Music Banter - View Single Post - Bulldog and Jackhammer Present: Your Introduction To Reggae

Bulldog · 07-07-2009, 03:09 AM

Dennis Brown - Stagecoach Showcase (1982)

Dennis Brown was another oddity of the dancehall era of reggae in the 80s, given that he was another one of the few who began his career as a singer and not as a dancehall DJ. Having recorded many hits, including the UK top 20-busting Money In My Pocket in 1979, Brown became a superstar in Jamaica and had the honour of being included on Trojan Records' Jamaican Superstars album along with the likes of Gregory Isaacs and John Holt (which was released in 1998; the year before Brown's death from a collapsed lung).

For me, his 1982 release here ranks as his finest achievement, which not only is littered with prime-time lover's rock lyrics, but the pulsating basslines are very typical of dancehall and, interestingly, in a lot of places we hear some very dub-esque percussive reverb, all of which makes for a fascinating, three-pronged assault of a reggae album. So, in essence, you're looking at a classic in those three sub-genres of reggae.

07-07-2009, 03:09 AM	#46 (permalink)
Bulldog why bother? Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: UK Posts: 4,840	Dennis Brown - Stagecoach Showcase (1982) Dennis Brown was another oddity of the dancehall era of reggae in the 80s, given that he was another one of the few who began his career as a singer and not as a dancehall DJ. Having recorded many hits, including the UK top 20-busting Money In My Pocket in 1979, Brown became a superstar in Jamaica and had the honour of being included on Trojan Records' Jamaican Superstars album along with the likes of Gregory Isaacs and John Holt (which was released in 1998; the year before Brown's death from a collapsed lung). For me, his 1982 release here ranks as his finest achievement, which not only is littered with prime-time lover's rock lyrics, but the pulsating basslines are very typical of dancehall and, interestingly, in a lot of places we hear some very dub-esque percussive reverb, all of which makes for a fascinating, three-pronged assault of a reggae album. So, in essence, you're looking at a classic in those three sub-genres of reggae.