The Sly & Robbie album on Island is a very updated sound, but worth a listen and recently reissued, there's also a Wackies album which should be readily available, those are the key two you haven't listed, I'm not sure about the other two or three they did mostly later on. It's also worth picking up U. Roy's "Version Galore" for some early deejay cuts over the same Treasure Isle tracks.
The fine folks here will have tons of recommendations. Since you didn't mention specific album titles, here are some recommendations for the artists you have already mentioned: Steel Pulse: *Handsworth Revolution (I know you're focusing on vinyl, but the 2CD deluxe edition of this is priceless IMHO) *Tribute to the Martyrs *True Democracy Peter Tosh: *Legalize It *Equal Rights Marley: *Catch a Fire *Burnin *Exodus *Songs of Freedom box (sorry, CD again) Burning Spear: *Marcus Garvey/Garvey's Ghost *Man in the Hills *Dry and Heavy *Social Living
Yes, I didn't rate it that highly at the time, but I think it stands up better thirty years later, doesn't top the original versions, but worth owning.
Alright, as someone who's only seriously been listening to reggae for slightly over a year, I vouch for Max Romeo being a great gateway singer. That voice is undeniable. What scares some people off is that it's "roots" reggae, ostensibly dry and just plain too demanding, but the songs are there, the voice is out of this world and it's just one of those things where your wonder why more people are not listening to it.
Excellent, thanks ! I forgot that I do have Funky Kingston by Toots and the Maytalls also which I love !
Yeah, I was wondering about him, thanks ! I think I like roots Reggae if it is a dry production you are referring to.
I guess so, though it's not even that dry, as this is Lee Scratch Perry we're talking about. But it's hardcore religious and all that. Songs about decapitating people one doesn't agree with. I come from metal, so I don't have that much of a problem with it.
"Heads a go roll down Sandy gully One of these days..." Is from his song "Warning Warning" and is more of a political message than religious, reflecting the turmoil affecting JA at the time. Its passionate, sure, but I don't think I've heard him sing something Like that in a religious vein.
Funny, I just listened to the Trojan expanded 2-CD On The Beach for the first time yesterday, it was one I had been chasing before, and then it got reissued and all of a sudden I was in no hurry to get it, typically I would have waited until it went out of print again, but this time I did get it. Anyway, I had not heard those Roslyn Sweat songs before and the second disc continues with later material, it samples all those mentioned albums (the whole Now album is there I think). I really like the Sly & Robbie album. I know many think it is a pointless excercise when the original recordings are classics, but since the songs themselves are so good there is no harm in hearing them again in another style, and it's well done. The Paragons Return that imag&nos mentioned was released on Wackie's, but I guess you mean The Legendary Paragons? I always forget about that one... What is the story with that album anyway, it is not a Wackie's recording is it?
That 2CD comp seems to have everything I mentioned in the post about the four albums, except in the order it was recorded. This means that only On the Beach and Now are presented in the order they were originally released, whereas for the middle two, only the pertinent sessions are extracted and laid out in chronological order. Not a bad way to present the material, actually.
@imag&nos: About the Sly & Robbie produced Island album The Paragons, I thought I should point out that it has recently been reissued by Caroline with bonus tracks. So the On The Beach 2-CD is pretty complete for that period then (through Now)? Well there's plenty of stoning and burning going on in some Roots Reggae, so you're not far off.
@imag&nos: For the Wackie's The Legendary Paragons album, if you're looking at Discogs there is only a reissue of it listed, not the original release. Maybe that's why you missed it? I don't know when it originally came out...?
These are, of course, the bona fide Spear classics. You might want to add the Spear Burning compilation as well. Essential stuff. However, Spear's most underrated release must be Resistance from 1985. This album is never mentioned by anyone. But, man, I love it. His best LP of the eighties for me. Anyone else dig this release? Not as deep and heavy as the seventies classics, but some really infectious rhythms.
I just thought I should say that Yabby You Jesus Dread is a bit tough to find and expensive, there is also the more recent Dread Pophecy which, although having partially different content, contains the same core most important tracks. Check it out first to see if it's your thing, it is a bit different from what you have been listening to so far.
