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Bulldog and Jackhammer Present: Your Introduction To Reggae
Given the worrying stat that the Bob Marley thread is pretty much dominating all things reggae on MusicBanter, Bulldog and myself came up with this little bombshell.
Anyway, throughout this thread we intend to give you a brief explanation to the different sounds of Reggae and a list of essential albums, starting with 10 roots reggae albums, 10 dancehall reggae albums, 10 dub albums and so on, along with a brief definition of each sub-genre, until we have one glorious whole of a thread! It'll start with me posting 2 albums, Bulldog posting 2, me posting another 3 and then likewise from Bulldog 'til we have a full list of 10 albums. We will combine Dancehall Reggae with Lovers rock as they share a few familiar traits and whilst to purists and us alike we know that they have plenty of differences but for the sake of space and the small interest that it will generate, a combined top 10 would be the easiest thing to do. So, I think that's just about everything I need say. Oh, credit to Comus, Anteater, Toretorden and Boo Boo for giving us this idea with their prog thread. I'll get started with the roots list now then... 10 Essential Roots Albums: Prince Far I-Anthology Aswad-Debut Third World-90 Degrees In The Shade Steel Pulse-Handsworth Revolution Burning Spear-Marcus Garvey Abyssinians-Satta Masaganna u-Roy-Dread In A Babylon Peter Tosh-Legalize It Black Uhuru-Sensimillia Jacob Miller & Inner Circle- Forward Jah Jah Children. 10 track comp here: Roots Reggae 10 10 Essential Lover's Rock/Dancehall Reggae Albums Barrington Levy - Here I Come Eek a Mouse - Wa-Do-Dem Gregory Isaacs - Night Nurse Seeed - Next! Yellowman - King Yellowman Beres Hammond - Soul Reggae Richie Spice - Di Plane Land Dennis Brown - Stagecoach Showcase Turbulence - Do Good Wayne Smith/Prince Jammy-Sleng Teng/Computerised Dub 10 Essential Dub Albums King Tubby - Crucial Dub Augustus Pablo - East Of the River Nile Scientist - Scientist Rids the World Of the Curse Of the Vampires Dubmatix - Champion Soundclash Mad Professor - Beyond the Realms Of Dub Keith Hudson - Pick a Dub |
Please note that the following post was written by Bulldog
To give you a brief definition of what roots entails, this particular sub-genre of reggae concerns itself with the lives of the ghetto and rural sufferer, with lyrical themes concerning Rastafari, poverty, repatriation, resistance to government oppression, anti-apartheid sentiments and the resulting social commentary. In many respects, roots is the earliest of reggae sub-genres and probably the first to become popular with the US and UK music listeners. Its heyday is seen as being in the mid-to-late 70s, given the rise in popularity of such singers as the aforementioned Bob Marley, his fellow Wailers Peter Tosh and Bunny Wailer, Winston "Burning Spear" Rodney and Horace Andy, along with groups like Steel Pulse, Black Uhuru and the Abyssinians. Stylistically, it had its roots in 60s Jamaican ska and rocksteady, and the experimentation of producers like Lee "Scratch" Perry with it would give birth to dub. We'll get to that later though. Here are 10 essentials of this most militant and politically-inclined form of reggae, starting with a couple from my own vaults. Prince Far I - Heavy Manners (Anthology: 1977-83) (2003) Alright, it's an anthology, but short of getting hold of the labyrinth of one of those Trojan box set compilations, this collection of Michael James Williams' work at the height of roots' popularity is just about as good an introduction to the genre as you can ask for. Over that instantly-recognisable reggae backdrop, Williams, aka Prince Far I (and the self-styled 'voice of thunder') takes us through something of a guided tour of what exactly roots is in its purest form. It's a great taste of exactly where he was coming from musically before his tragic death in 1983. It's also worth mentioning that Williams preferred to call himself 'a chanter', which basically means he had a very powerful form of vocal delivery, doing the message behind the music a whole world of good - the militant, weighty political subject matter is really brought to the front of the mix over an endless supply of delicious, bass-heavy reggae grooves. Basically, in his attitude towards singing and songwriting, he was a Rastafarian version of Mark E. Smith. This does make the whole thing fairly difficult to non-reggae lovers at first, and it does take a while to click (I'll admit I wasn't so fond of this sound at first), so it's by no means for the casual listener. If, however, you have two or three roots reggae albums to your name already and are wondering where you should go next, give this a try for Pete's sake. It may be a compilation, but it's vital listening all the same. In the shape of Aswad's self-titled debut, long before they went down that nauseating pop-reggae road as they did in the 80s, comes another essential taste of roots. Coming at you with a mere 8 tracks to its name, it again ticks all the right boxes when it comes to roots, with songs like Back To Africa concerning repatriation, Ethiopian Rhapsody regarding fundamental Rastafarianism and so forth. Along with staying true to their roots (see what I there?), Aswad give proceedings that much more of an accessible edge, much like their contemporaries such as Steel Pulse and Peter Tosh were making a living out of doing. Unfortunately, as I mentioned earlier, this would lead to the release of some pretty horrible pop music in the 80s, but on this album least Aswad stay true to what makes reggae great, giving us all a very presentable, smooth and accessible roots album, and definitely one that non-reggae fans should look to as a start. |
I'm looking forward to seeing your picks!
