VA - (2017) Innovations In Sound and Communication CS

Akashita Corp ‎– 009

 Tracklist
A1 –Under a Sky so Blue Rhizome 1:18
A2 –Majorel Ivory Tower
A3 –Aspine Kevin Kosner 2:04
A4 –The Ultimate Screamo Band En Consequence 1:16
A5 –Heritage Unit A Black Wind 3:07

A6 –Apostles Of Eris Inner Dialogue 1:35

Alpha & Omega - (2001) Dub Philosophy

 BSI Records ‎– 023

Well it's finally here, the long awaited Alpha & Omega release. First of all I'm always hungry for remixes, but lately I find that Alpha & Omega has a bit too much remixes of the same material. I thought this CD would have been all brand new material, instead it's 95% remixes, however I must admit that these are some of the most serious Bass Heavy, Earth Shattering Mixes that I've ever heard in a dub recording. The tracks are totally disguised in such a way that they sound rightiously fresh. My favorite track is Dub of Purpose which was remixed by "Another Sound System Experience" who totally reconstruct the rhythm to tear down the walls. It's only because I recognized Nishka's vocals I knew it was the remix of the song show me a purpose. I wish I could be there in England to hear the Mighty Jah Shaka lick these sound system burners in the dance. This CD is also much better than their last BSI offering "Mystical Things" If you are an Alpha & Omega fan or just love Dub, pick this up, play loud and feel the vibes of some of the finest british Dub N'Roots. Nuff Respect!

African Head Charge - (1991) Pride & Joy - Live

On-U Sound ‎– 014 

Originally released in 1991, Pride and Joy compiles collection of live recordings from African Head Charge shows between 1987 - 1991.

Alton Ellis - (1967) Sings Rock and Soul

Studio One ‎– 8008

Alton Ellis was one of the true originals and innovators of the Jamaican ska and reggae sound. Right up there with Bob Marley, Prince Buster and Desmond Dekker. He originated the rocksteady beat that would become the staple of the British two tone movement. He was a fine recording artist who knocked out a whole range of classic tracks in his own unique style.

Recorded in 1967 for the Studio One label, this is a fine collection of tracks. Ellis takes well known material and gives it the rocksteady treatment (the best ever version of whiter shade of pale is to be found here) or delivers some fine originals.

It's laid back, grooving and just a whole load of fun to listen to. It's music designed to help you have a good time, and listening to it is really uplifting.

Includes the 12 original tracks which appeared on the 1967 CSL 8008 vinyl release together with two "bonus" tracks not listed on the cover -"oppression" and "mother and father" A classic album by one of the greatest singers ever.

Alton Ellis - (1970) Sunday Coming

  Coxsone Records ‎– 8023

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.

Alton Ellis - (2004) Be True to Yourself Anthology 1965-1973 2xCD

 Trojan Records ‎– 205

Alton Ellis created a template in the 1960s that subsequent Jamaican singers like Dennis Brown and Gregory Isaacs would follow to a T, combining soulful vocal phrasing, derived in part from American R&B, with hard island rhythms and a bent for romantic material into a surefire way to keep a presence on the charts. Although he is often celebrated for his subtle Jamaican interpretations of American pop hits (which often improved on the originals, as is the case here with Ellis' version of Chuck Jackson's "Willow Tree"), it is startling to realize how many of the best songs on this two-disc, 56-track compilation of Ellis' early years were actually written by the singer. "Dance Crasher," "Cry Tough," "The Preacher," "Black Man's World," "Harder and Harder," and "Better Get Your Heads Together" were all penned by Ellis, and his soaring tenor renders them both poignant and irresistible. It's also interesting how many of the tracks deal squarely with social issues, and while there are plenty of romantic ballads included here, Ellis clearly had a wider range of concerns than his public persona as a crooner would afford. Songs like "Cry Tough" (with its classic "how can a man be tougher than the world" interjection by Lloyd Charmers) are immortal, in part because of Ellis' emotive and nuanced vocals, but also because the writing is so smart, wise, and assured, not to mention timely and political. As an introduction to Ellis' classic early years (and in particular, his work with Treasure Isle producer Duke Reid), Be True to Yourself is hard to beat.

