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vinylcd -reggae / dancehall / dub-date

# 1

Super tuff reggae soul tunes on limited edition 45. London's Booma Rockers deliver the heavy heavy sound on "Soul Food," with Ghanaian saxophonist and vocalist Teddy Osei and some of the meanest breaks we've heard around these parts in awhile. Flipside features "Booma Rock" with its bouncing reggae funk vibe and vocals courtesy of Jean Manix. Both were originally released on Rude Boy Records back in the early 70's, and have remained out of print till now. Only 1000 copies pressed, with free download card included!

  • music label: Soundway
reviewed by Extravagant Traveler 04/2012
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# 2

Bastard Boots keeps the goodness coming with an entry from Greece's Mishkin (of GAMM / Raw Fusion's Palov and Mishkin). Light one up for the beats version of Linval Thompson's "Free Marijuana" backed with a "Livin Trouble," a party-breaks style track featuring snippets of various party igniters. No brainer really, recommended.

  • Music Label BSTRD Boots 2010
reviewed by the mgmnt 06/2010
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# 3
  • afro-carribean steel pan disco + dub for the first time on LP
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If you caught Honest Jon's repress of Steel An' Skin's 1979 steel pan disco jam "Afro Punk Reggae Dub(1)," then you already know the calibre of awesomeness we are dealing with here. The 12" is hard to come by now, but is still a favorite in DJ bags across the world. Here EM Records Japan gives you another chance to catch the track, plus a handful of other afro-carribean disco and dub joints from the 70's compiled for the first time on vinyl! Basque in the soul reggae disco goodness of tracks from Steel An' Skin's 1984 album Black Rain, which features ex-members of the legendary 20th Century Steel Band. Pressed on thick vinyl, with full pic sleeve and insert in English and Japanese. Recommended.

  • music label: Em
reviewed by Extravagant Traveler 01/2012
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# 4

Classic dub material compiled legendary UK selector David Rodigan on BBE! David Rodigan's Dubwize Shower acts as a primer on Jamaican dub music with a top notch selection of tracks from pioneering producers like King Tubby, Lee Perry, Errol T. Thompson, and Sylvan Morris. From BBE: "Dub music originated in the studios of Kingston, Jamaica in the early 1970s as recording engineers began experimenting with analogue tapes using personally customised delay, echo and reverb effects. It was, in effect, the next step on from a straight instrumental recording or version. The idea of breaking down the elements in a traditional recording and choosing to hi-light vocals and various instruments in an echo chamber had a major impact on dancers in the Jamaican lawns, where the enormous sound systems would play." In addition to the classic dubs, there are also some newer cuts included from Albarosie and Da Grynch. Best experienced loud and on a proper sound system. Recommended.

  • music labe: BBE 2011
reviewed by: Natty Professor 07/2011
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# 5

This track features Lee Perry at one his finest moments behind the microphone, chatting over a dub of Junior Byles' classic "Curly Locks" (his own production of course). He's basically doing the Capleton thing about 20 years early, shouting "Fire! Fire! Fire! Blood fe de Babylon... Fire fe de Vatican!" It might sound like aimless screaming to some, but mixed in with the original, this is the kind of shit that gets big knocks on walls from me. I think he may actually be calling out another artist on here as well, ending the song telling him to "stop wearing bell pants and a whole lot of soul comb in your hair, y'all just a soul phony." B-side contains a dub with Scratch whispering chants to the riddim throughout.

  • music label: Black Art
reviewed by the mgmnt 10/2005
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# 6

Rock solid roots-of-dancehall classic. This early '80s DJ cut from pupa Toyan on the Worries In The Dance riddim falls under the "essential" category for any self-respecting reggae head, and "damn good" for anybody else. Perfecto Guidance repress and just cuz the gods love you, the flip side has a sick Junjo dub of Johnny Osbourne's "Give A Little Love."

  • music label: Jah Guidance / 1982
reviewed by monk 09/2077
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# 7

Deluxe 7" pressing of this Lee Perry gem. I gotta guess that's Pablo on melodica here, but really why we picked this up is for the killer dub version on the flip. If you like that heavy-handed, tinkerer dub, this tricked out pony is for you.

  • music label: Pressure Sounds
reviewed by the mgmnt 09/2011
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# 8

"Chi Chi Bud", which refers to hustlers, was a big oldies tune, but this late sixties version from Max Romeo might be tops. You might also recognize this from the Chi Chi Bud Riddim revival from a couple years back. Version on the flip.