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Third World - 96 Degrees In the Shade (1978) http://2a.img.v4.skyrock.net/2a5/reg.../689168202.jpg Next in line from my library is an album I gave a shout pretty early on in my top 100 thread, and couldn't really let it miss out on a spot here. This second album, featuring Third World's classic lineup, is the peak of their intriguing brand of roots, this being a kind of mixture of the said roots rhythmic backdrop with African atmospherics and soulful vocals. Despite songs like Tribal War, the frankly brilliant Human Marketplace (easily one of my favourite reggae songs of all time) and Jah Glory still having a kind of lyrical fire in their bellies, like the aforementioned Aswad album 96 Degrees In the Shade presents us with roots at its most easily accessible. Basically, it carries delicious bass rhythms and juicy guitar licks to give it more appeal to folk who don't exactly listen to a lot of reggae while staying true to the fundaments of the movement. To sum up, it's a lot like the Aswad album I mentioned before and the album I'll mention next, just with a lot more soul thrown into the mix. Another one of my all-time favs this - essential stuff. Although Steel Pulse are one of those bands that boast a more notoriously polished sound than their contemporaries, as their debut Handsworth Revolution finds an interesting middle ground between the gritty, bare necessities approach to production of a lot of roots reggae and the cleaner, mass-oriented one. In their pursuit of mainstream success Steel Pulse would embrace a more chart-friendly sound, but that was some years down the line. With their debut, all that mattered was getting the message out there, which is exactly what this album does. Steel Pulse were (and who knows, maybe even still are) among the more politically militant of roots artists, coming from the same sort of place as Peter Tosh and Prince Far I. What makes this album an essential roots album though is that even if the music sounds a little too clean for some tastes, the songs underneath all that varnish are more than strong enough to stand up and be counted, with numbers such as Ku Klux Klan, Prediction and Soldiers boasting very strong messages to their name, made all the more blatant by singer David Hinds' wonderful voice. All in all, it's not my favourite by them, but giving you a list of essential roots albums and not including this is a bit like giving someone a lawnmower without the blades. |
Burning Spear-Marcus Garvey (1975) http://991.com/NewGallery/Burning-Sp...-Ga-398585.jpg Burning Spear (AKA Winston Rodney) distinctive vocal style along with his fellow vocalists in the band Delroy Hines, and Rupert Milligton coupled with political lyrics produced a pivotal album that was considerably heavier than what many of his contemporaries were producing at the time. Whilst Reggae was gaining evermore international appeal and a glossy Pop music sheen, Burning Spear slowed the tempo back down, adding subtle horns and emphasis back onto the bass line and a keyboard/guitar syncopation that is a classic roots template. Marcus Garvey was a Jamacian national hero and Rastafarians hold him in very high esteem so for Burning Spear to both celebrate him and keep the music as close to it's roots as possible gives us a superlative and definitive roots Reggae album. Major standouts are the lazy and deep sounding Invasion and the sublime Resting Place. An album with a protracted history it was released 4 times after being originally recorded and released on a limited run in 1975. Since then it has been proclaimed as one of the quintessential Roots albums and even the title track has been adopted as a hymn by some Rastafarian communities. The album is a much more gentle offering than Burning Spear with vocal harmonies, soulful singing and instruments such as the flute making an apppearance. This doesn't however lessen the music at all, although many of the songs have the same tempo which is something that can be a hindrance to non Reggae listeners. However the smooth vocals and classic anthems (title track and Forward Unto Zion) still ensure it's classic status and another piece of the Roots Reggae jigsaw. |
I've never been that big of a reggae fan, so I think this is a great start. I've read over what you guys have just posted and I already love it. A little history lesson is always good when being introduced to a genre. Thanks guys!
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Very nice J & B! Way to get right down to the duhtty. I like where this is going.
