Album lore

Phyllis Dillon’s One Life to Live (Expanded Version), issued by Trojan Records circa 1972, collects 28 tracks that chart the contours of rocksteady and its close kin: lovers rock, ska, and roots reggae. The album’s sessions capture Dillon’s plaintive yet assured voice over rhythms that pivot from the gentle skank of “One Life to Live, One Life to Give” to the deeper grooves of “Woman of the Ghetto.” The expanded edition gathers her signature tunes alongside rarities, offering a fuller view of her catalog within Trojan’s vault.Among the selections, “Perfidia” stands as a testament to her deftness at negotiating both lovers rock softness and roots reggae grit. Elsewhere, songs like “Close To You” and “You Are Like Heaven to Me” underscore the tender lyricism that made Dillon a sought-after vocalist in Jamaica’s early ’70s scene. This artifact remains a signal in the lineage bridging ska’s brisk pulse and the more laid-back resonance of lovers rock, appealing to crate-diggers and boutique DJs alike.

Album lore

Phyllis Dillon’s One Life to Live (Expanded Version), issued by Trojan Records circa 1972, collects 28 tracks that chart the contours of rocksteady and its close kin: lovers rock, ska, and roots reggae. The album’s sessions capture Dillon’s plaintive yet assured voice over rhythms that pivot from the gentle skank of “One Life to Live, One Life to Give” to the deeper grooves of “Woman of the Ghetto.” The expanded edition gathers her signature tunes alongside rarities, offering a fuller view of her catalog within Trojan’s vault.Among the selections, “Perfidia” stands as a testament to her deftness at negotiating both lovers rock softness and roots reggae grit. Elsewhere, songs like “Close To You” and “You Are Like Heaven to Me” underscore the tender lyricism that made Dillon a sought-after vocalist in Jamaica’s early ’70s scene. This artifact remains a signal in the lineage bridging ska’s brisk pulse and the more laid-back resonance of lovers rock, appealing to crate-diggers and boutique DJs alike.