Both LP and CD are listed in this PDF (but I'll believe it when it happens): https://recordstoreday.co.uk/media/1019912/printable-2020-list-9320.pdf
I've been sent an Excel list with prices on and couldn't believe the retail price for this release: From The Vaults, Vol 2 CD: £22.99 From The Vaults, Vol 2 2 LP: £ 44.99
OK, this seems a great opportunity to buy something by this label, I'd appreciate if any of you can tell me 2 or 3 of their releases (CD) that are most interesting? Then I'll choose what to buy based on my particular tastes.
Looks like they've got a lot of great stuff from the 60s into the 70s. This Techniques album looks pretty essential: The Techniques: Little Did You Know, CD - Cherry Red Records This looks like a good selection of early dancehall: The Linval Thompson Trojan Dancehall Albums Collection, Various Artists, 2CD - Cherry Red Records This is 100% crucial. I may have to upgrade since I just have the material on the first disc: Errol Brown & The Supersonics: The Treasure Dub Albums Collection, 2CD - Cherry Red Records This has been one of my favorite Trojan/Attack compilations since forever... this version is at least twice as long as the version Trojan put out in the late 80s (with better cover art, too): Put On Your Best Dress: Sonia Pottinger Ska & Rock Steady 1966-1967, Various Artists 2CD - Cherry Red Records This looks like a good selection of early Treasure Isle ska: The Treasure Isle Ska Albums Collection: Various Artists, 4 Original Albums on 2CDs - Cherry Red Records I'm considering re-buying the Treasure Isle Dub and Put on Your Best Dress, so consider that as a strong endorsement. I don't know what the sound quality is like on these, but if they're licensed from Trojan (which I think is mentioned on the website somewhere), they probably won't sound worse than the versions I already have.
Well, this shows that they're not any more "worldwide" than their other releases, I mean you can buy anything from anywhere in the world if you want to but you will have to pay "import" prices if what you want is not widely distributed to your part of the world, these prices are "import" prices and I doubt many shops in Europe will stock these releases. It would be helpful to know a little bit about your "particular tastes" before recommending. My own taste is very broad so I think most of it is recommendable, but that is not very helpful. It also depends a lot on what you have from before, much of what they have released has already been put out by Trojan, albeit mostly in different configurations (as Doctor Bird focus on reissuing things in the format of old albums plus added bonuses). The most "useful" releases, i.m.o., came early on with Kingstonians Suffer, which, besides being a favourite album of mine, was long out of print and both rare and expensive, and also the Marcia Griffiths 2-fer Naturally / Steppin', which are her best albums, and again at least the second of them was long out of print. But you also got some good recommendations from uzn007, I second those. Some of the releases "go together" in that songs that appear on several (original) albums have been deleted from one so as to not be repeated, for example ABC Rock Steady and Put On Your Best Dress are a pair with repeated tracks deleted from the latter (you'll find this noted in their descriptions).
I don't have anything by those bands/artists, at least not "physical releases" so I'm easily interested in most of them. These two are likely at the top of my list right now. The Linval Thompson Trojan Dancehall Albums Collection, Various Artists, 2CD - Cherry Red Records Errol Brown & The Supersonics: The Treasure Dub Albums Collection, 2CD - Cherry Red Records And the others you've mentioned I'll check them out through spotify as soon as I can.
You have cast you net pretty wide with those two, they are almost at different ends of the spectrum of what they have to offer, so you have wide taste as well then. In regards to the Treasure Isle set, I have professed repeatedly to liking that stuff, but just be aware that, if you're a Dub fan, there is not much mixing treatment going on (not much possible with that source material), think of it more as straight versions (but it is great music of course). Also, about Spotify, actually most of the Doctor Bird releases are not available on Spotify, but of course you can check out the artists and many of the songs will be available via other releases.
As many of the Cherry Red releases exactly duplicate the ones by Dub Store (albeit expanded) how do the two labels stack up sound quality wise? Interested in views relating to both CD and vinyl (on the Music on Vinyl label).
There are only four albums I can think of that have been released by both: Dancing Down Orange Street, Gay Feet, Dub Expression (those three came out almost simulataneoulsy and I think it caused some annoyance in both camps as it seems they were not aware of each other's releases) and ABC Rock Steady (which Doctor Bird did well after Dub Store), that's not really many. I haven't bought the Dub Store for these as the Doctor Bird are so very much more value for money (more music for lower price is hard to beat), so I don't know how they fare in a direct comparison, Dub Store are usually top quality though, but I have no complaints with the sound of the Doctor Birds so far either. (I have none of the MOV vinyl corresponding to Doctor Bird, and I don't think I own any Dub Store vinyl at all I'm ashamed to admit...)
