Well Charged and Life Of Contradiction are must haves. The other Joe Higgs is not as good, but if you like the first go ahead with that too. The Delroy Wilson is perhaps not his best, but it's Delroy, that can never be wrong (the CD is packaged as a bonus with Dubbing In The Backyard for the same price as a single CD). Both of the Lloyd Parks mentioned and the I-Mo-Jah are honestly too new for me to have digested properly (and I see they are now up to three years old, so I should try to catch up), I habitually but every Pressure Sounds release, but I haven't really played those enough yet. For more Channel One on Pressure Sounds I recommend Hitbound Selection: When The Dances Were Changing, little later material (this can be hard to find nowadays, especially the CD, which has more tracks), and for Dub there's Maxfield Avenue Breakdown, primarily, and also for more there's the slightly lesser Drum Sound: More Gems... Pressure Sounds is almost always great, there were a few duds for a while, where the sound was also not up to snuff, but the general advice is get them all!
Although there's some conflicting information, I think today would have been Gregory Isaacs' 70th birthday (it's his birthday anyway), so I take the opportunity to once again post one of my my favourite clips ever, the "Slave Master" performance from the movie Rockers (where can I get a suit like that?):
Both absolutely killer. Maxfield Avenue Breakdown is definitely one of my favorites. Classic Channel One sound is like butter.
I got this today - a lot of great music! Though it´s not really all the Byles/Perry recordings, a few(?) tracks are missing. Of the "Trojan" tracks, Live As One is not here - but is on this: Lee Perry & Friends - Chapter 3: Live As One There are also a few tracks from (the superior sounding) Heartbeat collection missing: Junior Byles - Curly Locks (Best Of Junior Byles & The Upsetters 1970 - 1976) Soundwise, it´s about the same as the previous Trojan release Junior Byles - Beat Down Babylon "The Upsetter Years" although not as "loud". (I´m not an audiophile, but maybe it´s less compressed?) Still, recommeded it is! But that Heartbeat collection is also crucial.
You would win your bet. It is killer. Great sound(according to the liners it's mastered from original records)and the music is terrific. Plus excellent liner notes for a neophyte like me.
I loved Til Shiloh (the album that Champion is on, along with other great cuts like Murderer and Complaint) when it came out. Also was a big fan of Inna Heights which followed Til Shiloh. Both great releases. Buju certainly had his issues, but purely from a musical perspective he is very talented. Agreed that some of his tracks (like Complaint) are not for anyone looking for laid back reggae but he does have some much more accessible and more mainstream material like Untold Stories and Not An Easy Road.
Two new ones announced by Doctor Bird: Sir J.J. Special: J.J. Johnson’s Ska and Rock Productions 1966-1968, 2CD: Various Artists - Sir J.J. Special J.J. Johnson’s Ska and Rock Productions 1966-1968 - 2CD - Cherry Red Records - Compilation that complements the previously announced Reggae Power. Morwell Unlimited / Prince Far I & The Arabs: A.1 Dub / Cry Tuff Dub Encounter Chapter IV, 2CD: Morwell Unlimited & Prince Far I & The Arabs: A.1 Dub / Cry Tuff Dub Encounter Chapter IV, 2CD - Cherry Red Records - The two Dub albums on the first disc, plus a whole disc of bonus tracks. The Morwells has been reissued on LP by MOV some time ago, so a CD by Doctor Bird has been excpected. Not sure why these two are packaged together, but great stuff nonetheless.
Listening to the great Joe Higgs "Unity Is Power" lp on Pressure Sounds and it's killer. But man, the liner notes describing the years of horrible treatment that he got from the business and fellow artists is some of the most depressing stuff you'll ever read. This genius was completely crapped on from the very beginning.
Any recommendations please folks? I'm looking for nice 70's sound, range of instruments, stretched out tracks. I like guitar solos, keyboards, horn sections. Don't like electronic / processed 80's sound. I've already got Aswad Bob Marley Bunny Wailer Burning Spear Congos Culture Max Romeo Peter Tosh Steel Pulse Third World Who am I missing? (Love this thread. I made it to 10 pages, but I can't read 206!)
