Joshua Moses - Joshua to Joshwa - 30 Years In The Wilderness
The fact that Bristol has a long history of a reggae scene is surprising enough - it's rather less surprising to discover that it's been sadly neglected for a while. Joshua Moses' album - 30 Years In The Wilderness - is one of those previously forgotten collections. So much so, in fact, that Moses had kept no tapes of any of his recordings. 30 Years is a product of detective work - digging up old tapes and material, the majority of which hasn't been heard before.
Moses, in the thirty years he was recording, only released two tracks commercially - both of which are included here. Stick It Up is a deliciously naughty sounding attack on hypocrites and apparent parasites, and the live versions of House of Dread and Protection bring a certain joie de vivre that is definitely engaging. Africa Is Our Land is by far the strongest song on the album, in both its original and dub versions, and really emphasises how much of a disappointment it is that Moses never quite managed to break through into the mainstream and instead stayed a cult figure in the Bristol reggae scene.
The main issue with 30 Years is that it could be considered an exercise in nostalgia. Moses' work is very rooted in context; it obviously hasn't been able to stay up to date and so when listening to it, there's a very definite sense that it feels outdated.
It's particularly disappointing because Moses shows a definite talent - there's a reason why he's considered a legend in the Bristol reggae scene, after all. The lyrics are great - sharp and relevant without falling into the trap of focusing more on issues than the flow - and Moses mixes traditional reggae elements with his unique brand of song writing to create some original and striking tracks. While one or two of the songs are more consistent than attention-grabbing, it is a more than decent effort.
Bristol Archive Records, who released the recordings, claim that if Joshua Moses had been living and recording in Kingston, it's likely that he would have made a major impact on the reggae scene. Judging by 30 Years In The Wilderness, it seems they're right.