"Clinton Fearon" was a singer and bass player for the legendary reggae band, "The Gladiators." Fearon wrote a lot of their songs, while his bass beat formed the backbone of their sound. He founded the "Boogie Brown Band" in 1993. The band consists of Fearon (lead vocals, guitar, percussion), Barbara Kennedy (keyboards, backing vocals), Girt Bongo (drums), Lamar Lofton (bass). "What A System" is their third album, preceded by "Disturb The Devil" in 1995 and "Mystic Whisper" in 1997.

"What A System" is a two CD set. The second CD is a collection of all the songs from the first CD (except one, "Never Get Burn,") done as dubs - no lyrics. The graphics on the album are playful, but seem low budget. It looks like an independent punk album.

The first track, "Rock Your Bones," is a remake of an old Defenders tune. Fearon's vocal is deep and resonating, blending well with the reggae bass line. A horn section smoothes out the edges. The lyric is simple and straightforward. The title tune, "What A System," is up next. Fearon repeats "What a system/ What a system. . ." over and over at the beginning of the song. The other lyrics are much more varied. The new song was intended to recall the heyday of reggae, with its political bent and rebellious nature.

Fearon recalls his roots in "Raised In The Jungle." Drum beats and organ, followed by guitar, lead off the song. The vocals jump in quickly, "Why oh why oh why/ Why oh why oh why. . ." The "Gladiators" song, "Chatty, Chatty Mouth" was originally credited to the "Mellolads." Fearon decided to re-record it here to reclaim it. It's classic reggae, recalling a different time and a different world, espousing the gospel of Jah.

"Rocky Road" has a bit of a rock influence. The syncopated beat sets an easy pace, creating a backdrop to Fearon's vocal. A guitar solo melodically descends, then rocks out a bit. It reminds me of Mark Knopfler's playing. "Bucky Massa" is about slavery and the whip that gave the slaves their physical and emotional scars. Drum beats and light guitar work introduce the song. A horn section beats a winding path through the vocal free sections.

Synthesizer and horns lay down a majestic, panoramic, intro for "One Destiny." It borrows its initial style from The Beatles, or perhaps even The Grateful Dead. It seems almost not reggae at first, but that's a deceptive impression as the pervasive reggae beat steps in after the first verses. I liked this song a lot for its adventurous nature. Fearon points out its focus on togetherness in the liner notes. He sings, "We are defendin' peace and love/ Equal rights and justice/ All for one and one for all/ See the writing on the wall/ Every day my heart cries out/ Why don't we try a little tenderness. . ."

Horns, organ and drum blend to underpin Fearon's voice at the outset of "Another Day." It's a more typical reggae tune, giving voice to the need to carry on with the struggle for equal rights. Guitar and high pitched vocals give "Feelin'" a different sort of feel than most of the songs. Fearon says of it, "(It's)a spread out love song, one of those feelings one could interpret either for a person, or nature, or the world and the fullness thereof."

The last three songs on the album, "Sing Your Song," "We Shall Overcome" and "Never Get Burn," are gospel songs. They aren't the kind you might expect to hear in church on Sunday, though "Sing Your Song" does open with choruses of "Alleluia." The reggae beat gives away the songs true nature. Fearon says that Gospel and Reggae are not so far apart in their roots. "We Shall Overcome" gives its message away with the title. Featured is a saxophone solo. "Never Get Burn" is all acoustic guitar and vocals. Fearon's singing style is quite a bit different on this song, very much what you might hear in church on Sunday morning. His emotion comes through in his voice on this heartfelt piece.

The second CD, containing nearly all the same songs with some reverb and repetition, but without vocals, is interesting, though not what I find I would listen to much. Apparently, supplying dubs is an old reggae tradition that Fearon wishes to perpetuate. All in all, it doesn't add much to the listening experience for me, but I suppose it would be good to use as background music.

If you're a true reggae fan, you'll want to own "What A System," but I'd say it isn't a good place to start if you just want to get your feet wet.