Aswad - Roots Rockin' - The Island Anthology 1 & 2

Aswad is a rarity among reggae groups as one that started out relatively weak and got better as it incorporated more pop and soul influences into its sound. The band's albums of the 1970s were primarily roots reggae of the blandest sort: two-chord vamps loping along beneath negligible melodies and by the numbers Rastafarian lyrics. By contrast, Aswad's chart-topping version of "Don't Turn Around," released in 1989 after the band had hardened and slicked up its sound, remains its biggest hit and arguably the best single the group ever produced. This retrospective collection presents a nice, two-disc précis of the band's work from its earliest albums until it jumped labels around 1990. Disc One is certainly not bad -- while there is little exceptional material to be found (and the worst of it, such as the embarrassingly atonal "Rainbow Culture," should clearly have stayed out of print), there are moments of real musical and spiritual uplift, including a live version of "Not Satisfied" and the dubwise excursions on "Three Babylon" and "It's Not Our Wish." But Disc Two is the payoff. The band's sound is tough, lean, and modern, though still well grounded in Rasta roots and culture. "Don't Turn Around" shows up in a 12" version, as do such other gems as "Don't Get Weary," "Gimme the Dub," and a surprisingly attractive version of the '70s soft rock potboiler "On and On." This set is very nice overall, and probably represents everything most people need to hear from Aswad's earlier years.

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Dennis Brown - Some Like It Hot

This 18-track compilation bundles up some of the best of Brown's work with producer Niney Holness and, in conjunction with Heartbeat's Open the Gates collection, mops up virtually all the pair's material together from the 1970s. And what a phenomenal flood of music it was. Although only 16 when he and the Observer began working together, Brown was already a music veteran, a former child star, who had grown into a winsome teenaged balladeer. Holness himself was barely out of his teens, but still managed to help shape the youngster into one of the age's greatest roots singers. Between 1973 and 1977, the pair, accompanied by Earl Chinna's Soul Syndicate, unleashed a torrent of seminal recordings and sent a slew of singles rocketing into the Jamaican chart. Some Like It Hot may disregard chronology -- in fact, the duo's first hit, "Westbound Train," is immediately followed by their last, "Tribulation," but to complain would be churlish, considering the masterpieces found here, including the two just mentioned. There's also the sublime "Wolf and Leopards," the infectious title track, the pop classic "My Time," and the powerful "Cassandra" (one of several cuts utilizing the "Westbound Train" rhythm). For collectors, there's also the fabulous 12" mixes of "Africa" and "Here I Come" (like "Tribulation," its rhythm was cut in London with the Cimarrons, misspelled Cimaroons here), alongside Big Youth's DJ version of "Westbound," "Ride On/Wild Goose Chase." As an added bonus, the liner notes include an interview with the Observer himself. In their catalog, Heartbeat subtitles the album The Best of Dennis Brown -- they'd have been justified to print that on the CD's sleeve.

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Garnett Silk - Kilimanjaro Remembers Garnett Silk

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"The late Garnett Silk was one of the most promising of the "cultural" dancehall singers of the early '90s, a period when "slackness" was in the ascendant and few of Jamaica's top-flight talents were still bothering to deliver the lyrical messages of spiritual and political uplift that had been reggae's stock in trade for so long. Silk spent some time with the Killamanjaro sound system, singing over new and vintage reggae rhythms, sometimes in collaboration with other singers and deejays. This collection brings together 21 such tracks, most characterized by the slightly rough, improvised feel that often attends sound system performances. Silk's talent, though, was such that even when getting lost in the chord progression of "Marley Medley" or grinding to a ragged halt on "Jaro Ruling," his voice still has the power to captivate. Notable team-ups on this album include a duet with Dennis Brown on "Sing With Me" and "Rule Dem" with Luciano. Recommended."

