Cool down the dancehall! Freddie McKay had a huge rocksteady hit in 1967 with “Love Is A Treasure” for Duke Reid’s Treasure Isle label, but after jumping ship to Reid’s rival Clement Dodd and the mighty Studio One, McKay was difficult to market as a solo artist due to “Love Is A Treasure” being credited to The Treasure Boy instead of McKay’s given name. Luckily, he bounced back with a string of soulful hits for Studio One, including “Sweet You Sour You,” “I Am A Free Man,” an updated recording of “Love Is A Treasure” and of course the title track, which is one of the label’s most crucial offerings to date, all included here. Freddie’s vocals retain a heavy influence from stateside soul groups, but the album bears a distinctly Jamaican sound throughout, thanks in part to Dodd’s signature bass-heavy (for the time) production which ruled soundsystems in the late 60s & early 70s. One of the most highly coveted LPs in the Studio One catalogue, Picture On The Wall has been out of print since its initial release almost 45 years ago, and this deluxe reissue includes a bonus LP containing rare singles “Drunken Sailor,” “Old And Grey” and “My True Love” as well as alternate versions of the album’s tracks. Housed in gatefold sleeve with obi strip and extensive liner notes, recommended.

• double vinyl pressing
• bonus LP contains rare singles & alternate mixes
• deluxe gatefold sleeve
• obi strip
• limited edition
• music label: Studio One 2017

reviewed by peanut dust 09/2017