Newly announced from Doctor Bird: Prince Far I: The Trojan Album Collection: Prince Far I: The Trojan Album Collection, 2CD - Cherry Red Records - four albums, previously collected on Heavy Manners: Anthology 1977-83 (so it is not correct that "Three of the original albums make their CD debut", this seems to be based on Voice Of Thunder being the only one that got a stand alone release on CD). Clancy Eccles & Friends: Top Of The Ladder: Clancy Eccles & Friends: Top Of The Ladder, 2CD - Cherry Red Records - the album of the title, plus "over 40 Clancy Eccles-produced sides from the early Seventies". (I said above that the March discount works for pre-orders, but it seems that was only for the two titles that were to come out in March, and which are now released.)
A top Cool Ruler compilation - currently £3.99 on Amazon UK https://smile.amazon.co.uk/Night-Nu...t+nurse+best+of&qid=1584385955&s=music&sr=1-1
Goes well along with the current Trojan to complement with earlier material: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Best-Gregory-Isaacs/dp/B01MR60BHU That Night Nurse: The Best Of Gregory Isaacs single CD very confusingly has the same title as an earlier 2-CD, also from Universal. I even see these mixed up in some listings (like using the picture of one when it is really the other being sold). The earlier 2-CD came out when Universal had the Trojan catalogue as well (so covered both eras), it seems the single CD replaced it when BMG took over Trojan, I wish they could have thought of another title.
I tried searching for references to this set, but no dice. Anyone have it and can give me a recommendation for or against? ta Gregory Isaacs - All I Have Is Love: Anthology 1968 To 1995
I don't have this one unfortunately. This was released shortly before Sanctuary took over Trojan, so probably wasn't available for long, and it isn't very common. There is a repressing by TAD's (who have repressed several out of print Gregory Isaacs CDs) but they have very limited distribution: https://www.amazon.com/Anthology-1968-95-Gregory-Isaacs/dp/B0050BPI3S There have been several Trojan 2-CD released after that one (bascially a new one every time Trojan changed hands), in addition to the two mentioned above there were also these: Gregory Isaacs - Cool Ruler The Definitive Collection Gregory Isaacs - Hot Stepper - The Best Of Gregory Isaacs The second of these was also shortlived, it was part a series that Universal started (as seen this also has material from several lables), but the series was aborted after four releases, and eventually the Night Nurse 2-CD I mentioned above came out instead. I'm not sure which, if any, of these Trojan Anthologies is preferrable over another.
Maybe someone here can help me out. I purchased a vinyl copy of Abyssinians - Satta from discogs. It was listed as the 1977 US pressing. It arrived and I had my doubts right away that it was actually the 1977 pressing. The white paper sleeve was totally white and brand new looking, the jacket cardboard very new looking, but a dent on the corner, and the vinyl itself is a bit heavy-weight. I'm by no means an expert on this topic, but it seemed from my other experiences buying 1970s pressings that this one is not. I wrote to the seller and he said the following: "The LP was originally purchased from a Jamaican Reggae Distro that only dealt in original pressings. The LP was probably in a sealed box for decades before they found it." My main concern was that I would get something that sounds good, and it does, so I'm ok with it. I"m going to keep it, and told the seller I wouldn't make a big deal out of it. But I'm not convinced it's the 1977 pressing. Unfortunately the represses and the 1977 share exactly the same label, jacket, runout etc. So can't identify it there. I'm thinking it could be either the 2000 and still have been "sealed in a box for decades". Here are the links: 1977 US: The Abbysinians* - Satta 2000 RP US: The Abbysinians* - Satta 2013 RP (Jamaica) The Abbysinians* - Satta Any tips on identifying 70s pressings based on materials etc?
It's really hard to tell if something is right or wrong without handling them, having said that I'll pull whatever copies I have tomorrow and see if I can give you some pointers, in my experience most Reggae sold as first presses isn't, but you may be lucky.
Appreciate it! Btw, I paid $29.99 USD for this, so it didn't break the bank in any way. That's why I told the seller I'm not going to make a big deal out of it.
Note that the middle one isn't from 2000 (that is part the catalogue number that they all share), the listing actually doesn't say when it's from, but in the "Notes" section speculates that it is an 80's press, it also has a blueish label that the others do not have. On the 2013 pressing it says "Comes in glossy (white inside) cardboard sleeve", I think you should probably be able to tell that one from a vintage pressing just going by it's general appearance, and I suspect that is what you have, but it's hard to know without seeing it in person.
I had a look, it's really easy to tell the 1977 copy from later ones, the label has a circular indent and the sleeve is much heavier with front and rear slick pasted on in a traditional US way, the reissues have normal modern sleeves, original also comes with correct period paper inner with rounded corners. Label groove: Corner of sleeve showing frame:
Does anybody know what the Desmond Dekker reissue of Israelites in Pyramid is like? Do I need this if I have an original US? The Uni version of Israelites is fake stereo, right? I'm assuming none of the early Dekker stuff was recorded in stereo.
Anyone heard the new MOV of The Melodians' Rivers Of Babylon? Can anybody recommend any decent sounding LPs of Melodians material? I've got the Rivers Of Babylon double LP compilation on Earmark (Get Back) and the sound of it is pretty bad.
Are 80s Studio One reissues any good compared to earlier versions? Is there anywhere that shows the Studio One record labels that were used and which years?