Augustus Pablo - (2011) Ital Dub

 Get On Down ‎– 50759

Augustus Pablo, aka Horace Swaby, is best known as the man who turned a children’s plastic toy, the melodica, into an instrument capable of imparting inspirational sound. Renowned for his ethereal productions, issued mainly on the Rockers label and often making use of eerie minor-key melodies, Pablo built up an impressive body of work during his lifetime. He succumbed to health problems in 1999, having suffered from the nerve disorder, Myasthenia Gravis, for much of his life.
Navigating Pablo’s back catalogue is a difficult task, since he got his start as an un-credited session player in the late 1960s, mostly working as a keyboardist. Several early singles credited to Augustus Pablo actually featured the work of other players, as the name was randomly assigned by producer Herman Chin-Loy, who first recorded Pablo’s melodica tracks. There are also albums bearing his name that feature less-talented imposters. But have no fear when you pick up Ital Dub, a 1974 album produced by Tommy Cowan; it is the real deal, featuring Pablo’s cool melodica over some of the best works Cowan ever issued, and even if it does not quite scale the heights of later sets like King Tubby Meets Rockers Uptown or East of the River Nile, it is definitely worth having in your collection.
The album starts off strong with The Big Rip Off, a killer melodica take of Jacob Miller’s Forward Jah Jah Children (featuring a great King Tubby dub mix), followed by an echoing take on Marley’s Road Block (as re-cut for Cowan by Inner Circle). Though the wobbly cut of Curly Locks that follows sounds a little raw, Well Red is a sterling melodica take of Jacob Miller’s Moses. Gun Trade is a great re-working of Bob Andy’s Fire Burning. And Shake Up is a killer dubwise cut on the Please Be True rhythm.
On the original album’s second side, Hillside Airstrip is a wacky riff on the oft-versioned Skanga, the eerie Barbwire Disaster has Pablo’s melodica nicely offset by warbling harmonica riffs, and Mr Big is a great cut of Jacob Miller’s version of Natty Dread. Similarly, Eli’s Move is a spongy melodica number riding a dub-heavy rhythm, while House Raid is a throbbing dub cut to Inner Circle’s re-working of Peter Tosh’s Burial. Finally, closing number Shake Down is an alternate melodica instrumental of Shake Up/Please Be True, proving that there is always another way of looking at any given rhythm track.
Nicely straddling the divide between straight instrumental and manipulated dub, Ital Dub is ultimately a snapshot of Augustus Pablo finding his way, on the cusp of greater glory as a bonafide producer of his own works.

Augustus Pablo - (1999) Dubbing In a Africa

 Jet Star Records ‎– 1002

This is a classic dub reissue from the legendary Augustus Pablo. Originally released in 1981, Dubbing in a Africa features arrangements from Charles Reid, while Pablo, playing organ, leads a strong cast of musicians including Sly Dunbar (drums), Robbie Shakespeare (bass guitar) and Melodice Gladdy (piano) on another journey into African-themed dub sound. Tracks include "Everlasting Dub", "Nigerian Love Dub" and "Dub in Ethiopia." Dubbing in a Africa is an essential addition to any dub fan's music library.

Augustus Pablo - (1994) King Tubby Meets Rockers Uptown

 Shanachie ‎– 44019

If you had to pick one album that best represents the pinnacle of the art of dub, you'd cull the candidates down pretty quickly to ten or 12, and it would get very difficult after that. Few would fault you for ending up with this one, though, which stands as perhaps the finest collaboration between two of instrumental reggae's leading lights: producer and melodica player Augustus Pablo and legendary dub pioneer King Tubby. Among other gems, this album offers its title track -- a dub version of Jacob Miller's "Baby I Love You So" -- which is widely regarded as the finest example of dub ever recorded. But the rest of the album is hardly less impressive. "Each One Dub," another cut on a Jacob Miller rhythm, possesses the same dark and mystical ambience, if not quite the same emotional energy, as "King Tubby Meets Rockers Uptown," and the version of the epochal "Satta Massaganna" that closes the album is another solid winner. Pablo's trademark "Far East" sound (characterized by minor keys and prominent melodica lines) is predominant throughout, and is treated with care and grace by King Tubby, who has rarely sounded more inspired in his studio manipulations than he does here. Absolutely essential.

Bad Brains - (1990) I Against I

SST ‎– 065

It was three years since the release of Rock For Light, and a lot of things had changed. Most notably the band's music. Gone are the days of their hardcore punk. Instead, we are left with a handful of midtempo songs that give the band room to strut their stuff. It's slower yes, but the power they wielded in their debut is still there. It starts off with "Intro," just a little jam. After that comes the title track and "House Of Suffering," arguably the band's best two songs. As great of songs they are, they seem a bit dry, no reverb. This sucks some intensity out of them. Also, on "I Against I," HR pulls a Rock For Light and overdoes his "singing." After hearing the version on the Omega Sessions EP, I'm not very happy with the version on th om prison. Interesting if not enjoyable.

HR isn't the only thing going on here, the rest of the band is where most of my interest is. They're tearing up the place with tight and funky playing. Guitarist Dr Know is all over the place on his solos, and the rhythm section of Darryl Jenifer and Earl Hudson lock into a seamless, powerful groove. One could argue that this album is the precursor to funk metal. There isn't too much else you could call this stuff.

For once the production is damn near perfect, give thanks to Ric Ocasek not being present. The bass is loud and proud, as are the drums. Hell, everything is mixed in wonderfully. The only thing that bothers me is that the first two songs, not counting "Intro," are too dry.

This is Bad Brains' masterpiece. As much as their hardcore stuff kicked ass, this album shows them in full form. It's diverse, powerful, and damn good. The minor shortcomings on this album, mainly HR bad delivery on "I Against I," don't hurt the album overall. In retrospect, this dull review shouldn't lead you to believe this is a dull album, because it's not. It's the opposite, it's a classic and is easily in the ranks of other legendary rock albums, such as Back In Black and Are You Experienced? 