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Oh I'm so excited about this thread. Educate me! :)
You have already done some real beauties, and some I've put on my list to get. Love Third World, they are so refreshing. And ahhhhhh the Abyssinians, so good. Love their album artwork too. |
Just take a look at that original album sleeve (it has since been replaced with a more PC cover) and you know that it's roots down! U-Roy is a little different than other artists in this top ten as his style is 'Toasting', which is ryhming, chanting and talking over the music which he was doing for years before too. The music is classic roots reggae but with hints of doo wop and R&B-tipping it's hat to the classic Reggae sound that came before. You can also sense a little improvisation in the music as a lot of the album was recorded live with very few overdubs so that U roy could flow and improvise over the tracks. Hugely influential and not just in the Reggae world, U-Roy creates a fantastic vibe and his music works brilliantly dropped into a partys music mix. Peter Tosh along with Bunny Livingstone and a certain Bob Marley formed the vocal trio 'The Wailers' in the 60's. By the time the mid 70's came Marley was doing his own thing so this album is essentially a Wailers album with Tosh at the forefront. Tosh was always an advocate of Marijuana use not just for recreation purposes but it's purported medical properties too and backed with Rita Marleys vocals you could easily imagine Bob all over the track. However Tosh was always that little more political and it shows all over the album along with his trademark choppy guitar skanks. A textbook Roots album that's at once spiritual and oddly melancholic. |
You guys are making me all giddy.
Excellent commentary - can't wait for more. |
Great thread and it is only just beginning I hope.
After reading through it a bit and listening to a couple of the videos I went out and bought Peter Tosh's album that you two recommend and played it in the car on the way home and now again back on the sound system, very interesting and a new experience of music. GREAT ALBUM! Going to have to pick up a few more of those albums. |
The first review is bulldogs and the second is mine.
Fashioned by the legendary production duo, Sly Dunbar and Robbie Shakespeare, Sinsemilla was the first Black Uhuru album to be distributed to international markets, getting them well and truly on the road to the mainstream success they'd find in later years. Despite operating as a trio, this was essentially a Michael Rose solo album, seeing as he sang all the lead vocals using his own lyrics. The Dunbar and Shakespeare duo provide this album with its pumping, lively rhythms. In spite of peddling these kinds of infectious dancehall rhythms, Rose's lyrics are as revolutionary and radical as any of his roots reggae contemporaries, extolling the virtues of some kind of plant or other (apparently it gets you 'stoned' or something if you smoke it), opposing apartheid and so forth. At its heart then, this is another textbook roots album, but it also has that kind of danceable quality from the Dunbar/Shakespeare-implimented rhythm section, which gives things an interesting edge. Another real essential of roots reggae then. Jacob Miller & Inner Circle- Forward Jah Jah Children (Compilation) http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/...CLZZZZZZZ_.jpg The first few tracks on here feature the original Inner Circle vocalist but once jacob Miller joined, the band galvanised themselves and became one of Jamacia's favourite roots/rockers band featuring the bionic man himself Miller. Once again we are treated to some hard skanking roots Reggae with Millers soulful voice topping the mixture off. he sadly died at the age of 27 in a road crash but he left behind a fantastic voice, some stirring socio-political lyrics and with his band; some fantastic music. |
damn this thread is awesome. I'm gonna have to give this list a thorough run through to build up my library!
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Thanks for reading everyone. There's tons of wonderful reggae out there, and we hope this thread does it all justice.
