Review

Don Letts: Outta Sync

The track opens with the lyrics: “Now, because of my duality, raised on pop and bass, didn’t really bother me, ’cause it’s all about the taste/I’m the vinyl generation, and that’s how I got my start, combining clothes and music, and I turned it into art”.

It‘s a cracking, mainly spoken word, approach full of studio one-type, snare rolls over a bluesy chord progression with great dub basslines courtesy of Youth. Letts’ wry observations are hilarious exploring the value and limitations of the generation gap and its perspectives on the world. Letts doesn’t really identify himself with his generation either, he refuses to lament the ways in which the full experiences of older life destroy what is good in innocence! It’s got a killer chorus too, that will have you humming it for days, we look forward to the album.

There’s also some background info on the man. Don Letts is a British filmmaker, DJ and musician. He became associated with Bob Marley and The Clash during the late 1970s when he was the resident DJ at the Roxy Club in London.

Letts played reggae music at the club, which was a popular hangout for punks and reggae fans alike. He became friends with Joe Strummer of The Clash and even appeared in some of the band's music videos.

Letts also directed a number of music videos for Bob Marley, including "Redemption Song" and "Could You Be Loved". He has been credited with helping to introduce reggae music to the punk scene in London and has continued to be a prominent figure in the UK music and film industries.
Words Emrys Baird