Bim Sherman - (1987) African Rubber Dub LP

 RDL Records ‎– 800

Singer/songwriter Bim Sherman, whose aliases include Jarrett Tomlinson, Jarrett Vincent, Lloyd Vincent, J.L. Vincent, Bim Shieman and Lloyd Tomlinson was born on the island of Jamaica in 1952. Bim Sherman belonged to a generation dreadlocked singers, who emerged in the mid-seventies to express the Rasta vision of Babylon's fall and corresponding redemption for the righteous through their roots reggae music. Almost from the very first start of his recording career Bim Sherman showcased his wilfulness, which turned out to be a strong force for this man's unique approach of the music and its business. Unlike many of his contemporaries, who mainly recorded for a certain producer or even a variety of producers, Bim Sherman scraped enough money together to record almost an entire oeuvre on self-financed labels like "Scorpio", "Red Sea" and "Sun Dew". Occasionally Bim Sherman also cut songs for local producers Dudley Swabey, Prince Far I, Jah Lloyd (aka Jah Lion) and Jah Woosh.

The singer with the amazingly ethereal and entrancing voice impressed most with his late-1970s titles, "Tribulation", "World Go Round" and "Danger" as well as "Mighty Ruler", the latter appearing on Dudley Swabey's "Ja-Man" imprint. Because of his restricted finances, Bim Sherman often used each riddim track for two different songs. However it were his writing skills and plaintive vocals which ensured that every piece sounded fresh. Some of those 7" sides became available in the UK on 12" pressings, compiling the A and B sides of two original JA releases on one 12". Often the same song would appear on different issues and releases with different titles (for example, "Fit To Survive" and "Tribulation", "World Of Dispensation" and "Revolution", and "Blacker Sound", "Black Jah Jah Sound" and "Ever Firm").

In 1978, eight of Bim Sherman's "Scorpio"/"Red Sea" singles, together with the tunes "Mighty Ruler" and "Ever Firm", were compiled for "Love Forever", an album that was released by UK based sound system operator Lloyd Coxsone on his own "Tribesman" label. This truly classic and unmissable late-1970 roots album was followed by the 1979 released "Lovers Leap". Another consistently strong collection, actually a showcase style album of vocals followed by the dub versions. A year later Bim Sherman was featured on one side of the album "Bim Sherman Meets Horace Andy And U Black", a minor but robust and enjoyable set. In the early eighties Bim Sherman settled in the UK where he teamed up with producer Adrian Sherwood. It marked the beginning of a fruitful association as Sherman started to record for Sherwood's "On-U-Sound" label. In 1982 Sherwood produced "Across The Red Sea", an enjoyable set but not the sensation for which followers of both had hoped.

Throughout the eighties and early nineties he was a featured vocalist on the highly acclaimed, Sherwood-produced "Singers And Players" series of albums for which he sometimes would record new versions of his old material. In 1984, Bim Sherman started "Century Records", originally through On-U Sound, and released two albums : "Bim Sherman And The Voluntary" and "Danger". "Century Records" then stopped releasing material, and Sherman's products started to appear on RDL, the "Revolver Distribution Label". Albums to appear on this label included "African Rubber Dub" (RDL/Revolver 1987), "Haunting Ground" (RDL/Revolver 1989) and "Exploitation" (RDL/Revolver 1989). Towards the nineties Century became operational again, with straight reissues of the RDL releases and with compilation CDs featuring tracks from the RDL albums. Subsequent Sherman releases were on Century, often featuring On-U-Sound musicians. Although Bim Sherman had a lot of devoted fans in the UK and Europe, it lasted two decades after he started his recording career before he finally made a commercial breakthrough in the UK charts. It was the release of Bim Sherman's acoustic masterpiece "Miracle" - released on Beggars Banquet Records' offshoot "Mantra" in 1996 - that made things happen for Sherman. The album brings together disparate elements - 'playback' strings orchestrated by Suraj Sathe, Talvin Singh's tabla's, former Sugarhill sessioneers (guitarist Skip McDonald and bassist Doug Wimbish) and Sherman's meditative lovers and cultural songs. The lack of a conventional drum kit is barely noticed, and yet this is still recognizably reggae, albeit of a uniquely mutated kind. Dance producer Steve Osbourne took the album track "Solid As A Rock" and made a remix. After it was released on single it scaled the UK charts and helped to re-energize Sherman's career. The next year saw the release of another strong Bim Sherman album entitled "It Must Be A Dream", a collection of remixes.

Brenda Ray - (2011) ST 12''

EM Records ‎– 1092

Four 12" tracks cut from the album Walatta (EM 1071CD/LP). Handmade silkscreen print sleeve in a 2-holed disco bag. Super limited edition, only 400 made; lush reggae tunes on this Japanese label!

Brenda Ray - (2012) D'Ya Hear Me! : Naffi Years, 1979-83 LP

EM Records ‎– 1108

With its strong but unvarnished pop melodies, dubby production and sprinklings of exuberant racket nicked from free jazz records, D’Ya Hear Me’s contents would flow perfectly on a mixtape along with The Slits, Raincoats, Young Marble Giants, early PiL, and Viv Goldman’s “Launderette” single. But Ray’s track would be the one in the mix that makes everyone smile.