Moving on... Dancehall Reggae & Lover's Rock http://th01.deviantart.com/fs7/300W/...igitalMiss.jpg It's about time we started the second list, a joint effort between dancehall and lover's rock. First off, let's define the two. Dancehall reggae gets its name simply from where reggae was played live by DJs in so-called sound systems in the late 70s and early 80s. Social and political changes in Jamaica saw the rise of a much more localised market for the new generation of reggae stars, as opposed to the internationally-oriented roots reggae of yesteryear, as well as lyrics changing their focus to violence, dancing and sexuality. Noticeably, the rhythms tended to give off a more lively, pumping sort of vibe, as opposed to the mostly groove-oriented rhythms of roots, giving the reggae of DJs like Yellowman, General Echo and Eek a Mouse a new edge to it. Lover's rock started off a few years earlier, boasting roots in the earliest reggae of the 60s. It basically serves as a counter-genre to the politically-aware and socially conscious roots and (to an extent) dancehall reggae with its own much more romantic lyrics, as peddled most successfully by artists like Gregory Isaacs, Dennis Brown and Freddie McGregor. What links it with dancehall is that, like dancehall, its rhythms evolved from the bare backbone of the groove-based roots reggae vibe. In lover's rock's case this comes mainly from the combination of the smooth sounds of Chicago and Philadelphia soul with roots rhythms. Both are the forms of reggae which boomed after roots went bust. Plus it's a lot less complicated to do things this way too. So, I'll just talk about a couple of albums in a moment or two... |
Barrington Levy - Here I Come (1985) http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Wl60MqlBAD...ere+I+come.jpg As one of the big names of the dancehall movement Barrington Levy, unlike a lot of his contemporaries, didn't start work in music in the sound systems of Jamaica, but instead as a bona fide solo artist who'd released some four albums before this one and established himself firmly within the Jamaican music industry. His big comeback after a few years' hiatus from recording through the early 80s, and the scorer of his first international hit, remains the pinnacle of his career and an absolute essential of dancehall. Like the best of the scene, the punchy bass rhythms are absolutely wonderful, pushed right up in the mix along with the dub-esque reverb on the drums, which brings out the key difference between roots and dancehall for the listener - that of the focus coming away from the lyrics and towards the rhythms. Basically, this is one of the essential dancehall albums. For anyone who needs such a point of reference, personally I can hear a lot of Matisyahu's sound in the livelier cuts here (seeing as it does slow down in places with a few lover's rock songs). Stellar stuff! Eek a Mouse - Wa-Do-Dem (1981) https://www.reggaerecord.com/shared_...997_01_360.jpg Eek a Mouse, born Ripton Joseph Hylton (oddly enough), was one of the superstar DJs of the Jamaican dancehall scene, had released a few roots singles and worked on several sound systems before recording any albums, which stand up as a prime example of dancehall reggae by the numbers. Wa-Do-Dem though, which announced his arrival among the hitmakers with singles like its title track, remains his finest achievement. The song in the video below is the perfect example of how dancehall differs from roots - the backbone which holds up countless roots songs is definitely still there, but swamped with danceable bass rhythms and, in that song's case at least, uses dub-style reverb to spice things up a bit. This is definitely one of the first dancehall albums you should look for. |
There are some great roots albums reflected on this thread. Great Stuff! The '70s was the period where roots really dominated the reggae market and it was a great time for quality of music coming out of Ja. I happen to love all the albums already mentioned here. I would add music by the Mighty Diamonds ("Right Time") and Israel Vibration ("Same Song").
Bless... |
Israel Vibration and Mighty Diamonds are indeed the shizz. I've got a handful of songs by both but unfortunately no albums, a position I intend to do something about in the near future.
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I went to the store today and spent about an hour going through the reggae stuff, which is so cheap compared to the rest of the store and picked out about 7 albums which I got them to keep behind the counter for me, to pick up in the next week. Black Uhuru, Steel Pulse, U-roy, Burning Spear, Gregory Isaacs and Jimmy Cliff - An album each from them.
Keep the great reviews coming! |
i'll look a bit more into Steel Pulse and Aswad. i haven't gotten to the rest of it yet, but i will when i get back from school
thanks for the thread :thumb: |
Dancehall & Lover's Rock are both my least prefered genres of Reggae so don't expect too much from my picks. Dub is ma thang! Nice picks though Bulldog. I will add my next two tomorrow.
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The first time I listened to 96 degrees in the shade, I came in my pants. Great list guys. Keep them coming.
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^ I didn't have that same..reaction but I did really like the song.
I love the entire selection, guys -- since I guess the Roots portion of the thread is over I have to mention another classic: Heart of the Congos by The Congos. |
I guess you could define dancehall, lover's rock especially, as kind of reggae lite or something. The bare sub-genres themselves aren't really my favourites either, but it's when crossovers happen that things get really interesting.
That Congos one Engine mentioned is indeed a good 'un. Haven't heard it in a good year or so myself, so I'll have to dig it out a bit later. |
The loverman himself gave us a lover's rock classic in 1982 with Night Nurse. If anyone wants to know what lover's rock actually is then I just say listen to this album. Isaacs himself along with bassist 'Flabba' Holt produced this album and it is played with aplomb by the classic Roots Radics band, Night Nurse peddles a sweet soul tilt with a little synthesiser work that weaves it's easy charms and is effortless on the ears. Isaacs spiritual leanings are emphasised in the lyrics along with the physical. For Isaacs love is both for body and soul and yet the album never comes across as sentimental or overly saccharine. Seeed are unique in many ways. They are multi racial, from Germany and peddle a hybrid of Reggae, Dancehall, Hip hop and multi lingual lyrics. They are also a humorous band and just seem to be having a blast. They are supposed to be brilliant live and there are around 9 members in the band. What is so great about Next! is it's endless enthusiasm and feelgood factor. It also has true crossover appeal and many people who don't usually like Reggae could listen to this as entry level into the genre and find something that they like on the album. I found these on the net about 3 years and have converted many people to them as it's hard not to dislike them. |
I have Extra Classic by Gregory Isaacs, but not Night Nurse. And that Seeed album's one I've been meaning to look for since the dawn of time. When I have the mental energy to I think I'll blogsearch 'em!
