On Atra Disc we find an LP with some of the finest of
reggae artists. It opens with 4 tracks by the great Augustus
Pablo. The genius and his melodica. I usually prefer songs
but Augustus’ instrumentals make a big exeption. All numbers
are backed by these swell musicians; Thin Legs-Carlton Barret
on drums, Family Man on Bass, Leroy Sibbles – rhythm guitar
and Ossie Hirbert on organ. Only track #6 is backed by ‘Umojo
Group’. Love that Max Romeo song, ‘Crime does not pay’,
and how about I Roy singing: “Ya Ya Yahama”…

tracks;

1 Augustus Pablo – Pablo in dub
2 Augustus Pablo – Hap ki do
3 Augustus Pablo – Lovers mood
4 Augustus Pablo – Palace of peace
5 Big Joe – Jah guide
6 Freddy McKay – I’m a free man
7 Horace Andy – Children of Israel
8 Max Romeo – Crime does not pay
9 I Roy – Yamaha ride
10 Horace Andy – Problems

I’m gonna tell you straight away, posting this album is a kind
of compromise. It contains a few things I would not post when
standing on it’s own. Nigerian reggae for instance, I think reggae
should be from Jamaica. And how about rock and roll sung in
wolof from Senegal. As a whole however I think it’s kind of funny.
The collector also contains some typical African styles, like on
the b-side, sweet benga by Victoria King’s Jazz for instance.
It’s a 1978 selection made by Blaise Fayette Mikano who used
to do a great job for Pathé Marconi. I think this LP with songs from
1975, 1977 and 1978 gives us a unique view on Africa’s taste
during the late seventies, listen and tell me what you think.

tracks;

1 Sonny Okosun – Rain
2 Konn-Konn – Sagak-sagak
3 Abeti Masikini – Mwana muke wa miso
4 M’baye Abdoul – Soko bouge
5 M’baye Abdoul – Douces douces filles
6 Victoria King’s Jazz – Rieko Magftich
7 Trio Ce.Pa.Kos – No title
8 Kouka Celestin – Veve na linga
9 Pamelo Mounk’a – Mabeyey

Every voice is like a fingerprint. Unique in every way, how many
people do we have in this world ? Every one’s different. Horace
Andy is blessed with a vocal instrument you can recognize from
thousands. Clear and bright with his special tremble, I love it.
This LP is recorded at Wackie House of Music, New York and
I must say producer Lloyd Barnes did a hell of a job, what great
sound. Songs like ‘Stop the Fuss’ and ‘Eating mess’ are dj tracks
I treasure since 1982. English formation ‘Massive Attack’ asked
Horace to participate on their album ‘Blue Lines’ in 1991, I added
the song ‘Hymn of the big wheel’ as a bonustrack, enjoy.

tracks;

1 Bob lives on
2 Stop the fuss
3 Love him
4 Good will survive
5 Take it easy
6 Eating mess
7 Musical episode
8 Live in the city
9 Live in unity
10 Lonely woman

extra

11 Massive Attack – Hymn of the big wheel

Towards the end of the year I always start
playing lots of things I forget during the rest of the year,
memories.. Neville O’Riley Livingstone, or Bunny Wailer was one
of the original Wailers with Peter Tosh and Bob Marley.
On this LP he brings tribute to his late and great brother.
With Sly Dunbar and Robbie Shakespeare among others.

tracks;

1 Soul rebel
2 I shot the sherrif
3 Crazy baldhead
4 Time will tell
5 War
6 Slave driver
7 Redemption song
8 No woman no cry

A little reggae for your sunday evening perhaps ? Junior
Byles in his ‘Upsetter Years’. With Lee Perry at the controls
in his very best years, it’s like everything falls in it’s place. One
song is more beautiful than the other on this superb compilation.
Steve Barrow did a great job here. 10 straight hits and two more
experimental tracks. ( No.s 11 & 12 ) An album not to miss I’d say.
As an extra bonus I have added tracks 15 and 16, have fun.

tracks;

1 Beat down Babylon
2 Da da
3 I’ve got a feeling
4 Don’t know why
5 Demonstration
6 Coming again
7 Joshua’s desire
8 Place called Africa
9 Poor Chubby
10 A matter of time
11 Fun and games/Motion dub
12 Pretty fe true/Pretty dub
13 King of Babylon
14 Pharoah hiding/Hail to power
15 Curly locks
16 Fade away

