Youth

this album sucks. i can't even listen to it all the way through. he really has potential but blows it with way too poppy chorus bull.

also, the seller said it was in very good condition yet the disc and case were scratched to hell.

DON'T WASTE YOUR MONEY!

King Without a Crown-5/5
Dispatch the Troops-5/5
Youth-4/5 (the stylized version in No Place to Be is 5/5)
The rest of the songs are 4/5. The album is a solid effort by Matisyahu and his band. These guys transcend the so-called cultural barriers and just rock the house. If you like or have started to discover Matisyahu, this is a must-have ( and so is the Live at Stubbs CD ). I would love to watch him live-

I have said before that most of today's musicians lack imagination. Matisyahu is a gust of fresh air! The man has vision.
I love the old reggae of Bob Marley, Peter Tosh and Jimmy Cliff, but have never have had a taste for rap or hip hop.
When I heard Matisyahu, I loved it.
The sheer majesty of Fire of Heaven/Altar of Earth opens this album and you know this is something really powerful.
Matisyahu sings throughout about faith in the Almighty and the love for the Jewish people and land of Israel.
The lyrics are all extremely profound. Favourites include the energetic Youth, a commentary on the situation of youth today and calling on young people to take stand for thruth.
Dispatch The Troops, a sort of analogy with a young girl who has run away from her father's home to the lost Jewish people. Beautiful and compassionate.
What I'm Fighting For, a commentary on the struggle of the Jewish people and their faith in their creator and the classic reggae version of Psalm 137 Jerusalem, where the author celebrates Israel's return to Jerusalem and laments the evil demands for the Jews to leave their promised land.
"In the ancient days, we will return with no delay
Picking up the bounty and the spoils on our way
We've been traveling from state to state
And them don't understand what they say
3,000 years with no place to be
And they want me to give up my milk and honey
Don't you see, it's not about the land or the sea
Not the country but the dwelling of his majesty."

There is the beautiful love song "Unique Is My Dove" and the various other passionate combinations of grief, hope and faith.

This album reminds us of Reggae's early religious based work such as Jimmy Cliff's I Want To Know and his soulful ballad of his people I've Been Dead 400 Years, both from Music Maker, both these songs relate to the experience of faith and of Israel, the Jewish nation could sing "I've Been Dead 2000 Years". This is the work that may have influenced Matisyahu, Peter Tosh's "Moses the Prophet" from Bush Doctor and Bob Marley's Exodus and One LoveExodus.
The album also takes us back to the basic message of the theme of national liberation movement for the Jewish people which is in fact what Zionism is. Once Africanism was referred to as Black Zionism. All in the days before the Islamo-Fascists and Satanists of the Far Left brainwashed the world that Zionism is a "reactionary" movement.

What I found amazing reading the reviews for this album, which I listened to along with Stubbs/Arise and T'Shama a long time ago is the narrow mindedness. People complain that either he is too raggae or not enough raggae, or make idiotic comments about his entering of Jewish prayer singing into the song. He is Jewish yes, he did grow up on raggae yes, and bands like Phish thats why its unique, and its why people like it. If he was just a traditional raggae artist he would not have reached the audience he has and his music wouldn't have a unique style. Its for this unique combination that most people love his music. So I reccomend rather than categorizing him, just call him a music artist. His being a Jew or so forth has nothing to do with that. Finally, for those who feel a white person can't be a raggae artist you are assuming the message of raggae is racist and black only. Bob Marley put forth the concept of all races and peoples coming together in unity, peace, and harmony. Originally that was the point of this music, so in fact you have disgraced Marley's legacy by discrediting him or other artists because they are Jewish, white, asian, or whatever.

...but I really like this cd. It's reggae, but it definitely has rock and hip hop influences. King Without a Crown is just a great song. It's also nice to listen to music every so often with positive and uplifting lyrics! (As opposed to most of the other stuff I listen to where I just tolerate the lyrics because the music is good.)