Dr. Alimantado

The fine but only sporadically productive DJ Doctor Alimantado made two albums for the Greensleeves label in the mid-'70s. After completing the widely praised Best Dressed Chicken in Town, he released Born for a Purpose, which consists of second-string material from the same recording sessions and is consequently not quite as consistently excellent. Still, there are some great tracks here, notably the exquisite title song (presented in an extended 12" mix), an ode to Muhammed Ali that is strongly reminiscent of some of Glen Brown's work of the same period, and a paradoxically cheerful-sounding song of warning entitled "Careless Ethiopians Repent." Doctor Alimantado's clear, sweet voice is a constant delight throughout, and his skill as a DJ is almost matched by his singing ability. The backing rhythms are provided by a shifting cast that includes members of the Revolutionaries, Roots Radics, and the Aggrovators and, while no producer apart from Doctor Alimantado himself is given credit, at least a couple of mixes bear the strong stylistic mark of Bunny Lee. If you own this one and Best Dressed Chicken, you have just about all the Doctor Alimantado that's worth owning. ~ Rick Anderson, All Music Guide