One of the first of Trojan's 3-CD box set releases that package a good portion of their vast catalogue, the roots set has to be at the top of the heap. Though not comprehensive (Since it's limited to Trojan's archives, artists are repeated.), this is about as good an embodiment of roots reggae as there is available. Included are well-known standards -- like Prince Far I's "Under Heavy Manners," The Silvertones' "Rejoice Jah Jah Children" (along with a clearer dub version, "African Dub"), Johnny Clarke's rocking "None Shall Escape the Judgement," Dennis Brown's classic "Africa," and Lee "Scratch" Perry's "Words" (AKA "Words of My Mouth") -- but it is the more obscure tunes that truly make this set memorable (I only wish that Trojan would've put some more effort into their liner notes so we could find out more about them.). Where else can you find gems from unfamiliar acts like The Jay Boys, The Shadows, Truth Fact & Correct, The Sons of Selassie, Lizzard, and The Velvet Shadows? Even though you probably don't know them, believe me, their anonymity doesn't take away from the quality of their work.

Although most of this music harks from the '70s, they ring like new in the ears of those many listeners who haven't previously had the privilege of experiencing them. Disc One contains the most sure-shots -- from "Rejoice Jah Jah Children" to Cornell Campbell's "Jah Jah Me No Born Yah" to Johnny Osbourne's "Purify Your Heart" to the lesser-known "Burn Babylon" by Sylford Walker and "Brother Noah" by The Shadows, among others. Disc 2 (the weakest of the 3) highlights include "Africa," "Under Heavy Manners," The Abyssinians' "Yim Mas Gan," and The Ethiopians' "Hail Brother Rasta Brother Hail." Disc 3 concludes the set on a high note with "Words," The Mighty Diamonds' "Ghetto Living," Delroy Wilson's classic (despite sounding like it was recorded in a well) "Adisabab," along with the more obscure duo of Lizzard and The Velvet Shadows performing "Milk and Honey" and "Babylon a Fall Down," respectively.

This is crucial stuff; a must-have for beginners and seasoned roots fans alike.






 by Quatty, ReggaeTrain.com
 E-Mail: info@reggaetrain.com

How can you give a bad review to a box set that includes such masterpieces of reggae? I can’t. This Is Reggae Music: The Golden Era is a magnificent sensory map tracing the evolution of reggae from the early days of mento to the beginning of the reign of the roots sound. This four-CD box set is chock full of classic material arranged in chronological order, starting with mento, R&B, and ska on the first disc, then rock steady on the second, early reggae on the third, and roots on the fourth. Landmarks like “Cry Tough,” “My Boy Lollipop,” “Do the Reggay,” “Vietnam,” “Everything I Own,” and “Marcus Garvey” are covered on this gorgeous package. However, that doesn’t mean that this set is perfect. (While I would argue that the “Golden Era” lasted later into the ‘70s, that would’ve made this a five or six-disc set instead of a relatively affordable four, so we’ll dismiss this complaint.)

I will give the compilers credit, though, for reaching back to the mento and Jamaican R&B days to give exposure to those precursors to reggae. Also, there are some reggae tracks included here that aren’t the typical fare: for instance, The Tennors’ “Ride Your Donkey,” Andy Capp’s “Pop a Top,” The Stingers’ “Give Me Power,” The Righteous Flames’ “One Love, One Heart,” and The Willows’ “Cool Iron.” Still, while I would like to have seen the compilers step out on a limb and include something like Fred Locks’ “Black Star Liner,” This Is Reggae Music is what the title implies: a wonderful introduction to reggae. Veteran fans of the genre will likely already have much of it, although it is handy to have it all in one package. What more can we say.... Essential! A must have set.






 by Quatty, ReggaeTrain.com
 E-Mail: info@reggaetrain.com

It's astonishing to reflect that until a few years ago, even Tappa Zukie's major releases from the Front Line subsidiary were long deleted. Even more of a loss, from a roots specialist's point of view, is that his Stars label tunes were also long unavailable.Tunes like Prince Alla's "Daniel", "Heaven is My Roof" and the Shaka style tune "Bow Down Babylon" from The Palmer Brothers were amongst roots collectors most prized possessions. Now Trojan have collected most of Tappa Zukie's rarities on three or four excellent cd's, covering versions of Prince Alla tracks, Knowledge tunes, Horace Andy rarities and other long deleted obscurities.

Star's Label tunes were distinctive; they had their own hallmark heavy production, immediately recognisable due to hard snare work, slashing rhythm chords, harsh scraping and croaking percussion and a mood of deeper spirituality and militancy.

"Bow Down Babylon" is a high point here, included in its pounding 12" version, with piercing and distorted horns pattern, cut up into a repetitive noise. This is very similar in mood and spatial dynamics to that other long deleted Shaka favourite, "It Ago Dread in A Babylon" by Sam Bramwell on the Germain label. This is totally essential listening, and it's a long lost rarity, dug up for the first release on CD.

Another high point is the more jazz oriented reflections of Horace Andy's "If I Wasn't a Man", a track which has seen release in at least two or three different versions.Again, this version is totally essential, and whilst not as heavy as other Stars tunes, it has beautiful mood and atmosphere with a near perfect dreamlike horns solo from (perhaps or presumably) Deadley Headley or Cedric 'Im Brooks.

The Vibes Tone sing the mournful "Leaders of Black Countries", a tune that expresses a sense of loss at the realisation of one's personal life being controlled by corruption and the powerful. It's similar to Peter Broggs "Rastafari Liveth and Reigneth" / " I Hear Jah Voice Calling" , with its lazy snares and sense of spaciousness.