Sweet post-punk, with a heartfelt reggae/funk influence, analog dub effects and lovely femme-vox. A unique slice of late-70s/early-80s goodness, starring Brenda Ray, whose previous release on EM Records, Walatta, has been embraced by a large number of listeners. Recorded in North West England, D'Ya Hear Me! is warm-hearted, open, fresh and slyly experimental

With an independent spirit and a true D.I.Y. soul, these thirteen tracks, originally released in various formats by Ray a.k.a. Brenda Kenny a.k.a. Natalie Sand a.k.a. Polly Rith'm and her musical friends under the moniker(s) Naffi/Naffi Sandwich, were recorded in a simple home-made studio, making full use of the creative options opened up through the full use of simple means - although the warm, full audio belies any notions of primitivism. Far from media-crazed London, Naffi created a musical world free from lust for the spotlight, focusing solely on the music, and the results are fittingly pure

D'Ya Hear Me! is a wide-ranging release, with lovely vocal tracks, warm dubs and pleasingly odd instrumentals, all knitted together with a special trans-Atlantic rhythmic sense. Two songs of special interest here are "Moonbeams" and the Young Marble Giants-esque "Everyday Just Another Dream", which are early versions of "Starlight" and "Another Dream" from Walatta. Also noteworthy are several previously unissued longer versions of some songs.

Bunny Lee - (2015) Kingston Flying Cymbals (Dubbing With The Flying Cymbals Sound 1974 - 1979) CD

 Jamaican Recordings ‎– 057

“I named it flyers but they didn’t know what flyers was…” Bunny ‘Striker’ Lee
 Bunny Lee’s flying cymbals, or flyers rhythms, dominated the dancehalls and the charts during 1974 and 1975. The style, based around the Philadelphia disco, or ‘Philly Bump’, sound of an open and closed hi-hat was not necessarily novel but Striker’s innovations of bringing a number of different elements into play most certainly was. Johnny Clarke’s interpretation of Earl Zero’s ‘None Shall Escape The Judgement’, not only opens this set but also opened the floodgates for the flyers style. The story had begun the previous year with Lowell ‘Sly’ Dunbar…

“Sly played the flying cymbals first… I said to Sly ‘You played it on the Delroy Wilson tune for Channel One named ‘It’s A Shame’ and Sly played it before that with Skin, Flesh & Bones on ‘Here I Am Baby Come And Take Me’, the Al Green tune, when Al Brown sung it for Dickie Wong with the ‘tsk, tsk, tsk’ sound on the hi-hat. I named it flyers but they didn’t know what flyers was!” Bunny ‘Striker’ Lee

“The first session I played for Channel One was Delroy Wilson’s version to
The Spinners’ ‘It’s A Shame’. It was a big hit for Jo Jo”. Sly Dunbar

“Santa was a great drummer. He started with The Soul Syndicate. He wore size fourteen shoes and that’s why when he licked the drum it sound!
Sly played the drums so brilliant but he played different from Santa… I said
“Santa I want something that sounds like it’s come from outer space!

This tune now, ’None Shall Escape The Judgement’, I was going home one night and I heard Chinna and Earl Zero playing this tune and Earl Zero was singing ‘None shall escape the judgement in this time…’ I come and I listened and I said ‘I like the tune, you know, Chinna’ and Earl Zero said ‘Mr Lee. Come tomorrow down to Duke Reid’s studio. I think I’m going to record it.’ They had ‘Dum, dum, dum… dum dum dum…dum dum dum dum dum dum dum’ and the beat of it…

So I asked Johnny Clarke to sing it with Earl Zero … they rehearsed it the whole day… but Earl Zero could only sing the front part so that night I asked Siddy (Bucknor) to run off a cut of the rhythm... ‘I a go try something’. That night me and Johnny Clarke… we were always around together… we were up at Tubbys and Tubbys said ‘This guy can’t manage the song’ and I said ‘Johnny. Do you think you could a do it?’ and Johnny went into Tubby’s studio. One cut! One cut! No error or nothing… ‘cause he’d been rehearsing it with Earl Zero the whole day.

It’s not the right name really. Anytime I did a session I used to get loads of Kentucky Fried Chicken for the musicians and when it came they’d say ‘put up the flyers for Striker’ meaning the wings, which I loved, and they used to say ‘Striker. When you a go fly?’ And everybody started to get puzzled when Johnny Clarke hit with this flyers. I used to love eat the chicken wings and I’d said ‘Santa… that drum sound on ‘Here I Am Baby’... I like it’ so when the rhythm done I said ‘It’s named flyers’ through the chicken wings. Sly had played it but he never realised what he had and because I loved my chicken wings we just named it flyers (sings) ‘tsk, tsk, tsk, tsk…’

So that night when we went up to Tubbys with the rhythm I said ‘Tubbs. You’ll like this rhythm... it’s different. When we do it I want something like it’s from outer space on the intro’. Tubbys passed it through the high pass filter on his machine where he pushed up one of the things on his board and it thinned it out. Styled it out man! (sings) ‘tsk, tsk, tsk...’ Bunny ‘Striker’ Lee

And, before too long, “every tune we put out we put the rhythm behind it” and every Kingston producer followed suit with their own variation of Striker’s flying cymbals rhythms…

Bunny 'Striker' Lee & Friends - (2015) Next Cut! (Dub Plates - Rare Sides & Unrealeased Cuts)

Pressure Sounds ‎– 088

Great compilation of rare and unreleased mid to late seventies Striker Lee material containing some tuff dub mixes of otherwise familiar material. Highlights include Barrington Spence's Blood Of Babylon, previously only issued as a track featuring I Roy on his 1975 Virgin release Crisis Time, a different take of Wayne Jarrett's ultra heavy Satta Dread and Linval Thompson's Big Big Girl / Ethiopian Girl featuring studio chat and false starts, it's monumental rhythm also used for Tommy McCook's Death Trap which appears here with the "steppers" drum overdub, originally issued as a track on one of McCook's mid-seventies instrumental LP's. Lee's productions are indeed ubiquitous yet thi album does indeed offer something fresh to even the most jaded of listeners.

