Screaming Target

Screaming Target found Big Youth’s gritty voice placed atop immaculately produced rhythms by a fledgling Gussie Clarke. “One of These Fine Days” mines a kind of Smokey Robinson Detroit soul, while “Be Careful” mixes in a sparse, ragged-edged dub that hits right in the gut. Not only does the album showcase Youth’s forward-thinking themes, such as literacy, honesty to self, and existential sorrow, but its stepping basslines had a huge influence on groups like The Clash, and later, American hip-hop.