Super Cat: Don Dada Vinyl LP

Think me come fi play? Super Cat began his career toasting on the Killamanjaro soundsystem (when he was known as Cat-A-Rock) before breaking out with the smash “Si Boops Deh” on Winston Riley’s Techniques label (with a classic Limonious sleeve). He moved to New York in the early 90’s and made an even bigger splash with his major label debut, Don Dada. A few years later, Sean Paul came along and built an even bigger crossover career for himself with a voice and cadence oddly similar to Cat’s; Super Cat disappeared into obscurity, but his legacy continues to shine brightest on Don Dada. With the exception of a pair of productions by Steely & Clevie (“Ghetto Red Hot”) and Mafia & Fluxy (“Think Me Come Fi Play”), the majority of the riddims are programmed by Super Cat’s Wild Apache crew (namely, Sir Raf Allen) and feature a handful of one-aways ‘longside a few well known versions which make for the record’s brightest moments: “Oh It’s You” turns the classic Studio One “Throw Me Corn” riddim into an irresistible uptempo digi stepper; elsewhere, on “Big And Ready,” Cat chats some bossman talk over the “Loneliness” riddim with the help of Heavy D and a syrupy hook by the mighty Frankie Paul, and the infamous title track over the “Father Jungle Rock” riddim goes down nicely sandwiched between Little John’s “Clarks Booty” and I-Wayne’s “Can’t Satisfy Her” in bashment juggling style. Cat channeling the classic 80’s machine gun flow of Nicodemus on “Coke Don” is another major highlight of the album. Plenty of battered copies of the “Don Dada” 7-inch single can be found for cheap in any Caribbean record store, but the LP is the only way to hear supreme album cuts like “Coke Don” and “Oh It’s You” on wax and has been practically impossible to find until now, with this first vinyl pressing in 25 years. Recommended.

• black vinyl pressing
• first time on vinyl in 25 years
• original release year: 1992
  
• music label: Columbia 2017

reviewed by peanut dust 08/2017