Carlton & The Shoes - (1978) Love Me Forever

Studio One ‎– 003           

"Love Me Forever", the one and only LP from the peerless vocal harmony trio Carlton & His Shoes, definitely belongs to one of those Studio One albums that fans have been awaiting for a long time to be released in digital clarity. Initially Carlton & His Shoes consisted of songwriter/leadsinger Carlton Manning and his brothers Donald and Lynford, who were responsible for the crystalline harmonies. The trio recorded their debut single for Sonia Pottinger, but this effort failed to make a serious impact. Then they started to record for Coxsone Dodd who unleashed their first single, "Love Me Forever"/"Happy Land" in early 1968 on the "Supreme" label. These songs showed both sides of the trio. "Love Me Forever" dealt with Matters of the heart, while "Happy Land", on the other hand, expressed their cultural side and became one of the most versioned riddims as it became known as the template for the Abyssinians' roots killer "Satta Massa Gana".
"Love Me Forever" originally appeared on Peckings' "Studio One" label in 1976 and since then this classic set has been re-released in a variety of sonic formulations. The album covers not just rocksteady, but also the first years of reggae as it spans the period 1967-1975. Now here's the CD, which comes in pristine mono, without overdubs, and features the original set. This implies that no extra tracks are included which truly may be regretted as the inclusion of "Happy Land" and "Let Me Love You" would have completed the story of Carlton Manning at Studio One. But nevertheless "Love Me Forever" is an absolutely essential re-issue and highly recommended for lovers of sweet harmonies and original Jamaican love songs.

Chris Farrell - (2015) No Vampire CS

Krokodilo Tapes ‎– 014 

90 minutes of tough-like-iron roots and deep, minimal digi sufferers to cast out the vampire; hand-picked by one of the UK’s finest selectors, from one of the UK’s finest collections. Runs the gamut from the sombre to the celebratory, the mystical to the murderous, the bracingly direct to the dazed and dizzyingly dubwise.

Farrell is the founder and owner of the Idle Hands record store and label operating out of Stokes Croft, Bristol. Blackest Ever Black first encountered Chris back in the early 2000s, when he was working behind the counter at Imperial Records (R.I.P.), and we (BEB) were sheepishly buying second-rate electroclash records. We became close friends, and to say he taught us much of what we know would be rather an understatement. 2016 will see us launch a new imprint together, Silent Street, of which more in due course.

Cornell Campbell - (1982) Boxing LP

  Starlight Records ‎– 908 

Perhaps best known for the series of "Gorgon rock" records he cut with legendary producer Bunny Lee, reggae singer Cornel Campbell was born in Jamaica in 1948. As a teen he recorded his first material for Studio One, cutting a series of ska sides both as a solo artist and as one half of a duo with Alan Martin; from 1964 to 1967, Campbell seemingly disappeared from the music business, however, finally resurfacing as a member of the short-lived rocksteady harmony trio the Uniques. As the decade ended, he helmed the Eternals, scoring a number of Studio One-generated hits including "Queen of the Minstrels" and "Stars," but in 1971 again went solo after teaming with Lee, a pairing which spotlighted Campbell's distinctive falsetto to stunning effect. Despite earning acclaim for a self-titled LP issued on Trojan two years later, in 1975 he shifted from the lovers rock sensibility of recent efforts toward the more explicitly rastafarian approach of records like "Natty Dread in a Greenwich Farm" and "Natural Fact," both of which emerged among his biggest hits to date. Later that year, Campbell and Lee also launched "The Gorgon," a boastful smash which yielded a series of hit sequels. While 1977's "The Investigator" heralded a successful return to lovers rock, Campbell's commercial clout waned in the years to come, and in 1980 he and Lee parted ways; subsequent pairings with producers including Winston Riley, Niney the Observer, and King Tubby failed to re-create the excitement of past sessions, however, Campbell remains active touring to this day.

Cornell Campbell - (2002) I Shall Not Remove 1975-80 CD

 Blood & Fire ‎– 030

Most Blood & Fire releases should be considered essential purchases for any fan of golden-era reggae, but this one is even better than most. Cornel Campbell is one of the best reggae singers ever recorded -- a sweet-toned falsettist with effortless intonation and a cool, assured delivery that is incredibly easy on the ear. The centerpiece of this collection is the three-part "Gorgon" series of singles produced by the legendary Bunny "Striker" Lee, all featuring the "flying cymbals" style of drumming popular at the time. "The Gorgon" having been a huge hit, it was followed quickly by "The Gorgon Speaks" and "The Conquering Gorgon," all three of which are presented here (the first two in extended versions, the second in its original version and then again in a Rastafarian variation titled "Lion of Judah"). Almost equally important, though, are "Natty Dread in a Greenwich Town" (an answer record to Bob Marley's "Natty Dread") and "Dance in a Greenwich Town," the latter in a megamix format that incorporates a deejay version by Dr. Alimantado and a dub version mixed by King Tubby. But really, just about every track reaches the same standard -- there is not a single weak cut or boring moment on this spectacular album.