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Alton Ellis - Cry Tough

"Although Alton Ellis was never to receive the international recognition of such contemporaries as Desmond Dekker or Delroy Wilson, the singer was at least their equal. Launching his career as the duo of Alton & Eddie (Parkins) at the dawn of the ska age, Ellis' career has continued unabated since, both as partner with other singers (including his equally talented sister Hortense Ellis) and as a solo artist. Although he recorded for a multitude of producers, some of his most glittering work during the rocksteady/early reggae eras was cut with Duke Reid, and it is from Reid's Treasure Isle chest that this compilation is drawn. There were scores of classics to choose from, and Cry Tough contains many of the best, a sumptuous entrance to the singer's world. Accompanied by a string of Reid's superb session bands and backed by the Flames (initially the Maytals and then a new grouping with Winston Jarrett at its core), Ellis proceeded to turn up the heat on the island with a flood of evocative hits. However, some of his best-known songs included within this compilation are not the original releases, but alternate takes. As these versions are in no way substandard to the actual releases, this a boon for collectors, while not penalizing new fans. In the case of his best-known number, "Girl I've Got a Date," the alternate is arguably superior, as Ellis reaches new soulful heights. The version of "Cry Tough" is also a masterpiece of emotional shading, almost overwhelmed by its sheer poignancy. And it was this emotive power that defined the singer -- a sweet soulfulness, rich with feeling, that Ellis brought to all his records. This was as true for his many self-penned songs as for the American pop hits he often covered, and it's arguably the latter that best showcase his talent, as Top 40 fluff resonates with new depth under his attention. With 20 classic songs and Ellis at his best, it's not all you'll need -- because after hearing this, you're guaranteed to want more."

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Black Uhuru - Liberation - The Island Anthology (1993) 2cd

Black Uhuru is a Jamaican reggae group formed in 1972, initially as Uhuru (Swahili for 'freedom'). The group has undergone several line-up changes over the years, with Derrick Duckie Simpson as the mainstay. They had their most successful period in the 1980s, with their album Anthem winning the first ever Grammy Award for Best Reggae Album in 1985. (Wiki)

Black Uhuru's all-too-brief years at Island/Mango produced some of the most astonishing sounds to come out of Jamaica. Militant, spiritual, loving and liberating, their six albums cut for Chris Blacwell's label from 1980-1983, were prototypes for a new generation.
Black Uhuru emerged at exactly the right moment. In the late 1970's, Jamaica was raging: outside imperialist threats, political violence, teetering economics, covert U.S. intervention and angry, politicized youth. Reggae music was no longer reflecting the change; Bob Marley and Peter Tosh were lone rebels. Just as the punk revolution had toppled the rock hierarchy, reggae was in need of its own uprising.
Giving voice to the street was Black Uhuru. Founded by Derrick 'Duckie' Simpson in the mid-1970's , Uhuru was just one of the many second-generation, Rasta-inspired vocal groups - until Simpson was drawn to the magical voice of Michael Rose. A rude bwoy from the crushingly violent Kingston slum known as Waterhouse, Rose, a struggling solo artist - he did the original 'Guess Who's Coming To Dinner' - would find in Uhuru a vehicle for his own edgy word-fall of songs. Then one day Simpson and Rose heard from an apartment above the recording studio, another haunting sound: the ethereal  voice of South Carolina-born, Columbia-graduate, Rasta sister, Sandra 'Puma' Jones... (from the CD notes included)          

All tracks feature 'The Riddim Twins' Sly Dunbar and Robbie Shakespeare, Drums and Bass (shown below) and a crack band. Details of musicians on all tracks are shown in the scans provided - Listen to it a few times and the vocal and instrumental hooks will grab you ! Unlike Bob Marley's natural, organic recordings, Black Uhuru make full use of the studio to create the way Reggae music would evolve.  - Gus 