  • music label: Impact!
reviewed by the mgmnt 09/2011
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# 9

Early dancehall classic from Lone Ranger back on Greensleeves 45. This track was recently featured on Diplo's Riddimentary mix and features a TOUGH, TOUGH riddim produced by Clive Jarrett topped with Lone Ranger's signature deejay style ("Right!"). Flipside features the smokers anthem "Legalize The National Herb." Smoke ganja, make you live longah...

  • music label: Greensleeves
reviewed by snackmaster 08/2011
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# 10

"This is sound a'the Ruler, all dem a sound they a followa"... Yeah, you have your Night Nurses, Rumours, and Substitute Lovers, but this is my personal favorite Gregory Isaacs track. That time stamped, early 80s King Tubby track is perfectly understated for Isaac's unique inflections and soundboy callings... emphatically COOL. Recommended.

  • music label: Waterhouse
reviewed by the mgmnt 06/2011
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# 11

These Jah Guidance reissues are just straight quality, clean and loud pressings of the best that Junjo Lawes' early 80s label had to offer complete with the Scientist dubs on the b-side. This one features Barrington Levy's feelgood "Fuss Nor Fight" aka "Sweet Reggae Music," an early hit for him over a signature Roots Radics riddim. The sound quality thing really comes into play on this one too because the Jah Guidance style of mixing at the time (approx 1979) was to leave the Roots Radics sounding full, heavy and layered. Horns are popping in, there's that little bubbling organ underneath, clicking percussion things, and Flabba Holt's big bass anchoring it all. Best to hear that in total.

  • music label: Jah Guidance / 1979
reviewed by the mgmnt 05/2006
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# 12

Once you've gotten past the standard dormroom weed reggae tunes ("Legalize It," "Under Mi Sensi"), there are a few ganja killers that deserve special mention.  Michael Palmer's "Don't Smoke the Seed" is one of them, a 1983 Roots Radics affair that imparts true wisdom:  if you smoke the seed, you're going to kill the breed!  (besides, that shit'll spark up and pop in your eye)  Vincent Marsh's difficult to find track "Jack Up" is on the flip, a welcome repress of an almost forgotten early '80s dancehall favorite.  Dubs for both included on this loud and clean pressing. 

  • music label: Channel One
reviewed by monk 02/2009


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# 13

Prime mid-seventies Jackie Mittoo on Clocktower. This 10" features three of his signature cuts: the rasta anthem "Drum Song," the groover "Super Charge" (love the shimmering chords during the chorus), and feelgood dub "North Of The Sun." Engineered by Prince Jammy, backed by Sly & Robbie. Recommended. 

  • music label: Clocktower
reviewed by the mgmnt 02/2010


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# 14

"Black Cinderella" is the tune of Errol Dunkley's career (and he's got a heap if you go looking), a melancholy number that's been versioned a hundred times, but never sounded as good as the mind melter here. It's not the kind of track that's gonna stick on your wall immediately, and not necessarily one for the dance either, but there is something truly timeless and beautiful about the submarine sadness here. The rhythm is like your face on a slow cheese grater while Erroll drives spikes into your ears with his sharp pleading. Ah, pleasure.

  • music label: Studio One
reviewed by the mgmnt 05/2005
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# 15

Return of the Super Ape is another example of the sound that made Lee Perry great. His records just don't sound like anything else. It's all off somewhere on it's own. I don't know much of Return of the Super Ape's history, but this one was also hard as dirt to find until reissue. The first side of this record is amazing, sounds from the Black Ark in the mixup cup of all feelings. The side is always in a flux of chanting, sweet female vocals and straight dubs over heavy rhythm sections and an amazing production style. At this time he had his effects seriously in check with the echo chamber and bass tubes distorting to perfection. The sound effects were still created with stuff like bottles and objects and banging on stuff. Legend says that Perry used to do all kinds of crazy shit to get the feel that he wanted. Like bury master tapes in the garden for a few months. The second side is not as interesting to me but comes through with some wicked Perry voiced tunes laid over a sound very similar to Roast Fish, Collie and Cornbread LP.

  • music label: Upsetter / 1978
reviewed by the mgmnt 08/2005


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# 16

I'm not sure how the "Fever" rhythm progressed over at Lee Perry's Black Ark studio, but this(1) sounds like it could be the original. Susan lays down a stunning vocal over that super bass-heavy toughness that you should already be familiar with from Junior Byles' more famous vocal track and Lee Perry's dj cut. I was always under the assumption that the dub (and subsequent dj versions) came from the Byles version, but the evidence all points over here. It's simply a pounding cut, and in the full discomix (phase into dub) on this fine Trojan pressing. Flipside "Hurt So Good(2)" is more of a straight soul track (also in discomix format), featuring Susan's standout pipes skipping around all happy.

  • music label: Trojan
reviewed by the mgmnt 05/2005
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