Yes, You Can go back There Again Revivals and reunions are often excuses for desperate musicians to relive past glories. NOT SO with “Zap Pow Again”. The 2016 incarnation of pioneering Reggae group Zap-Pow is anything but a group of desperate musicians. Founding member Dwight Pinkney, OD, and original members Glen DaCosta, Richard Johnson and Leebert Gibby Morrison plus an all-star line-up of young talented singers and players of instruments Geoffrey Star- vocals, Everol Wray-Trumpet , Fiona Forrest- backing vocals and Arnaldo Bolt-drums teamed with Dave Peters manager to bring to life once again one of the most relevant and important groups in reggae history. “Zap Pow Again” serves as a reminder to past fans of Zap-Pow’s power and an introduction to new generations of fans that reggae is still relevant and glorious. The album contains 8 new tracks (all originals which were mixed by the ‘quiet giant’ Grammy award winning engineer Christopher Daley) and 7 standard Zap-Pow recordings from the golden era. Old fans will be pleased to see “Sweet Lovin Love” (an instrumental steppers classic), “Let’s fall in Love”, Pinkney’s reggae classic “How Could I Live” and smash world hit “This is Reggae Music” included in the line-up. One of Zap-Pow’s main strengths remains the band’s astounding musicianship and this shine’s through in Pinkney’s guitar work, Gibby’s Bass and guitar contribution, DaCosta’s fine solos and the flawless arrangements which dance through all reggae’s various modes. For new fans the album is a treat. “Overworked Underpaid” is new but keeps to the roots of the band in its feel and execution, while “Reggaemania Jam” is a great introduction to classic reggae for the new generation, with its horns licks and infectious beat beckoning to the dancehall fan. The incredible tight horn section , which Bob Marley use to engage to enhance his arrangements back in the days, are reflected in “Brother’s Keeper” and the tribute piece “King of Reggae”. “Compatible” sounds like the ideal reggae cover until you realize that it is all original and “Just Do It” offers shades of Eddy Grant and Steel Pulse but with the Zap Pow flavour and a 2016 mix. Zap-Pow still has a message to deliver and that is best felt in “Price of War”, an earnest and heartfelt expression of the band’s ethos. Like all the best reggae albums this CD is a mixture of message songs and love songs, the eternal ‘peace and love’ message and the love aspect belongs to Beres Hammond on the track “Lets Fall In Love”. Even at this early stage the style he would use to dominate reggae was already established in the Zap-Pow sound. Zap-Pow are respected throughout the Jamaican music industry and was honoured with a Prime Minister’s Independence Award for their pioneering role in establishing and popularizing reggae worldwide. It has been too long without Zap-Pow, but clearly it was worth the wait. This album will sit in pride of place in my collection. A. Charles