Michael Prophet - Cease and Settle (1994)

For the economy-minded Michael Prophet fan, this reissue twofer will be just the thing. Combining the contents of Cease Fire and Settle Yu Fe Settle (from 1985 and 1986 respectively), it shows Prophet to be perhaps a little bit past his prime, occasionally straining at the high notes even as he acquits himself nicely on less ambitious numbers; his falsetto is especially attractive on "If You Try." Producer Delroy Wright coaxes good performances out of the rotating cast of studio musicians (which includes Sly & Robbie and most of the members of the Roots Radics), but the sound quality of the Cease Fire material is mediocre; an unpleasantly distorted bass sound distracts from the music itself on such songs as "Precious Love" and the otherwise impressive "Emanuel Road." The songs from Settle Yu Fe Settle benefit from noticeably higher production quality, and Prophet himself sounds a bit more assured on such winners as "Change Your Ways" and "Conquer the Dragon."~Cease & Settle Review by Rick Anderson