Youth (Matisyahu album)

Infobox Album |
Name = Youth
Type = Album
Artist = Matisyahu


Caption =
Released = March 7 2006
Recorded = 2005
Genre = Reggae
Length = 46:55
Label = Epic Records, JDub Records, Or Music
Producer = Bill Laswell, Ill Factor, and Jimmy Douglass
Reviews =
* Allmusic Rating|3|5 [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:fiozefqk5gf4 link]
* "Entertainment Weekly" (C+) [http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,1171701,00.html link]
* "Rolling Stone" Rating|3|5 [http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/matisyahu/albums/album/9441915/review/9544365/youth link]
* Slant Magazine Rating|2.5|5 [http://www.slantmagazine.com/music/music_review.asp?ID=813 link]
Last album = "Live at Stubb's"
(2005)
This album = "Youth"
(2006)
Next album = "No Place to Be"
(2006)

"Youth" is an album by Hasidic Jewish reggae singer Matisyahu, which was released on March 7 2006 (see 2006 in music). It is his second proper studio release, as "Live at Stubb's" is a live album. The CD quickly shot to the top of iTunes best sellers list the day it was released (partially because iTunes ran a special promotion for pre-orders).

The first single from the album is "King without a Crown", which was also a single on Matisyahu's previous album, "Live at Stubb's". However, a proper video was shot for the "Youth" version of the song, whereas the version on the "Stubb's" concert album was accompanied by a concert video. The album spent two weeks at number four in the Billboard top 200 albums in the US. On 27 December 2006, Billboard announced that "Youth" ranked 3rd overall on the 2006 Reggae album charts, immediately behind "Live at Stubb's". [ [http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=musicNews&storyID=2006-12-27T122224Z_01_N27320024_RTRIDST_0_MUSIC-REGGAE-DC.XML&WTmodLoc=EntNewsMusic_C1_%5BFeed%5D-2 http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=musicNews&storyID=2006-12-27T122224Z_01_N27320024_RTRIDST_0_MUSIC-REGGAE-DC.XML&WTmodLoc=EntNewsMusic_C1_%5BFeed%5D-2] "Today.reuters.com" Retrieved on 05-24-07 ]

The topic of the album is mostly the support and promotion of youth voice, more explicitly in the eponymous second track. The album, along with its topic, mixes Matisyahu's lyrics, which contain several references to his Jewish beliefs, with a mainstream sound.

Track listing

#"Fire of Heaven/Altar of Earth" – 3:59
#"Youth" – 4:18
#"Time of Your Song" - 4:27
#"Dispatch the Troops" - 4:05
#"Indestructible" - 4:09
#"What I'm Fighting For" - 2:11
#"Jerusalem" - 4:00
#"WP" - 3:58
#"Shalom/Saalam" - 1:06
#"Late Night in Zion" - 3:13
#"Unique is My Dove" - 3:24
#"Ancient Lullaby" - 4:18
#"King without a Crown" - 3:42

Personnel

* Matthew Paul Miller—vocals
* Roots Tonic—music (Aaron Dugan: guitar, Josh Werner: bass and keys, Jonah David: drums)
* Marlon "Moshe"—guest musician on "WP"
* Sobol—guest musician on "WP"
* Stanley Ipkis—guest musician on "WP"
* Yusu Youssou—guest musician on "Shalom/Saalam" and "Ancient Lullaby"
* Bill Laswell—production, engineering
* Ill Factor & Jimmy Douglass—production on "Time of Your Song", "Indestructible", and "Jerusalem"
* Bob Musso—engineering
* James Dellatacoma—assistant engineering
* Michael Fossenkemper—mastering

References