It was impossible to ignore,
when I played this
record again,…

tracks;

1 Rock away
2 Sweeter the victory
3 Sinner man
4 Lonely lover
5 Loving pauper
6 Promised land
7 Love is overdue
8 Bad da
9 Way of life
10 Financial endorsement
11 Give a hand
12 All I have is love

At the end of the eighties, Trojan Records launched the Producer
Series. A bunch of historic Jamaican music, every collector should
have. This double album brings us the early work of Clement ‘Coxsone’
Dodd, the legendary founder of Studio 1. It contains both vocal and
instrumental tracks from the years 1967 and 1968. Don’t miss it.

tracks;

LP1;
1 Winston & Robin – Bad mind grudgeful
2 Bennett & Dennis – Puppy love
3 Cannon & Soul Vendors – Bad treatment
4 Bumps Oakley – A get a lick
5 The Sultans – Hip hugger
6 Jacob Miller – Let me love you
7 Termites – Rub up push up
8 Winston & Robin – Wailing time
9 Eric Frater – Venus
10 Marshall Williams – Norwegian wood
11 Soul Vendors – Love me girl
12 Winston Holness – You shouldn’t be the one

LP2;
1 Jackie & Soul Vendors – Ram jam
2 Octaves – You gonna lose
3 Soul Vendors – Get with it
4 Viceroys – Fat fish
5 Jackie & Soul Vendors – Grooving steady
6 Zoot Simms – Bye bye baby
7 Soul Vendors – Soul junction
8 Slim & Freedom Singers – Mercy mercy
9 Jackie & Soul Vendors – Baba boom
10 Viceroys – Love and unity
11 Bob & Ty – I don’t mind
12 Lester Sterling – Zigaloo
13 Barrington Spence – Contemplating mind
14 Ed Nangle – Good girl
15 The Enforcers – Musical Fever
16 Lester Sterling – Wiser than Solomon

Have you had the chance to listen to the 4 reggae collectors
I posted in 2008 ? They were called Reggae Monster Originals.
Search and listen, you’ll find a couple of tracks by Lee van Cliff
aswell. The early eighties sound of the Radics at Channel One
with Scientist producing was simply unique. The way he put an
echo on voices and drumbeats, I love it. Lee van Cliffs broken
voice to round it all up and you got me smoking..

tracks;

1 It ave fi cork
2 Never call no fowl
3 Sister Fay
4 Rock it to me twice
5 Under you
6 African girl
7 Wiser than Solomon
8 Lost my baby
9 Me just love

The Ethiopians were founded by Leonard Dillon and Stephen Taylor
around 1966 and started recording for Clement ‘Coxsone’ Dodd. After
that they worked with several other studio’s amongst who Lee Perry’s.
This is a 1986 compilation with their music from between 1966 and 1972.
When Ska was starting to change, late sixties, Ethiopians’ sound
was hot and leaning towards rocksteady. I think two or three songs were
already on the album ‘Everything Crash’ which I recently re-uploaded.
Tomorrow evening, saturday 6th, I’ll be doing a reggae and dub evening
with Sista Poca from Poca TV, check her out here. It takes place in a tiny
coffeeshop called Andorra in Hilversum. Fat Back Pumping Dub and Reggae
accompanied by coffee and some sweet smoke, I’m looking forward to it.

tracks;

1 Free man
2 Train to Skaville
3 Engine 54
4 Come on now
5 Train to glory
6 The whip
7 Everything crash
8 Things a get bad to worse
9 Well red
10 One
11 Hong Kong flu
12 Gun man
13 What a fire
14 Woman capture man
15 Feel the spirit
16 Drop him
17 Good ambition
18 No baptism
19 The selah
20 Pirate
21 The word is love

United Kingdom, 1981, after releasing his hitsingle ‘Rat a cut bottle’,
Lion Youth came with his debut LP, ‘Love comes and goes’. It contains
the follow up single and dancefloor raver ‘Chant ina dance’. From the first
tones, this album rocks you off your socks, so throw aside the chairs and
table, turn up the volume and dance across the room, sweeeeet reggae…

tracks;

1 Love comes and goes
2 I want a girl
3 What would you do ?
4 Señorita
5 Easy skanking
6 Frustration
7 Natty bring the cochi
8 Chant ina dance
9 Its ashame
10 Decelia