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Tings an' Times
Studio album by Linton Kwesi Johnson
Released	1991
Studio	Sparkside Studio, Dulwich Road, London
Genre	Reggae, dub, spoken word
Label	Shanachie
Producer	Linton Kwesi Johnson, Dennis Bovell
Linton Kwesi Johnson chronology
In Concert with the Dub Band (1985) Tings an' Times (1991) LKJ in Dub: Volume 2 (1992)

Tings an' Times is an album by the Jamaican dub poet Linton Kwesi Johnson, released in 1991. It was Johnson's first album in six years. Tings an' Times also served as the title of a book of Johnson's poetry.

Production

The album was produced by Johnson and Dennis Bovell. Johnson was again backed by the Dub Band, with the sound fleshed out by the addition of accordion and violin. Steve Gregory contributed on flute and saxophone.

Critical reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic
Robert Christgau	A
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music
Los Angeles Times
Orlando Sentinel
The Rolling Stone Album Guide
Spin Alternative Record Guide	8/10

Robert Christgau wrote that "the riddims skip by on Dennis Bovell's ska-speedy tempos, graced with tricky guitar hooks and colored with fiddle and accordion that sing Hungary and Algeria and Colombia and the Rio Grande." The Los Angeles Times lamented that "Johnson’s delivery is both tentative and buried a bit in the mix, lessening the impact." The Orlando Sentinel opined that "Johnson's thoughtful lyrics float over gorgeous elongated reggae tracks flavored with jazz-influenced horns, accordion, piano, violin and flute." The Commercial Appeal noted that Johnson's "spry quips and brusque cadences over tough rhythms."

AllMusic thought that Johnson's "outlook is intensely African, and his socio-political lyrics (some in English, some in an African language) are a passionate call for democracy in Africa." The Spin Alternative Record Guide praised the "increased doses of joy and irony in LKJ's meditations." Trouser Press deemed Tings an' Times "an upbeat but stringently critical album that is at once traditional and modern."

Track listing

All tracks are written by Linton Kwesi Johnson

Personnel

• Linton Kwesi Johnson - vocals, percussion, production

The Dub Band

• John Kpiaye - guitar
• Dennis Bovell - bass, percussion, production, engineer, mixing
• Nick Straker - keyboards
• Paget King - organ, piano, synthesizer
• Henry Holder - piano
• Paul Blake - drums
• Everald Forrest, Jeff Scantlebury - percussion
• Steve Gregory - tenor saxophone, flute
• Paul Spong - trumpet
• Fayyaz Virji, Henry Tenyue - trombone
• Ian Hill - accordion
• Johnny "T" Taylor - violin

Technical

• Antonio Vignocchi - cover painting

References

1. ^ "Linton Kwesi Johnson". Trouser Press. Retrieved 21 July 2021.
2. "Linton Kwesi Johnson Biography & History". AllMusic.
3. "Poet on the front line". The Guardian. 3 May 2002.
4. Point, Michael (18 April 1991). "Reggae rappers return in full force". Onward. Austin American-Statesman. p. 13.
5. Matterson, Stephen; Jones, Darryl (2011). Studying Poetry. Bloomsbury Publishing PLC. p. 150.
6. "Album Reviews". Billboard. Vol. 103, no. 27. 6 July 1991. p. 62.
7. ^ "When Dub Flies--From Jamaica to U.K." Los Angeles Times. 6 October 1991.
8. ^ The Rolling Stone Album Guide. Random House. 1992. pp. 374–375.
9. Pick, Steve (10 May 1991). "'Tings an' Times'". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. p. 4F.
10. ^ "Tings an' Times Linton Kwesi Johnson". AllMusic.
11. ^ "Linton Kwesi Johnson". Robert Christgau.
12. Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 4. MUZE. p. 657.
13. ^ Gettelman, Parry (2 August 1991). "Linton Kwesi Johnson". Calendar. Orlando Sentinel. p. 30.
14. ^ Spin Alternative Record Guide. Vintage Books. 1995. pp. 202–203.
15. Wynn, Ron (28 April 1991). "Jamaica's 'dub' poets laid rap foundation". The Commercial Appeal. p. G3.

• Linton Kwesi Johnson albums
• 1991 albums
• Shanachie Records albums