Reggae fans?

hochpt21

I've always enjoyed the occasional reggae music on vacation or at a bar, and of course own some Marley that I chill to sometimes. However, on black friday I picked up a repress of The Upsetters...Super Ape lp, on a whim and really dig it.

Then at my local spin shack I picked up a Bunny Wailer...Blackheart Man cd that I am jamming to right now.

I think maybe I've passed reggae off as a novelty genre, but perhaps I've really been missing out.

Any suggestions on some quality reggae for me to check out??

leftwinger57

Ras Michaels, Toots and the Maytals, Peter Tosh, older Jimmy Cliff stuff and the Mighty Diamonds comes to mind.Some of this is very hard core and some more mainstream like Jimmy Cliff.This was so huge in the mid to late 70's that of course Clapton and The Stones either played it or had them on tour.I saw a Peter Tosh show at Kaiser Aud. in Oakland and Ron Wood came up and jammed most of the show.

dromunds

I have a real big reggae collection, almost exclusively vinyl. I was lucky, I was doing record reviews for underground newspapers and record companies for advance promo material they'd send out to radio stations. I was sent Burnin by the Wailers as my intro in reggae, which is also a primo album. A few years later, Island Records sent me four front row center tickets to a Marley show in May, 1978. Got to see Peter Tosh around that same time. There's some great stuff out there and most of it can be purchased very reasonably. Blackheart Man is a really good album, but check out Bunny Wailer's Protest and Bunny Wailer Sings The Wailers. As far as Marley, I'm a big fan of his last few albums before he died, Uprising, Confrontation and Survival. Leftwinger is correct, early Jimmy Cliff is also real good, especially Give Thanks from 1978. (The best reggae was in the 70's, but I've heard Cliff's newest album is also fantastic, with One More) Here's a few more all-time faves that come to mind at the moment:

U-Roy - Dread In A Babylon
U-Roy - Natty Rebel
Burning Spear - Garvey's Ghost (dub version of Marcus Garvey, its one of the all-time best reggae albums)
Linton Kwesi Johnson - Forces of Victory
Max Romeo - Open Up The Iron Gate (Anthology of Reggae Collectors Series Vol. 5)
Best of Inner Circle (with Jacob Miller) (Make sure it has Tired Fe Lick Weed In A Bush)
Gregory Issacs - Ultimate Collection (with Night Nurse, The Border, My Number One)
Dennis Brown - Various (One of Marley's favorite singers)
UB40- Labour of Love
The Harder They Come Original Soundtrack
Peter Tosh - Various

hochpt21

Thanks for that Don...that's exactly what I was looking for.

Looks like I have my work cut out for me.

Right now listening to the Upsetters Album I just got. Pretty good stuff.

hochpt21

Thanks Lew..I'll check out some 70's...seems like that'd be a good place to start.

j1mmy

Most recent listen was Stephen Marley. Enjoyed it.

voltz

I picked up bob Marley's "Legend" on both Vinyl and Blu-ray audio and the both sound awesome and I'm starting to fall in love with blu-ray audio but I think I need to try some other reggae also and see what I been missing. Thanks for the advice.

dromunds

Marley's Legend is good. So is "Songs Of Freedom" box set. Ziggy Marley's "Conscious Party" is also a really good album.

StantonZ

I'm surprised no one mentioned "Steel Pulse". They used to be the kings of reggae! Actually saw them in concert once; it was a non-stop party/jam. Remember the lead singer had hair about 2 feet tall?

voltz

unfortunately I've not heard of them because the only Reggae I have listen to is Marley's "Legend" but is why I'm glad I found this thread and thanks for mentioning them I never knew I would even like Reggae rock like this and Bob just opened my eyes.

I well have to see if I can find some music from them and others!

toucanet

Others to add to the list:
Black Uhuru
Bushman
Lovindeer
Buju Banton
Freddie McGregor
Judy Mowatt
Marcia Griffiths
Jacob Miller
Alton Ellis
Desmond Dekker
Gregory Isaacs
Toots Hibbert
Lucky Dube
Don Carlos
Ken Boothe
Yellowman
Capleton
Roman Stewart

D_M

hochpt21 wrote: »

Thanks Lew..I'll check out some 70's...seems like that'd be a good place to start.

