AMG Review of Police & Thieves [Deluxe Version]

Rick Anderson
All Music Guide

This is one of those albums that winds up on just about every list of essential reggae recordings, and with good reason. Like Max Romeo's War Ina Babylon (which is equally essential, and can be considered a companion to this one), it was recorded under the auspices of Lee "Scratch" Perry at his legendary Black Ark studio, and is saturated with Perry's trademark dense, murky sound. Murvin sings in a fierce and beautiful falsetto, a voice that lends a unique weight to such dark masterpieces as "Lucifer," "Roots Train," and the title track (which was later recorded by the Clash). Perry surrounds Murvin's voice with great washes of echo and reverb and keeps the tempos slow and intense, giving the album an almost biblical feel. Ignore the goofy album art on the CD reissue -- there is nothing lighthearted about any of these songs, nor is there a single wrong note or misplaced effect. There may be eight or ten perfect reggae albums in existence, and this is certainly one of them. [Considering Perry’s love of versioning, any of his Black Ark recordings are prime candidates for a Deluxe reissue. Universal’s Deluxe Edition of Murvin’s masterpiece does not disappoint, adding 21 dubs, versions, and disco mixes all related to the original album. Highlights include an extended take on “Roots Train” with DJ Dillinger as guest and Jah Lion’s DJ version of the title cut, plus both sides of the “Philistines on the Land” single including the psychedelic flip side “Bingo Kid” with Earl "Chinna" Smith. Add an informative and attractive booklet and fans of the original album have every reason to update.]