Reggae Recommendations
Posted by: Sloop John B on 24 July 2015
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?
My favourite Reggae outfit is Misty in Roots. Their Live at the Counter Eurovision 79 is one of the best albums ever, IMHO. After that, Black Uhuru would be my suggestion - Red and Chill out are just great, complete with Sly and Robbie, who must be one of the greatest rhythm sections ever.
Ostensibly a Lee Perry/Upsetters album, but this is drenched with King Tubby magic:
I'm surprised nobody's mentioned Keith Hudson. IMO, this record should be in every reggae lover's collection:
A variation on the theme and a great one IMO.
...although this one comes close IMO:
I'll second that and recommend this;
Playing this ATM. Recommended.
You're probably right Clive. I've gone back to listening to some more appropriate Blues music. 
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
That song has many versions. Derrick Harriot, and Big Youth (Cool Breeze)
Just listening to this. Thanks for the recommendation, reading up about it, there is a certain poignancy about this for me as apparently it was one of Uncle John's ( as I used to call him to my children) favourites and was played at his funeral. This passed me by as a 13 year old in Ireland ( we had the Undertones!) but you can sense something in the air or perhaps it's just bringing me back to a time when it felt that all bets were off.
looking forward to Amazon delivering my stash this week.
SJB
I concur with much of this but there are a few records that have been recommended that I plan to explore. Richard recommended Last Chance - a Virgin Front Line compilation. I bought the original Front Line compilation which was 49p. Virgin signed up a huge swath of contemporary Jamaican reggae artists and their list in the seventies was amazing. The Front Line compilations are all collected in a recent box set (with bonus tracks) and I recommend it. Although of course it always feels a bit wrong to play reggae on CD!
Clive
Lee "Scratch" Perry's 3CD Arkology box set is a must;
Well the postie delivered the first 3 albums and I'm listening to a Front line compilation.
There is very little songs in common with the LP mentioned above but many of the same artists appear.
just listening to cd1 and some of these tracks are bringing a broad smile to my face.9I'm going to enjoy this exploration.
SJB
check out Quantic/Flowering Inferno's Dog With a Rope, some tracks are a bit more crossover but there's some good sounds.. along with the earlier release from Flowering Inferno.
so Amazon finally got its act together, I've a lot of good stuff here to get through.
SJB
You have probably seen and heard him in Jools Holland band but worth hearing this LP from 1977 nicely repressed by Back To Black Vinyl.
Rico: Man From Wareika
Richard
You have probably seen and heard him in Jools Holland band but worth hearing this LP from 1977 nicely repressed by Back To Black Vinyl.
Rico: Man From Wareika
Richard
One of my favorite albums, ever.
Had the original LP, Glad to see it being reissued as a CD
Sceptre: Essence of Redemption Ina Dif'rent Styley
Well worth checking out and the LP is only £7.99 from some river in South America.
Richard
