Horace Andy - Rude Boy (1993)

Rude Boy isn't Horace Andy's finest hour. Its six covers and five original songs, for the most part, fall flatter than they should, due to weak production and dated synth sounds. "Kuff Dem" starts things off rather pleasantly. Andy puts his amazing vocal range and an interesting tremolo effect to good use in creating a delicate mood, while a minimalist dub backing track helps the song to flow effortlessly. After the great opening song, only "Noisy Street" and "Rude Boy" are truly compelling. "Noisy Street" could get by on attitude alone, as Andy sing-speaks about noisy upstairs neighbors, a cat meowing outside his window, and a man standing on the street corner. It's quite humorous to imagine Andy being bothered by these noisemakers, and his tone really does suggest that the noise is causing his sleep deprivation. "Rude Boy" is a nice change of pace after a series of overly cheesy renditions of Motown songs. It's the first place on the album where Andy gets energized, and its bright melodies and "down in the ghetto" imagery make for easy listening. Otherwise, the dull keyboard sounds and lo-fi dub effects drag down too many of the songs. The covers are strangely lifeless, and Andy takes on background vocal duties to a fairly limp impersonation of Marvin Gaye too often. Still, the album's overall charm will make up for the cheap production, lack of atmosphere, and second-rate instrumentation for some listeners. Rude Boy is an album best left to Horace Andy completists.~Rude Boy Review by Tim DiGravina