Entertainment For Lively Minds
This Is A Reggae Post
Posted by TedLoaf on 28 July 2011 - 8:54pm.
But ska, calypso, dancehall or any other style that may fit under the general reggae umbrella is welcome. Educate me.
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Chant Down Babylon
Was blown away by this Bristol roots reggae crew at ATP last weekend:
Also:
Burning Spear - Marcus Garvey
Culture - International Herb
Augustus Pablo - King Tubbys Meets Rockers Uptown
Scientist - Scientist Meets The Space Invaders
Prince Far I - Message From The King
Keith Hudson - Rasta Communication
Peter Tosh - Legalise It
Black Roots
This tune plus another two (Bristol Rock and Tribal War) are on the fantastic Bristol Reggae Explosion 1978-83 album released a couple of months ago. Volume 2 is due in October with Black Roots Singles Anthology in September.
I've loved and obsessively bought Jamaican music for
about 33 years, and here are twenty albums that I coudn't live without. Well, obviously, I could live without them, but life would be rather dull...
1. Bob Andy – Song Book
2. Cedric Im Brooks – The Light of Saba
3. The Chantells & Friends – Children of Jah
4. Justin Hinds & the Dominoes – Jezebel
5. Tommy McCook – King Tubby Meets the Aggrovators at Dub Sation
6. Harry Mudie – Meet King Tubby in a Dub Conference
7. Augustus Pablo – El Rockers
8. Glen Brown – Termination Dub
9. Lee Perry Open the Gate
10. The Revolutionaries – Revolutionary Sounds
11. Wareika Hill Sounds – Wareika Hill Sounds
12. Yabby You – Jesus Dread
13. Congos – Heart of the Congos
14. Joe Higgs – Life of Contradiction
15. Dadawah – Peace and Love
16. I Jah Man – Haile I Hymn
17. Misty in Roots – Live at the Counter Eurovision
18. Joe Gibbs & the Professionals – No Bones for the Dogs
19. Jimmy Radway – Dub I
20. Culture – Two Sevens Clash
For me, the period from about 1972 to, say, 1981 was the golden age of reggae, an absolute treasure trove, a cornucopia of riches. Many thanks to Pressure Sounds and the late, lamented Blood and Fire for making so many of these gems available again.
We Must Be Related
I reckon I've been obsessed for about 28 years, and that list is beautiful. Although I'd have Joe Higgs - Life Of Contradiction at number one, and would add -
1. Let's Do Rocksteady compilation
2. Gregory Isaacs - Extra Classic
3. Henry "Junjo" Lawes - Volcano Eruption
4. Augustus Pablo - East Of The River Nile
5. Burning Spear - Spear Burning
6. Abyssinians - Satta Massa Gana
7. Mighty Diamonds - Right Time
8. Lyn Tait & The Jets - Hold Me Tight
9. Lee Perry - Arkology and Super Ape
10. King Jammys - King At The Controls
11. Johnny Clarke - Dreader Dread
12. Big Youth - Screaming Target
12. Aswad - Showcase
13. Bunny Wailer - Blackheart Man
14. Dennis Brown - Wolf & Leopards
15. Delroy Wilson - Original Eighteen
16. Keith Hudson - Pick A Dub
17. Prince Buster - Fabulous Greatest Hits
18. U Roy - Version Galore
19. Yabby You - King Tubbys Prophesy Of Dub
20. Johnny Osbourne - Most Wanted
Listen to this! Now!
If you have never heard reggae...
... all of the above album, and it's sequel 300% Dynamite are blooming marvelous. Seriously you will thank me if you just get those two compilations.
Keep up! ;-)
it's now at 600% ...
http://www.soundsoftheuniverse.com/search/index.php?s=dynamite
Keith Hudson - the man
Jah Glory
This week I've introduced myself to the first three Third World albums, which I've really enjoyed. Very inventive and atmospheric, rather than the bland fusion I'd (for some reason) feared.
I've also stuck a lot of calypso on, such as Lord Tanamo's "A Dash of the Sunshine" - the version on the Trojan compilations rather than the anaemic ones on YouTube.
I put this on the covers thread - a great reggae version of The White Stripes' "Seven Nation Army" (by Nostalgia '77 with Alice Russell, Grant Phabao remix):
Treat yourself
.... to the Don Letts compilation 'Dread Meets Rockers Uptown'. Absolute quality.
This isn't on it but it's my favourite U-Roy track
Got to put this up as well as ...
... Dr Alimantado hasn't been mentioned yet. An absolute classic and John Lydon's favourite track of all time.
Ere mi now
The Wailing Souls and Firehouse Rock, a great Rodigan rocker from back in the day.
