Language Barrier is a studio album by Jamaican musical duo Sly and Robbie, released in 1985 by Island Records. The album features guest musicians Herbie Hancock, Bob Dylan, Afrika Bambaataa, and Manu DiBango.
Release and reception
AllMusic awarded the album with three stars and its review by Scott Bultman states: "Sly & Robbie team with producer Bill Laswell for an edgy dub set".Bultmann, Scott [ Allmusic Review: Sly & Robbie - Language Barrier] AllMusic, accessed 6 October 2018 Village Voice critic Robert Christgau called it a "world-music mishmash".
The single "Make 'Em Move" reached No. 83 on the UK Singles Chart in November 1985. The album brought the duo international recognition and led on to their subsequent hit album Rhythm Killers in 1987.
The album entered the top twenty albums chart of the University of Toronto, Scarborough Campus, Community Radio (CSCR) in September 1985, as published in the 17th September 1985 issue of The Underground.
Track listing "Make 'Em Move" (S. Dunbar, R. Shakespeare, B. Aasim, B. Laswell, B. Worrell) — 7:58 "No Name on the Bullet" (S. Dunbar, R. Shakespeare) — 6:03 "Miles (Black Satin)" (Miles Davis, S. Dunbar, R. Shakespeare, B. Laswell) — 7:20 "Bass and Trouble" (B. Laswell, S. Dunbar, R. Shakespeare, Manu Dibango) — 7:58 "Language Barrier" (Wally Badarou, S. Dunbar, R. Shakespeare, M. Chung, B. Reynolds) — 6:51 "Get to This, Get to That" (S. Dunbar, R. Shakespeare, B. Fowler, B. Worrell) — 5:17
Personnel Musicians Sly Dunbar – drums, percussion Robbie Shakespeare – bass Wally Badarou – keyboards Herbie Hancock – keyboards Bernie Worrell – keyboards Robbie Lyn – keyboards Manu Dibango –saxophone Bob Dylan – harmonica Africa Bambaataa – vocals Bernard Fowler – vocals Doug E Fresh – human beatbox Eddie Martinez – guitar Pat Thrall – guitar Mike Hampton – guitar Mikey Chung – guitar Barry Reynolds – guitar Daniel Ponce – percussion
Technical personnel Clive Smith – Fairlight CMI programming Robert Musso, Steven Stanley, Solgie – engineers Howie Weinberg – mastering Tony Wright – art direction Chris Garnham – photography Issey Miyake – glasses
References