Rather than have the ghost of Steve Jobs recommending what I should listen to next I thought I'd see if there is any life left in the Naim Collective from whom I have received so many good tips over the years.
So if you were to ask me reggae is a genre I'm into but in reality it consists almost exclusively of Bob Marley albums. Recently on holiday I bought Peter Tosh -Legalisze it, I'm listening to it as I type trying to convince myself it's summer, and it's wonderful stuff. I think the only other reggae album I have is Third World 96 degrees in the shade.
It it srikes me as like saying I'm into Jazz but exclusively having Miles Davis albums.
So what gems of albums from the reggae cannon have I been missing?
i would play your copy of Third World 96 Degrees In The Shade next - a great LP.
Others I would recommend:
Steel Pulse - Handsworth Revolution
Culture - most of their albums are great
almost anything on The Greensleeves lablel from mid '70s to early 80's
Dennis Brown
Capital Letters
The Heptones
Linton Kwesi Johnson
Sly & Robbie
Bkack Symbol
Talisman
Dread Meets Punk
Junior Murvin
High Mundell
UB40's first LP Signing Off
the list goes on....
Richard
Posted on: 24 July 2015 by Huwge
Culture
Steel Pulse
early Aswad
Junior Murvin
Sly and Robbie / Black Uhuru
with Peter Tosh you can do no wrong
Misty in Roots live at Counter Eurovision
Dennis Brown
Delroy Wilson, cool operator
always liked a bit of Eek a Mouse and Yellowman
not so up on the new stuff but that lot use to get me shuffling in the old Casablanca in Grangetown
Horace Andy for that Massive Attack vibe
Posted on: 24 July 2015 by Huwge
a bit of snap being played here
Posted on: 24 July 2015 by FangfossFlyer
Yeah, and once you dIg into reggae there is such variety from ska, lovers rock, Dub, roots and beyond.
For me I am a big fan of the UK reggae scene (Birmingham, Bristol and London) from the mid 70's to early 80s.
Especially enjoying the recent vinyl releases of:
The Midlands Roots Explosion Vol 1
Black Symbol presents Handsworth Explosion Vol 1 and 2
The recent Black Symbol double LP release from Reggae Archive Records
And if you can find it on vinyl The Front Line collection of Your Last Chance.... Which I have payed ever since it's release back in 1978... Excellent!
Richard
Posted on: 24 July 2015 by Nick Lees
For a relatively modern take, try the Dub Syndicate "Best of" Special King Size Dub. It's tremendous value for under a fiver at you-know-where...for example...
The Only Alternative featuring Lee Scratch Perry:
Mafia featuring Bim Sherman
Posted on: 24 July 2015 by David O'Higgins
Maybe Jimmy Cliff, 'Struggling Man'? Certainly 'Going back West' , from that album, is one of the best. Hope you had a good holiday!
D.
Posted on: 24 July 2015 by sjbabbey
Bunny Wailer's "Blackheart Man"
Also maybe not strictly Reggae (more ska) but may also be worthwhile investigating Toots & The Maytals.
Posted on: 24 July 2015 by totemphile
Good suggestions above.
If you asked me for a top ten list, I'd list them:
Bob Marley
Jimmy Cliff
Peter Tosh
Lee Scratch Perry
Augustus Pablo
Burning Spear
Toots & The Maytals
Desmond Dekker
Dillinger
Tiken Jah Fakoly
Perfect
That's eleven because ten is not enough.
Just about every album any of them ever made you will not regret buying, if you like reggae music in the wider sense.
Great journey ahead of you. All things considered arguably the best music on the planet.
Enjoy
Posted on: 24 July 2015 by Cat lover
No one has yet mentioned Yabby You. Blood and Fire produced an excellent compilation, Jesus Dread. Also the Congos, Heart of the Congos. The best of the albums Lee Scratch Perry produced in the 70s.
Posted on: 24 July 2015 by DrMark
This is an excellent album and usually available at a good price as well:
Posted on: 24 July 2015 by Steve J
In addition to those above....
Dr Alimentado, Horace Andy, King Tubbs, I Roy, Gregory Isaacs, Ken Boothe and Lee Scratch Perry.
Culture, Dennis Brown and Burning Spear are some of my favourites mentioned already.
Posted on: 24 July 2015 by Huwge
Not sure how I managed to forget Winston Rodney (Burning Spear); but a good compilation is OST "Rockers," with lots of those already nominated.
There's another compilation - Darker than blue: Soul from Jamdown, also pretty good if you remember the inner cities in the l 70s / early 80s
Posted on: 25 July 2015 by FangfossFlyer
Nice to see so much enthusiasm for a great musical genre.
just putting The Front Line collection on my deck to set the groove for the day.
Richard
Posted on: 25 July 2015 by Sloop John B
Thanks all.
Here is my initial foray............
I'm sure I'll have loads more suggestions when I get my hands on these and listen to them.
SJB
Posted on: 25 July 2015 by Premmyboy
Lots of great suggestions already listed. An absolute corker of an album is Revolutionary Dream by Pablo Moses.
Posted on: 25 July 2015 by Steve J
Posted on: 25 July 2015 by Bananahead
Quite a lot of good stuff from the past.
If you like new music then try Print Fatty and Mungo's Hi-Fi.
Posted on: 25 July 2015 by thebigfredc
Hi SJB
Of course the man in your avatar played a huge amount of reggae. Early toasters are my favourite - Uroy was a fine exponent and, if memory serves me right, the first. Also make sure to try Big Youth.
ATB Ray
Posted on: 25 July 2015 by spurrier sucks
Israel Vibration
Eek-A-Mouse
Black Uhuru
just to add a few to the other great suggestions. Enjoy!
Posted on: 25 July 2015 by FangfossFlyer
Clint Eastwood and General Saint: Stop That Train.
Another reggae classic, the title track which really moves along. Way back in time it was one of the LPs I used as a test record for my system and in an attempt to convert The Sound Org to reggae!
Richard
Posted on: 25 July 2015 by Richard D
Posted on: 25 July 2015 by Simon-in-Suffolk
I really like early reggae or ska and english ska.
You might enjoy this Gary Mayall compilation of Top ska tunes.. It's fab and a great taster and a good intro to some great bands ....
Posted on: 25 July 2015 by FangfossFlyer
This is the regaae collection I was refering to earlier, The Front Line II, Your Last Chance... From 1978 and I have been playing it ever since!
Probably one of my all time favourite reggae collection LPs.
If someone asks what reggae I am in to it is this album that I play them.
