto youth to find success as a
recording DJ. This was a man who understood the delicate
balance of the ghetto streets, the relationship between
having fun and the harsh realities because it was his
territory, the Suffrah Culture. He still performs on a
fairly regular basis and hasn't lost any of his spirit." - Reggae on CD - Lloyd
Bradley
"His
records are truly entertaining because he brings not only
his broad wit and enormous verbal invention to everything he
does, but a strong sense of pop music
too." - Reggae, Rasta, Revolution-
Chris Potash
"The music
is not only grim and radical, it is also uplifting and
stimulating. Excellent vocals backed a steady throbbing bass
swollen beat and rhythm." - Rock & Soul,
France
"His front
teeth inlaid with red, green and gold gems, Big Youth
(Manley Buchanan) is probably the best known and most
popular of all reggae DJ's, with a career that's been going
strong since the early '70's. He gave toasting a style."
- Trouser Press
"A
stylistic and artistic innovator of the highest order. He
built an awesome reputation. In the mid-'70's he rode like
lightning and Bob Marley was the only artist to approach his
popularity. His innovations are still reverberating through
reggae and rap." - Guinness Who's Who of
Reggae
"Beginning
in the early '70's, Manley Buchanan (Big Youth) brought a
sense of joy and wisdom to the DJ fraternity. His infectious
voice and cultural perspective brightened a scene that must
otherwise have taken itself too seriously. He set high
standards for his contemporaries." - Roots - Chuck Foster
"The aura
of ganja-fogged sweltering summer afternoons which defines a
pleasurable reggae concert is rarely captured on recorded
material. Jamming is a pleasant exception. The vibes he laid
down are killers." - Reflex
