DEADLINE

DOWN BY LAW

  1/  Afro Beat                                  (Dibango,Wilson,Laswell)      6.31
  2/  Boat Peoples                               (Dibango,Turre,Wilson)        7.03
  3/  Baliphone Dub                              (Wilson)                      4.24
  4/  Makossa Rock                               (Dibango,Wilson,Laswell)      11.06
  5/  Gammatron                                  (Wilson,Laswell)              5.22
  6/  Doo Root                                   (Wilson)                      3.44

          Recorded at Evergreen Studio
          Produced by Bill Laswell and Phillip Wilson for Material/OAO
Manu Dibango : tenor saxophone (1,2,4), voice (1,2); Bernie Worrell: synthesizer (1,2,4); Aiyb Dieng : congas (1,2), cowbell (1,2), talking drums (4); Phillip Wilson : cymbals (1,4), DMX (1,2,3,4,5), percussion (2), baliphone (3,4,6), bells (3), bass synthesizer (4), metals (5), kalimba (5), drums (5), processed piano (6), water tube (6), floor toms (6), congas (6), plastic hammers (6), cabasa (6); Bill Laswell : bass (1), DMX (1,2,3,4,5), AMS (2,4), shortwave (3); Steve Turre : conch shells (2,6), didjeridoo (2,4,6); Olu Dara : cornet (2,4), wood trumpet (2,4); Jonas Hellborg : bass (3,5), fuzz bass (3); Rob Stevens : processed piano (3), electric piano (6); Paul Butterfield : harmonica (4); Jaco Pastorius : bass (4); Robert Musso : processing (4).

          1985  -  Celluloid,  CELL  6111  (Vinyl)
          198?  -  Celluloid,  CELD  6111  (CD)

REVIEWS :

One of Bill Laswell's many projects, Deadline is a collaboration with drummer Phillip Wilson — not without the usual Laswell cohorts, of course. Down By Law is an interesting blend of industrial DMX beats and live percussion, African influences and Western funk. Saxophonist Manu Dibango pops up on half of the tracks and invokes memories of his Laswell-produced album Electric Africa. The killer track on this album is the ten-minute-plus "Makossa Rock," which combines clever, funky rhythms, an irresistible synth bass line, Steve Turre's haunting didgeridoo, scratching-like sounds by Laswell and Robert Musso, plus solos by Dibango, bluesman Paul Butterfield on harmonica, and bass legend Jaco Pastorius. Actually, this track is so good it could play forever. The other tracks, including the abstract, percussive pieces "Gammatron" (reminding of Material's "Heritage") and "Doo Rot," never let go of their fierce rhythmic edge either. While "Makossa Rock" may be worth the price of the album alone, the other tracks should not be neglected.

4 1/2 stars out of 5

Chris Genzel (courtesy of the All Music Guide website)