On the ska front...
Plenty of Trojan compilations out there, but I'd go for one with originals of 2-Tone songs. Here's one (go for the 2nd hand price!). 60s ska on disc one, and a freebie of 2-Tone era to dabble in. 45 songs for less than £3.50 - risk free skanking.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/One-Step-Beyond-Various-Artists/dp/tracks/B00009...
Here's some I & I prepared earlier....
'Tenement Yard' is a top tune...
which I don't think I've heard before. An Inner Circle best of duly ordered!
Some earlier ska type tunes
Rocksteady is the way to go
This is the BIG tune in our house
Could post these all night
Can also second the Trojan and Soul Jazz compilations.
Some Ska withthe fabulous Slim Smith
you might recognise this
If I had an I & I Pod
this would be on repeat ....man.. they used to be good.
I was in the crowd when this was recorded and it remains one of the best ever gigs I've seen.
Play this loud...
Or this one...more of a soul reggae band if you know what I mean
'Shaking Up Orange Street' by Prince Buster...
Wonderful.
Sticking with The Prince...
...here's my favorite.
Hey Cincinnati. People say you're good. I think you're the best I ever met. But when I'm around, you're second best...CINCINNATI KID!
Prince Buster and Lee Perry
Reggae and Ting
Not sure if the uber reggae heads would agree, but I'm a massive fan of Ziggy Marley's "Love Is My Religion". A good album, with some very strong songs on it, particularly the title track and "Into The Groove". I'd also like to recommend the early Linton Kwesi Johnson albums "Bass Culture" and "Forces of Victory" which is sort of dub but with a man reading poetry, enunciating oddly over the top. It's good stuff.
Also worth checking out are the two Trojan compilations put together by indie rock people Guto Pryce (from Super Furry Animals) and Jonny Greenwood (Radiohead). "Furry Selection" and "Jonny Greenwood Is The Controller" are a good introduction to the dubbier side of reggae, whilst retaining the pop edge.
And this is possibly my favourite piece of reggae - perfect for summer days.
Roland Alphonso "Blackberry Brandy"
Agreed. Don't Ever Underestimate Trojan Reggae.
It was my first true musical love. And who could fail to resist this? Complete with crackles, just as it ought to be heard.
I hear Ziggy's dad was a bit of a musician too
I realise that
1. There is a tendency on a thread like this to dig out a lesser known gem
2. It's a perfectly legitimate point of view to believe Heart Of The Congos, Bass Culture or Handsworth Revolution are better than anything old Bob ever did
But I do find it odd that on a site where the "Mount Rushmore" figures of rock (Beatles, Elvis, Bowie, Dylan etc) are venerated so consistently Bob seems such a marginal figure. To the extent that this thread mentions Pete, Bunny, Lee Perry and Ziggy (Wot no Damien?) before him..
Is it the "he scored 48 goals for England and won the Golden Boot at the World Cup finals but now we think of him as a crisp pimp" thing that makes people think of Bob the as "World Minister For Spliff" rather than the geezer who had an almost twenty year career of aceness he actually is..?
Just Sayin'!;)
He's just the obvious choice.
Like the Beatles, I have a tendency to assume anyone into reggae loves all that he did.
But to even the stakes, and to set the record straight, my favourite two records by Robert Nesta are "Forever Loving Jah" (off "Uprising") and "Rebel's Hop" (off "Soul Rebels"). Thoroughly recommended.
So now you know.
can someone post
that clip of that bloke doing that thing.
no?
the old guy, deejaying and skanking - it's brilliant.
See below
You mean Sir David "Ram Jam" Rodigan.
Some wonderful selections here
if I were asked to choose one reggae album fave ..i would plump for this one ..here is a track from Max Romeo's "War In A Babylon"
A great Lee Perry production too
That album is a classic...
every track, good choice!
The Congos - Fisherman
Form the best reggae album ever, Heart Of The Congos. Produced by Lee Perry, of course.
And how about Dennis Brown - Money In My Pocket as best 12" ever?
Let's just stop messing about and get this on...
And a bit of Ram Jam:
Marley's listing in the Record Collector RRPG....
....is littered with British 45s on the Island, Ska Beat, Doctor Bird labels etc.
Now I've never found a really good (comprehensive would be nice) compilation of all these tracks from '63 to '68/'69/'70.
Anyone knows if one exists?
Trench Town Rock
a 4 CD compilation, released by the Charly label, runs from 68 to 71, which is later than you are looking for. Nevertheless, it features the vast majority of Lee Perry's productions and is absolutely marvellous.
Great British Reggae, No it isn't UB40!
A few more
Andy Capp - Pop a top
John Holt - Ali Baba