Picks and Pans Review: Live on

Wailing Souls

With this follow-up to their 1992 Grammy-nominated All Over the World, Lloyd “Bread” McDonald and Winston “Pipe” Matthews keep the momentum going with more percolating dance-hall reggae. The title track has a joyous cadence that ranks with the best work of Bob Marley, who was a mentor to the duo. On Paul Simon’s Rasta-flecked “Mother and Child Reunion,” Wailing Souls manages to stay true to the original while beefing it up with a pulsing percussive thrust. The latter half of the disc is less engaging, perhaps due as much to the predictable grooves inherent in reggae as to the quality of the songs. But ultimately, Matthews and McDonald’s efforts payoff; they deserve a chunk of the credit for pushing Marley’s spiritually enriching music onto dance floors. (Zoo Entertainment)