The album peaked at No. 10 on Billboard's Reggae Albums chart.[5]
Production
The title track is thought to be a polemic about the rise of dancehall music.[6] "Play Jerry" is a tribute to Jerry Garcia.[7]
Critical reception
The Washington Post wrote that "the reggae ... is typically swirling and hypnotic, but this is first and foremost message music."[8]The Boston Globe thought that "the formula is simple: mesmerizing bass lines, snappy horns and Spear's own time-worn voice, reflecting conscious themes and Pan-African concerns."[9]Stereo Review concluded that Spear "remains a quietly persuasive singer with often overlooked knacks for melody and topical bite; 'Commercial Development' and 'Don't Sell Out' strike back at the industrialization of both Jamaica and reggae."[10]
Track listing
All songs written and arranged by Winston Rodney.
"The Future (Clean It Up)" – 4:47
"Appointment With His Majesty" – 4:20
"Play Jerry" – 4:39
"Reggae Physician" – 4:25
"Glory Be to Jah" – 5:04
"Don't Sell Out" – 4:33
"Come in Peace" – 4:23
"African Jamaican" – 5:02
"My Island" – 4:54
"Commercial Development" – 5:21
"Music" – 4:54
"Loving You" – 4:57
Credits
Published by Burning Spear Publishing, ASCAP.
Executive producer – Sonia Rodney
Recorded at Grove Recording Studio, Ocho Rios, St. Ann's.
Edited by Barry O'Hare
Mixed by Barry O'Hare and Winston Rodney.
Assistant engineer – Bobby Hawthorne
Project Coordinator for Heartbeat - Garret Vandermolen
Sequencing - Chris Wilson
Mastered by Dr. Toby Mountain at Northeastern Digital Recording, Southborough, MA.
