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two reggae albums...

fela fan said:
No rules mate, except two at a time. And reggae!

I've two more.

Anything by alpha blondy, incredibly barely known in britain (at least back in 2001), and they've been around since the 80s.
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Got to say i'm not *massively* impressed with Alpha Blondy (who i thought was a solo artist?) either - i got a single-CD "best of", but most of it was quite dull and overly "happy" sounding pop-reggae-lite, imo... tho "Masada" is a tune that i go from liking to not liking - it's sounded amazing, and deep roots, every time i've heard it played out, but just doesn't sound that good at home - unless there's a 7"/12" version with better bass/production... :confused:
And marley's soul rebel is one of the finest songs of all time. So, the album of that is the second.
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oddly enough, i actually prefer the Gladiators version...
 
oh, and places to buy: www.bloodandfire.co.uk and www.pressure.co.uk (Blood and Fire and Pressure Sounds label websites) are good starting places... the message board at the former also contains people who will know everything you could possibly want to know about anything ever recorded in the world of reggae... some of their record collections put even dubversion's to shame... :eek:
 
soulrebel said:
Got to say i'm not *massively* impressed with Alpha Blondy (who i thought was a solo artist?) either - i got a single-CD "best of", but most of it was quite dull and overly "happy" sounding pop-reggae-lite, imo... tho "Masada" is a tune that i go from liking to not liking - it's sounded amazing, and deep roots, every time i've heard it played out, but just doesn't sound that good at home - unless there's a 7"/12" version with better bass/production... :confused:

oddly enough, i actually prefer the Gladiators version...
Click to expand...

It seems to be a thing with reggae artists - towards the begining of their careers they produce some wonderful stuff and then, when they move to the western market it takes a universal downhill path. There's a lot of variability - even in the best of them - eek a mouse has produced some bad stuff before, some of Max Romeo's stuff is pretty dire etc etc.

Pretty hard choosing best albums - most of my stuff is on singles or compilations (compilations I'd say Dubwise and Otherwise 1&2 and Arkology are my favourites, singles - chase the devil and some very old tune on a Battleaxe compilation with two medieval toy soldiers on the front. I'll borrow it off Slacker (used to post here, sure some of you remember him) and check the names).
 
Junior Delgado - Original Guerilla Music
Junior Reid - Rasta Government

And I'll second 'Two Sevens Clash' by Culture.
 
bristle-krs said:
how would you know? you've already admitted you'd never heard it...
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Yeah OK you win. The single was a piece of crap IMO, one of those awful attempts to commercialise reggae for a pop audience.
 
I'm adding a further two:

African Dub Chapter 3 - Joe Gibbs

and the Don Letts compilation "Dread meets Punk Rockers Uptown"

[and a couple of 12" - that I've long since lost - if anyone has these on mp3....

The Gladiators - Pocket Money

Rockers Revenge - Walking on Sunshine]
 
Joe Higgs - 'Life of Contradiction'
Johnny Clarke - 'Authorized Rockers'

Oooh I like this thread...some first-rate selections so far...
 
Cid said:
...a Battleaxe compilation with two medieval toy soldiers on the front.
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Hahaha yes I know what you mean - I have that one too -- shite cover, looks like it was done on the cheap and in a hurry - but some great tunes on it, Lee Perry productions IIRC, vocal plus Upsetters intrumentals
 
fela fan said:
Maybe a mid-thread interuption:

any good places to buy any of these cds online so i can order them from thailand?

I know of sterns, but maybe there are some others?
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https://secure.dubvendor.co.uk/default.asp

The flashy web shop front actually looks just like the Ladbroke Grove shop bar the great staff. Everytime I go in they ask if I just got my Giro. Well makes me laugh... :D
 
Dunno if it's possible to name just 2 reggae album, but i'll bend the rules a bit


1. Tighten Up (boxset) - Various
2. Born to love - Slim Smith

But there's many, many, more.


I wonder who'll be the first unimaginative git to suggest a Marley album post African Herbsman
 
or from more recently..
Bounty killer - Ghetto Dictionary: Mystery

Bush Chemists meets Jonah Dan - Dubs from Zion Valley
 
metalguru said:
and the Don Letts compilation "Dread meets Punk Rockers Uptown"
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I was on a trip back to england maybe three years ago, was in notting hill and popped into a reggae music shop. Told the lad what i liked, and to give me something i don't know about, he produced this cd.

Occasionally i wake up on a weekend, have a puff, breakfast, then in the car out into the mountains with this cd on... it's worth a lot.

If we're talking compilations, i'd point posters' way towards african collections of reggae. Some great stuff on those. Sterns in Euston road'll have them.
 
soulrebel said:
Got to say i'm not *massively* impressed with Alpha Blondy (who i thought was a solo artist?) either - i got a single-CD "best of", but most of it was quite dull and overly "happy" sounding pop-reggae-lite, imo... tho "Masada" is a tune that i go from liking to not liking - it's sounded amazing, and deep roots, every time i've heard it played out, but just doesn't sound that good at home - unless there's a 7"/12" version with better bass/production... :confused:

oddly enough, i actually prefer the Gladiators version...
Click to expand...

Maybe it depends where you first hear new music? I heard the massada album over ten years ago in bangkok where i was living. I'd never heard of them, yet they were popular all over europe. The music hit the sweet spot. I've now got all bar one of their albums, and it's reggae with a difference, but top class music. From ivory coast, but i think they're french. To my knowledge they've never performed in england, at least up to 2001 they hadn't. Yet they sing english on several songs.
 
Have to go with "Heart of the Congos", one of the greatest records of any genre ever.

Also put in a vote for either Horace Andy's "Dance Hall Style" or Keith Hudson's "Pick a Dub". :cool:
 
MP002.jpg


MP001.jpg
 
I could put thousands up but the band I am most into at the moment is:
Midnite who come from St Croix - all their stuff comes out of USA and difficult to get here but

'Unpolished' and 'Seek Knowledge without Vengeance' are absolutely inspired lyrically and musically. IMHO

Daweh Congo is my singer of choice after Winston Rodney of Burning Spear
 
soulrebel said:
is this CD still available? i want it, but it doesn't seem to be on the Pressure Sounds website any more...

was quite disappointed with this one tbh. only about 3 or 4 songs i could get into on it... doesn't live up to its hype of "first modern era roots classic" imo - try some early Sizzla or Anthony B instead...
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dunno, only ever had/seen it on vinyl. however, if you're really desperate to get it, im sure i burnt a copy onto cd for someone, i could try to track it down and get u a copy. if so, PM.

aye, s'pose black woman and child (sizzla)'s prob better than til shiloh; hard choice imo though.
 
That Pressure Sounds website is card bustingly good. Just ordered Cry Tuff Dub Encounter Chapter 3 and Israel Vibration Same Song.

Is it possible to get a CD copy of Misty in Roots - Live at the Counter Eurovision? Copies on Amazon (vinyl?) are going for £90 + eeeeek.
 
Augustus Pablo-Original Rockers (Africaaaans must be free...(long pause)
Dillinger-Cocaine (Its that funky punk!)
 
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