Count Ossie - (2016) Tales Of Mozambique

Soul Jazz Records ‎– 325

Soul Jazz Records are releasing Count Ossie and The Mystic Revelation’s seminal 1975 album Tales of Mozambique in an expanded double album/single CD/digital format, fully remastered and with the inclusion of two bonus rare single-only tracks, full sleevenotes, exclusive photographs and interview.

Count Ossie is the central character in the development of Rastafarian roots music, nowadays an almost mythical and iconic figure. His importance in bringing Rastafarian music to a populist audience is matched only by Bob Marley’s promotion of the faith internationally in the 1970s.

Count Ossie’s drummers performed on the first commercially released single to integrate Rastafarian traditional music with popular music: the vocal group The Folkes Brothers’ groundbreaking song ‘Oh Carolina’, recorded for producer Prince Buster in 1959. In 1966 his drummers greeted the momentous arrival of Haile Selassie at Kingston airport.

His legendary jam sessions up in his Rastafarian compound in the hills of Wareika, Kingston, are famous for the many Jamaican musicians who attended including The Skatalites players – Roland Alphonso, Don Drummond, Johnny Moore, Lloyd Knibbs – and many others.

The Mystic Revelation of Rastafari formed in Kingston, Jamaica, in 1970, a union of Count Ossie’s Rastafarian drummers – variously known as his African Drums, Wareikas or his Afro-Combo – and the saxophonist Cedric Im Brooks’ horns group, The Mystics.

The Mystic Revelation of Rastafari are the defining group in bringing authentic Rastafarian rhythms into the collective consciousness of popular music, their unique music is at once rooted in the deep traditions and rituals of traditional drumming and chanting alongside a forward-thinking, even avant-garde, artistry influenced by the likes of John Coltrane, Sun Ra, Pharoah Sanders and other pioneering African-American jazz artists radicalised and charged by the civil rights movement of the 1960s.

Tales of Mozambique is a truly unique and fascinating ground-breaking album.

Count Ossie & The Rasta Family - (2016) Man From Higher Heights

 Soul Jazz Records ‎– 331

Soul Jazz Records are releasing Count Ossie and The Rasta Family’s long lost reggae album ‘Man From Higher Heights’ (originally released in 1983), digitally remastered and with full original artwork.

This release follows on from the earlier release of Count Ossie and The Mystic Revelation of Rastafari ‘Tales of Mozambique’ (1975) also by Soul Jazz Records.

Recorded in Kingston, Jamaica, somewhere between the last Mystic Revelation album and the 1983 official release of ‘Man From Higher Heights’ it remains unclear whether this album is a mixture of original recordings overlaid with additional players, or Ossie’s post-Mystic Revelation players remaining true to the spirit of Count Ossie (who had died in a car crash in 1976).

Either way it is a fascinating and successful blend of heavyweight Rastafarian roots rhythms and drumming alongside deep jazz improvisation and tripped out psychedelic fuzz guitar.

The album was first released in 1983 on the British label VIsta Sounds with no mention of the line-up of the group. It has been out of print for over 30 years and remains one of the most mysterious of all releases relating to Count Ossie and the Mystic Revelation of Rastafari.

Count Ossie is the central character in the development of Rastafarian roots music, an almost mythical and iconic figure. His importance in bringing Rastafarian music to a populist audience is matched only by Bob Marley’s promotion of the faith internationally in the 1970s.

Count Ossie’s drummers made the first ever song to integrate Rastafarian traditional music into popular music - The Folkes Brothers’ song ‘Oh Carolina’, recorded for producer Prince Buster in 1959. In 1966 his drummers greeted the arrival of Haile Selassie at Kingston airport. His Rastafarian compound in the hills of Wareika, Kingston, hosted jam sessions between his drummers and Jamaica’s finest musicians, Roland Alphonso, Don Drummond, Johnny Moore and others.

Count Ossie and the Group’s Man From Higher Heights remains one of the most elusive of his highly progressive Rastafarian inspired recordings, the final release in Count Ossie’s career.

Culture - (1988) Two Sevens Clash CD

Shanachie ‎– 44001

One of the masterpieces of the roots era, no album better defines its time and place than Two Sevens Clash, which encompasses both the religious fervor of its day and the rich sounds of contemporary Jamaica. Avowed Rastafarians, Culture had formed in 1976, and cut two singles before beginning work on their debut album with producers the Mighty Two (aka Joe Gibbs and Errol Thompson). Their second single, "Two Sevens Clash," would title the album and provide its focal point. The song swept across the island like a wildfire, its power fed by the apocalyptic fever that held the island in its clutches throughout late 1976 and into 1977. (Rastafarians believed the apocalypse would begin when the two sevens clashed, with July 7, 1977, when the four sevens clashed, the most fearsome date of concern.) However, the song itself was fearless, celebrating the impending apocalypse, while simultaneously reminding listeners of a series of prophesies by Marcus Garvey and twinning them to the island's current state. For those of true faith, the end of the world did not spell doom, but release from the misery of life into the eternal and heavenly arms of Jah. Thus, Clash is filled with a sense of joy mixed with deep spirituality, and a belief that historical injustice was soon to be righted. The music, provided by the Revolutionaries, perfectly complements the lyrics' ultimate optimism, and is quite distinct from most dread albums of the period.