I don't usually promote things I put together, but on this occasion I think they may fit the bill: The Midlands Roots Explosion Volume Two, by Various Artists The Midlands Roots Explosion Volume One, by Various Artists The Bristol Roots Explosion, by Various Artists Black Roots - The Reggae Singles Anthology A few more to go on with: Junior Murvin "Police & Thieves" Horace Andy Misty In Roots "Live At The Counter Eurovision" Mighty Diamonds "Right Time" Jimmy Cliff any Island best of Black Uhuru Island period Heptones Maytals
Staying with the big name artists, in addition to Dubmart's recommendations (which are seconded): Solo artists: Dennis Brown (any album up until mid-80s, also compilation needed) Gregory Isaacs (any album up until mid-80s, also compilation needed) Freddie McGregor (still relevant today, but start in the late 70s) Jacob Miller (avoid Inner Circle on Capitol and Island and get a compilation under J.M.'s name) Bands/Groups: Gladiators (start with Virgin/Frontline albums, add Nighthawk albums) Wailing Souls (anything up through the 80s, start with early Greensleeves albums) Twinkle Brothers (start with Countryman) Abyssinians (start with Satta Massagana aka Forward On To Zion) A couple not as big, but might suit: Pablo Moses (1st three Island albums) Ijahman Levi (Haile I Hymn and Are We A Warrior) To avoid a complete sausage-fest: Marcia Griffiths (Naturally and Steppin) Judy Mowatt (Black Woman) Want to try DJ?: I-Roy Presenting I Roy Want to try Dub?: Augustus Pablo King Tubbys Meets Rockers Uptown Want to try Instrumental?: Rico Man From Wareika A little bit of all the above mixed together: Lee Perry Super Ape You will also eventually have to get outside just going by artists and getting compilations centered around producers, studios and labels.
Wow, thanks for all your efforts, you two! I loved that Misty In Roots album when John Peel used to play it back in the day. I've bought it since, but was disappointed with the sound quality. A studio version of those tracks would be great. I've tried Black Uhuru a couple of times but, for me, they're close to the 80's processed sound that I don't want. Gregory Isaacs (Night Nurse?) and Dennis Brown - I've known the names since back in the day, but had the idea that they were a bit cheesy / smoochy? Will look for some of the other stuff. Seeing thise British compilations reminds me of Talisman (Dole Age) and Black Slate (Amigo), I bought those at the time.
Dennis and Gregory are my favourites, sure some of their material is to the Lovers Rock side of things, Dennis can get poppy and Gregory can get smooth, but a lot if it is rootsy/cultural stuff, especially 70s recordings, try these albums: Dennis Brown - Wolf & Leopards, Visions Of Dennis Brown, Joseph's Coat Of Many Colours, Words Of Wisdom and Spellbound + some compilation(s) of earlier Niney the Observer productions (for example Just Dennis / Deep Down on Doctor Bird, also compiled on Heartbeat). Gregory Isaacs - Extra Classic, Mr. Isaacs, Cool Ruler, Soon Forward, The Lonely Lover and More Gregory + some compilation(s) of earlier Alvin Ranglin productions (available compiled over three CDs from either Jamaican Gold or Heartbeat). Even on Dennis' later cross-over attempts on A&M you get stuff like this: I also posted a Gregory clip just the other day (for his birthday), if you go back just a page. Out of the stuff listed they are definitely the odd ones out, as they are more of an 80s band, I am also not thrilled with their style myself, but many rate them as among the greatest, so deserve to be mentioned.
The last couple of Talisman albums after they reformed are pretty decent and we put out a best of as well, though CD only. Was the Misty In Roots on People Unite, I've always thought the sound quality was very good for a live album, not sure what the KAZ version sounds like, the original master tapes were destroyed, but I don't know if that was before or after the Kaz release. "Night Nurse" may be too much of "the processed sound" for you, likewise avoid anything by him beyond the seventies and you may well enjoy Gregory, the same more or less goes for Dennis Brown, after about '79 a lot of his stuff is a more commercial sound. Try either of "The Midlands Roots" comps, I have a feeling they will be more up your street.
Glad you did. Just ordered the Midlands collections, plus a couple of other things from the Reggae Archives label. I'll pick up the Bristol and Black Roots collections at a later date.
He had hits not only for Treasure Isle but for Studio One as well: Is that from one of his later albums?
It's on his Sweet Dreams album from 1978. Never a single as far as I know but I've been playing it for a long time.
Trojan put out a great 2CD compilation of Jackie's music a few years ago. Jackie Edwards - This Is My Story: A History Of Jamaica's Greatest Balladeer
There's also this clip of "Want More" from Hamburg 1976 at the beginning of the Roots, Rock, Reggae documentary. If there was more footage of "Want More" there may be more from that concert as well.