Awesome new avvy btw. Bub is the shizz :D |
I have all the Seeed stuff so if you draw a blank just holler!
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Here's the next batch then. Mixtape link for the roots list is on the way... maybe...
Yellowman - King Yellowman (1984) http://ec2.images-amazon.com/images/...CLZZZZZZZ_.jpg Another one of the most influential and important figures to come out of the dancehall scene, Yellowman (born Winston Foster) was another sound system DJ to rise from the obscurity of the Jamaican music scene of the early 80s. His influence helped to spark off the ragga movement, which had a huge influence on the explosion in hip-hop's popularity which was just around the corner, with his hit single Zungguzungguguzungguzeng being sampled by giants like Notorious B.I.G, Tupac Shakur and Blackstar. King Yellowman here is his finest achievement in LP form, as not only does it epitomise the delicious dancehall/lover's rock hybrid he was peddling, but it also captures a kind of midway point between that hybrid and the soon-to-be-realised ragga movement. It's also a very consistent album boasting some terrific rhythms into the bargain. Beres Hammond - Soul Reggae (1976) http://www.blackheartsound.com/image...709530.122.jpg Some classic lover's rock here with a soulful twist. Growing up, Hugh Beresford Hammond was very much exposed to American soul and jazz music such as Sam Cooke and Otis Redding and, to be blank, it shows here. This album's the classic example of lover's rockers citing influences from American music, particularly Chicago and Philly soul. Mixed in with the influences of the ska and rocksteady of his native Jamaica, we're not only given a lover's rock by the numbers, but also a sound we associate with Jimmy Cliff, that being reggae soul. Lyrically, this album serves as a much less abrasive and borderline-misogynist version of Yellowman's work. Depending on how much patience you have for soul music, this is definitely a great place to start if you're looking to get into the more light-hearted side of reggae. |
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Rest assured i'm making notes here, i've heard and have songs from most of the artists here but don't have anyhting apart from a Pete Tosh best of. Aswad and Burning Spear in particular are great.
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I'll be putting up the roots mixtape if you wanna try that before hunting any albums down. Could take a day or two to get online though. |
I'm on a few of them now but the mix would be most welcome of course!
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My half of the roots mix is on the way so expect a compilation up today!
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Alright, here's the first mixtape. One song from each of our 10 picks (the link's that lovely colourful title below in case you're wondering)...
Essential Roots Reggae http://www.kalamu.com/bol/wp-content...0tosh%2007.jpghttp://www.weblo.com/music/images/ar...680557721c.jpghttp://media.browardpalmbeach.com/th...1741063.51.jpghttp://www.furious.com/Perfect/graph...rningspear.jpg 1. Prince Far I - When Jah Ready To Go 2. Jacob Miller & Inner Circle - Curfew 3. Peter Tosh - Burial 4. Abyssinians - Forward Unto Zion 5. Burning Spear - The Invasion 6. U-Roy - Dreadlocks Dread 7. Aswad - Back To Africa 8. Third World - Human Marketplace 9. Steel Pulse - Prediction 10. Black Uhuru - Vampire |
Thankyaverymuch. That Aswad album is the absolute tits. Could i have found a rival to the candle i hold for Toots Hibbert?
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I want this version:
Edit: I forgot I CAN get hold of this :) |
Ahh yes nothing like a bitta bootsy
^^^Also I'm very much feeling the U-Roy on the mixtape, its that kinda catchy stuff like the "shoobe shoobe doo..." that gets me every time. cheers! |
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The brilliant soul singer, guitarist and producer Curtis Mayfield had a big impact in Jamaica because of the spiritual liberation themes of his songs like People Get Ready, Amen, Movin' On Up, Keep on Pushing, Meeting Over Yonder and We're a Winner. Mayfield's music embraced many of the same social issues embraced by the Rastafarian musicians in Jamaica and Bob Marley even rewrote People Get Ready and merged it with his own One Love song. |
I'll admit I'm not a huge fan of a lot of reggae soul. It can get a bit too syrupy for my tastes sometimes. There are some absolute greats out there though, so it's not worth writing off (same with any genre really).
Your 100 songs thread is pretty awesome as well - keep it going eh. |
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