Although definitely rootsy, Culture had a lighter sound than most of their contemporaries. Not for them the radical anger of Black Uhuru, the fire of Burning Spear (although Hill's singsong delivery was obviously influenced by Winston Rodney), nor even the hymnal devotion of the Abyssinians. In fact, Clash is one of the most eclectic albums of the day, a wondrous blend of styles and sounds. Often the vocal trio works in a totally different style from the band, as on "Calling Rasta Far I," where the close harmonies, dread-based but African-tinged, entwine around a straight reggae backing. Several of the songs are rocksteady-esque with a rootsy rhythm, most notably the infectious "See Them Come"; others are performed in a rockers style, with "I'm Alone in the Wilderness" an exquisite blend of guitar and vocal harmonies. One of the best tracks, "Get Ready to Ride the Lion to Zion," is a superb hybrid of roots, rocksteady, and burbling electro wizardry; its roaring lion (created who knows how) is a brilliant piece of musical theater. "Natty Dread Take Over" twines together roots rhythms, close harmonies, and big-band swing, while even funk and hints of calypso put in appearances elsewhere on the album. Inevitably, the roots genre was defined by its minor-key melodies, filled with a sense of melancholy, and emphasized by most groups' lyrics. But for a brief moment, roots possibilities were endless. Sadly, no other group followed Culture's lead, and even the trio itself did not take advantage of it, especially after parting ways with Gibbs. When Culture re-emerged in the mid-'80s, they swiftly moved into a reggae lite/world music mode a world apart from where they started. Thus, Clash remains forever in a class all its own.

Dennis Alcapone - (1991) Forever Version CD

Heartbeat Records ‎– 3505

A straight reissue of the original Studio One album from 1971, Forever Version includes material from Alcapone's prime early output and ably demonstrates why the young musical outlaw was on equal footing with the revered DJ innovator of the day, U-Roy. In addition to having his peer's toasting dexterity and lyrical wit, Alcapone found his own niche with a singing-talking combination and liberal doses of distinct whoops and high-pitched caws. The basic tracks Alcapone versions are vintage early reggae from Clement Dodd's vaults, including cuts by Alton Ellis, John Holt, the Heptones, Carlton & His Shoes, and Delroy Wilson. The stellar Sound Dimension band figures nicely into the mix, too, with contributions from organist Jackie Mittoo, tenor saxophonist Roland Alphonso, bassist Leroy Sibbles, and guitarist Ernest Ranglin, among others. Along with Trojan's equally impressive Alcapone disc, My Voice Is Insured for Half a Million Dollars, Forever Version counts as one of the best albums to emerge from the early days of Jamaican toasting.

Dennis Brown - (2016) Dubbing At King Tubby's

Jamaican Recordings ‎– 060

Dennis Brown has always been cited as Jamaica’s favourite singer. While Bob Marley set out to conquer the world, Dennis’s popularity on the island grew with every year. His most prolific period is said to be with producer Niney the Observer who led the singer down a more roots avenue, putting Dennis on some of his heaviest rhythms. Throwing also into the pot the fact that these rhythms were also to be mixed by the dub master himself King Tubby we are bound to get one of the finest dub albums around. Here it is the Crown Prince of Reggae meets Niney the Observer at King Tubby’s.

Dennis Brown (b Dennis Emanuel Brown, 1957, Kingston, Jamaica) began his illustrious career at the grand age of eleven like many of the other child singers at Coxsonne Dodd’s Studio 1 stable. His first hit in 1969 a cover of Van Dykes ‘No Man is an Island ’still stands the test of time and also its follow up cut ‘If I Follow My Heart’ as Reggae classics. The 1970’s saw Dennis build on his reputation by working with all the top Jamaican producers and studios perfecting his sound. Lloyd Daley, Impact, Joe Gibbs, Aquarius and Derrick Harriott to name but a few. But it was his work with producer Winston ‘Niney’ Holness that he enjoyed the most success and many say recorded his best work for.
While many of the other producers stayed with their tried and tested Lovers Rock formula, that did prove so popular with Dennis’s voice, however it was producer Niney the Observer as he is fondly called who pushed him into a more roots led direction, over stark rhythms created by Niney’s studio band Soul Syndicate.

Two outstanding albums were put together ‘Just Dennis’ (1975) built on a collection of singles they had recorded together, ’Cassandra’, ’Westbound Train’, ’No More Will I Roam’ and ‘Conqueror’. The second 1977 set ‘Wolf and Leopards’ made up again of singles the prolific two had cut including, ’Here I Come’ (a live favourite that Dennis always liked to start his set with).

It’s from this period that we have focused on and it’s these tracks that were taken to King Tubby’s studio to produce this stunning album.