Cornell Campbell sings "World of Tribulation", ostensibly a love song, but a closer listening reveals a song of helplessness; a song of loneliness and isolation, frustration at finding oneself caught up in the demands, pressures and snares of a cold and indifferent world."Im so lonely in this heart of tribulation. Why should I bear so much tribulation? Living in a world of pure obligation" sings Cornell, sounding like a roots and culture Otis Redding or Kingston's echo to The Neville Brothers. It's a powerful and very personal confession, sounding at times, similar to Bim Sherman's "Danger", a song that dealt with similar paradox and predicament.

Also pleasant in this compilation is the diversity of styles. Stars is so well known for its pounding roots spirtuality, but we see another side of the label here: The Ruddy Thomas contribution sounds like early Taxi productions, with a soulful funk edge. The Mighty Diamonds "Bad Boy" has a paradoxical drum pattern that shifts from calm and sedate to explosive, evoking images of machine gun fire in the inner city ghetto. The beautiful contribution from "The Vibes Tones" is early Roots Radics inventiveness, prayer-like and calming, and as far as it could be from commercial concerns.

(For further reading on Tappa Zukie, check out Penny Reel's evocative sleeve notes to MPLA on the Klik label, aswell as his accounts of Tappa's meetings with Keith Hudson.)


Reviewed by Greg Whitfield

The seed that was initially replanted by Garnett Silk in the early 1990's then nurtured by Luciano, began blossoming a few years ago. Now the evidence is in and it is reasonable to say that in 2005 the flowers are in full bloom. Spiritually uplifting music is back with a bang. Reggae music has reclaimed, at last, its pride of place as the voice of the oppressed and down trodden and the collective conscience of the world.

The double CD album The Biggest Reggae One-Drop Anthems 2005 by Greensleeves Records Limited is a comprehensive compilation of most of the Reggae hits of this year. It starts appropriately with Jah Cure extolling the virtues of life in Jamaica.

The Biggest Reggae One Drop Anthems 2005 has tunes from 21 artistes. Each of the two CDs included consist of 20 songs. Seven of Jah Cure's songs are featured, including Longing For, These Are The Times and Poor Man's Cry. It is a pity that his handlers have behaved so crassly- their actions have done nothing to propel his personal cause. Unfortunately now, we no longer hear his songs on IRIE FM.

The inclusion of Perfect's two hits, Handcart Boy, which is one of my favourite songs as the second cut on Disc One, and All I Got on Disc Two enhances the commercial value of the double album. Gyptian is without a doubt the most exciting new artiste of the latter part of 2005 and his seminal hit Serious Times is the third cut on Disc One, and the obvious choice pick for song of the year. His Mama is also featured as track 3 on Disc two.

Whether it is symbolism or the karma of the trinity, I predict that this artiste has a bright future. Already one can garner that his head seems to be in the right place and that he speaks with clarity, just by listening to his interviews. Anthony Cruz contributes that the Place Too Bloody and instructs the brothers that "we nuh waan no guns a dance". Fantan Mojah Hails The King and gives Thanks And Praises, meanwhile he expresses empathy with our Hungry brothers and sisters. All these songs were well received by reggae aficionados in 2005.

Richie Spice again came good this year with Blood Again, Freedom with Chuck Fender and especially Operation Kingfish which simply captivated reggae fans the moment it was released. His family has produced some truly talented singers but in his own right, Spice has the aura and personality to eclipse his brothers.

In addition to For My People on Disc Two, Chuck Fender did himself proud in 2005 with the most potent Murderer (track 10, Disc One) which probably deserves more airplay in the context of our times.

"Murderer, I see you seeking for more souls,
Murderer, you're like a vehicle out of control,
Beating your chest saying that you're cold,
Yuh just can't go around taking away life
Like my people life come cheap,
Look how many mothers you left crying,
So many children you left to weep,
Keep behaving like this,
I know yuh ending going to be steep"

Jah Mason delivers three songs including his biggest hit of 2005, My Princess Gone. Sizzla appears on three occasions including Where Are You Running To and Rise To The Occasion, full of its motivational clichés, including the chorus- "Yes, you got to be strong, and be all the best you can, the world is out there conquer your fears, and don't you wait too long..the struggle continues, yow".

Gentleman, the German reggae phenomenon, is well represented with three songs, Blessings of Jah (with Ras Shiloh), Share The Love (with Jah Cure) and Superior, his most successful single for this year. The other artistes featured present one song each, although a few never made much of an impact among the fans. Hero's single In The Ghetto and Natural Black's Far From Reality were modest successes.

The producers could not have chosen a better finale than Sizzla's Jah Works, idiomatically summarising the conceptual framework of the body of works presented.

The graphic artist's conception of a creatively skewed three dimensional Jamaican flag encompassing images of Jamaican flora and fauna, the Caribbean Sea, Haile Selassie, religious and nationalistic symbols is a beautiful montage and is used as the cover of the liner notes insert.

If you have not yet chosen a Christmas gift for that special person, then I recommend this as an excellent choice, fit for airplay at any occasion. Remember only public support will crystallise this positive direction that our artistes are venturing upon. The tide is high, the time is nigh. Me-thinks we may either ride the crest of the wave or sink forever into the abyss.


Reviewed by Charles Campbell
Email: checampbell@cwjamaica.com