from the LP Forever, RAS Records, 1991While so many reggae bands fell prey to the prevailing dancehall trends that began in the early ‘80s, Israel Vibration took only a brief detour there, instead crafting an inspirational and elevated form of roots reggae that ably communicates serious messages in a humble and playful tone. All three members of Izzy Vibe had been stricken with polio as kids, a bond which gave them an obvious and gleaming gratitude for everything around them and in their lives; I can personally attest to the fact that their physical disabilities don’t cripple them in the least on stage, as their sets have oft-been my favorites at the annual Reggae on the Rocks concert out here. This song finds them celebrating marijuana and its correlation to reggae culture, backed by the always tight and dubwise Roots Radics, and I can’t help but wholeheartedly agree, idealistic though it may be, when they proclaim, “…this collie herb is the healing of the nations…”