Dub Syndicate - (1992) The Pounding System CD

On-U Sound ‎– 018 

Paralleling other English reggae outfits like UB40 and Mad Professor's Ariwa band during the late '70s and early '80s, Adrian Sherwood's various On U Sound outfits took off from Jamaican dub and vocal music to create something both similar and unique. While primarily inspired by the dub of King Tubby and company as well as the slicker sound of dancehall luminaries like the Roots Radics band and producer Henry "Junjo" Lawes, the Dub Syndicate, for one, also incorporated rock elements and a host of original dub effects: drums sound harder and more insistent than on most Jamaican sides, the piano and horns play a more prominent role, and, in an admitted quest for ambient sounds, echo, flanger, and reverb effects are wrought with their own brand of frenetic twist and turns. This Dub Syndicate debut from 1982 captures most of the attractive mix and remains one of Sherwood's best releases. While maybe not as daring as more electronica-minded and big beat-filled releases that followed, Pounding System has stood the test of time better than many On U Sound titles with its subtle marriage of Jamaican music and Sherwood's aesthetics.

Dub Syndicate - (2017) Ambience In Dub: 1982-1985 5xCD

On-U Sound ‎– 137

Starting out as a typically loose On-U collective masterminded by Adrian Sherwood, Dub Syndicate evolved over time into a long-term collaboration with the drummer Lincoln Style Scott, a key member of the Roots Radics and Creation Revel. This anthology documents their early years over five discs, featuring four bonus tracks from the original albums and an entire disc of unreleased dubs: The Pounding System (1982) , One Way System (1983), North Of The River Thames (1984) w/ Dr Pablo, Tunes From The Missing Channel (1985), Displaced Masters (9 unreleased versions). Plus 24 page booklet with sleevenotes by Steve Barker (On The Wire)

Drummer Style Scott joined Adrian Sherwood's influential On-U Sound dub label in the late '70s and played on Sherwood's influential releases as part of the New Age Steppers (with vocalist Bim Sherman, horn player Deadly Headley, melodica player Dr. Pablo, and a large guest lineup). Scott later formed his own band, Dub Syndicate, which soon became – with the possible exception of African Headcharge – On-U Sound's most popular act. Though not a group per se, Style Scott and producer Sherwood explore reggae, dub, and dancehall by collaborating with some of reggae and dub's greatest talents, including Lee "Scratch" Perry, Skip McDonald, U-Roy, and, in a bit of posthumous sampling of an old friend, Prince Far I (on 1990's Stoned Immaculate).

Debut album Pounding System (1982) and the following year's One Way System were both reissued in America by ROIR. A project with Dr. Pablo titled North of the River Thames didn't earn a domestic release, but 1985's Tunes from the Missing Channel was licensed to EMI. An import-only project with Lee "Scratch" Perry called Time Boom 'De Devil Dead followed in 1986, but 1990's Strike the Balance appeared on the Island subsidiary Mango. On-U Sound, in conjunction with the American label Restless, began an ambitious reissue effort with three volumes of the Classic Selection series (similar to African Headcharge's Great Vintage series) but continued to make new Dub Syndicate projects such as From the Secret Laboratory and Stoned Immaculate available only on import. Restless, though, did eventually give Stoned Immaculate and 1994's Echomania domestic releases.

In 1996, Dub Syndicate released both an album of new material (Ital Breakfast), and the remix album Research & Development, with reworkings of tracks from the entire Dub Syndicate catalog by Zion Train, Soundclash, Iration Steppas, and the Rootsman. Four years later, the performance album Live at the Maritime Hall was released. The next album, Acres of Space, was recorded in Jamaica and mixed by longtime collaborator Adrian Smith. Murder Tone from 2002 collected classic and unreleased tracks and was followed two years later by the new album No Bed of Roses. Pure Thrill Seekers appeared in 2005 with guest shots from Luciano, Cornell Campbell, and Gregory Isaacs. In 2006 the two-disc set The Rasta Far I was released, and two years later the Collision label released Overdubbed – actually the first disc of The Rasta Far I – featuring 17 Dub Syndicate tracks remixed by Smith & Mighty's Rob Smith.

Frente Cumbiero & Mad Professor - (2011) Frente Cumbiero Meets Mad Professor

Vampi Soul ‎– 136

From Bogota, Colombia comes the cumbia combo Frente Cumbiero. But wait, they’re not alone! Over by the mixing board we have Mad Professor, legendary dub producer and collaborator with dubby luminaries like Sly & Robbie, Massive Attack, The Orb and the original dub shape shifter himself, Scratch Perry.
For this collaboration, Frente Cumbiero cut seven fresh tracks, 5 instrumentals and 2 w/vocals. They run for the first half of the CD; Mad Professor then dubs them up on the second half, including two dub versions of the stand-out track “Ariwacumbe.” Frente Cumbiero play a fine-tuned, mid-tempo version of cumbia that seems to owe a thing or two to traditional music from the Balkans. The horns on tracks like “Gaita Del,” “Cumbietiope,” “Bestiales 77” and “Chucusteady,” combined w/the accordion, gives these tracks a South America-meets-Eastern European flavor that, when blended with the Jamaican dub style of Mad Professor, lends a globalist groove.
The band pretty much acknowledges this on “Ariwacumbe” with its chanted refrain about “gypsy rock nonstop cumbia hip hop” that pretty much sums it up. The languorous “Analogica,” with its dreamy groove and beautiful vocals by Liliana Saumet + Javier Fonseca and Shaun Turner, polishes off the original tracks with a classy finish. Mad Professor’s dub tracks are pretty low-key, but certainly do the trick. It’s not earth-shaking dub, nor is it supposed to be, but they do offer a fresh take on an already outstanding collection of tracks.