Alton Ellis - Sunday Coming

"Alton Ellis is one of the best Jamaican vocalists to have emerged during the ska and rocksteady periods in the '60s. His singing prowess remained intact through the reggae, dancehall, and ragga years as well, proving that his uniquely soulful delivery and impeccable phrasing could transcend reggae's many changes. Recording with his preferred producer Clement Dodd, Ellis cut Sunday Coming around 1969-1970 at Dodd's legendary Brentford Road studio. Most likely backed by the producer's Sound Dimension band (featuring the great Jackie Mittoo as arranger and organist), Ellis offers up a typical set of originals and choice covers from the day's charts. On the handful of tracks Ellis co-wrote with Dodd, breezy medium-tempo cuts like "It's True" and "The Picture Was You" particularly stand out; the buoyant soul-based rocksteady beats, occasional jazz chords, and sweet harmonies all seem to be part of a musical setting in which Ellis thrived. The point is substantiated by great Ellis performances on similarly disposed covers like the Guess Who's "These Eyes," Blood, Sweat & Tears' "You Make Me So Very Happy," and the "Junior Walker hit "What Does It Take (To Win Your Love)." Ellis also shows some musical flexibility with his funky James Brown-inspired jam "Alton's Groove" and the fine roots reggae track "Reason in the Sky"; he even proves his contemporary relevance on two impressive tracks from 1994, including the updated rocksteady cut "Joy in the Morning" and a digitally enhanced number entitled "The Winner." This disc is one of Ellis' best and comes highly recommended to newcomers and reggae enthusiasts alike."

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Dennis Brown - Open The Gate (Greatest Hits, Vol 2)

"Picking up the Brown/Holness story where Some Like It Hot left off, Open the Gate rounds up most of the rest of the pair's 1970s material. The singer recorded exclusively with the Observer from 1973 and 1975, and those songs made up the bulk of Hot. After a trial separation, so to speak, during 1976, Brown returned to Holness' side early in the new year, and recorded a new batch of equally crucial cuts. The most seminal -- "Wolf and Leopards" and "Tribulation" -- are found on Hot; the rest appear here, alongside a handful of rarities. Collectors will revel in the cuts culled from albums, the 12" extended mix of "Tenement Yard," an alternate version of John Holt's "Only a Smile" (one of four excellent covers found here), Dillinger's DJ version of "Here I Come," and, most spectacularly, a ferocious live version of "Cassandra," seeing the light of day for the first time here. In some ways, Gate is a greater revelation, and not just for collectors. Hot's hits are so familiar from previous compilations that the very freshness of these tracks enables the listener to discover Brown's power anew. Holness' deep roots production played to the singer's strengths, while the Soul Syndicates' impeccable playing is also showcased. There's a palpable chemistry at work here, with all the parties involved pulling out all the stops, not just on their own behalf, but to also complement each other. The guitar frills on "God Bless Our Souls," for example, give an added sense of poignancy to Brown's own superbly soulful delivery. "Take a Trip," a revision of the Hollywood chestnut "On Broadway," could have been a throwaway, but turns into a dread classic via Brown's new lyrics and emotive delivery, which are heightened by Holness' dread production. The lightly dubbed "Whip Them Jah Jah" is a standout, as is the title track and "Tenement Yard," featuring a fine toast by a now barely remembered DJ. But with 19 excellent tracks to choose from, it's almost impossible to play favorites, so why bother?"

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Garnet Silk - Lord Watch Over Our Shoulders

"A distressingly large number of great reggae artists have died needlessly before their time, many of them -- Prince Far I, King Tubby, Hugh Mundell -- the victims of politics or criminal violence. But when Garnett Silk was killed in 1994 by an exploding gas canister, the random and accidental nature of his death was especially upsetting. This excellent posthumous compilation was originally released in 1995, and demonstrates how much the reggae world lost when he died. Reissued in 2001 in a mid-priced, digitally remastered version (with a bonus remix of the title track), Lord Watch Over Our Shoulders consists primarily of King Jammy-produced songs with a smattering of productions by E.J. Robinson (including the exquisite "Cry of My People"), Jack Scorpio and Philip Smart thrown in as well. Silk's emotional, gospel-inflected voice is in excellent form throughout, and the digital dancehall rhythms his producers generate for him are consistently world-class. Highlights include both mixes of the title track, the very dread "Babylon Be Still," and a fine combination track with Frankie Paul and the up-and-coming Bobo Dread DJ Determine. Highly recommended."

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Slim Smith - Out Of Love - 24 Hip Hits

"Slim is an incomparable singer even though he's been dead thirty odd, coming on for forty years. Slim was the nearest thing to Curtis Mayfield and he could also play instruments... look how long Slim Smith dead and you hear his music still. Do you know of another singer who's come up like Slim Smith? You've never had another singer who's made that impact on Jamaican music like Slim Smith." Bunny 'Striker' Lee

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