Following dromunds list is probably the best place to start. Which one of your current albums do you like better? I'm trying to get a sense of the tempo that is pleasing to your ear. On Bunny's album, which tracks are your favorite? He has a mix of different tempos on that album. I don't completely agree with Dromunds 70s comment, but that can be debated at another time.

dromunds

Okay, I'll extend my comment to be IMHO the best reggae was in the 70's, and 80's. Mostly early 80's. But the best roots reggae was in the early to late 70's. Hell, Marley and Tosh were dead by the early 80's and coke took over Jamaica.

dromunds

Steel Pulse is a really good band. So is Black Uhuru and the Heptones among many others. Black Uhuru's Chill Out and Sinsemilla, with Sly and Robbie on rhythm is good. The Heptones Night Food is a good album. I have a bunch of Steel Pulse, and Tribute To The Martyrs is good, so is True Democracy. If you want to get into Marley, the most easily likeable stuff is probably Kaya, Exodus, and Rastaman Vibration. The original Wailers stuff is awesome, but more hardcore.

strider

Peter Tosh - Legalize It : great album, title track is played out IMO
Peter Tosh - Wanted Dread and Alive
Bob Marley and the Wailers - I like the early albums, Catch a Fire, Burnin', Kaya (probably my favorite if my feet were to the fire)
Reggae Sunsplash 1981 - Compilation album that has a number of good old school Jamaican acts, good way to get some exposure to a few bands
Black Uhuru - Sinsemilla

Other older reggae I like is Burning Spear, Jimmy Cliff (esp the soundtrack album The Harder They Come), Toots and the Maytalls (True Love is Toots doing duos with newer artists, legend has it that Toots coined the term reggae).

Newer stuff I don't have a lot of exposure to, but I like Damian "Jr. Gong" Marley, Sizzla, Elephant Man among others.

strider

dromunds wrote: »

Black Uhuru's Chill Out and Sinsemilla, with Sly and Robbie on rhythm is good.

Sly and Robbie are THE rhythm section in reggae.

D_M

Dromunds,

Coke gave us one of the best classics, Night Nurse. I don't completely disagree with you. A lot of times I find myself hunting for late 70s to mid 80s albums. There are countless other artist that are producing quality roots. The problem I find with the current artist, is consistency. They'll produce stellar first albums and run out of steam by the third album.

D_M

strider wrote: »

Newer stuff I don't have a lot of exposure to, but I like Damian "Jr. Gong" Marley, Sizzla, Elephant Man among others.

Start him off slow strider, start him slow.

hochpt21

I like this song a lot. Havn't listened to Bunny Wailer enough yet to pick out a favorite.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JaMy-5aZImY

dromunds

Lee "Scratch" Perry was just touring even a few years ago, not sure if he still is, he's pretty old. He produced some real good stuff, but its inconsistent as all hell. His good stuff is great, he was a madman though. D_M, one of my all-time favorite songs is Night Nurse, if you look at my first post its in there, I saw him at the House Of Blues in New Orleans and it was a truly great show, when he played The Border, every single person in there was singing the lyrics, and they meant it. He's certaintly not a Rasta, neither is Jimmy Cliff, both are top-rate no doubt though, not sure about the coke but I wouldn't doubt it. However, coke took reggae in a whole different direction, one not particularly to my liking, with some exceptions.

toucanet

Lol!

d_m wrote: »

start him off slow strider, start him slow.

gumbay13

dromunds wrote: »

I have a real big reggae collection, almost exclusively vinyl. I was lucky, I was doing record reviews for underground newspapers and record companies for advance promo material they'd send out to radio stations. I was sent Burnin by the Wailers as my intro in reggae, which is also a primo album. A few years later, Island Records sent me four front row center tickets to a Marley show in May, 1978. Got to see Peter Tosh around that same time. There's some great stuff out there and most of it can be purchased very reasonably. Blackheart Man is a really good album, but check out Bunny Wailer's Protest and Bunny Wailer Sings The Wailers. As far as Marley, I'm a big fan of his last few albums before he died, Uprising, Confrontation and Survival. Leftwinger is correct, early Jimmy Cliff is also real good, especially Give Thanks from 1978. (The best reggae was in the 70's, but I've heard Cliff's newest album is also fantastic, with One More) Here's a few more all-time faves that come to mind at the moment:

U-Roy - Dread In A Babylon
U-Roy - Natty Rebel
Burning Spear - Garvey's Ghost (dub version of Marcus Garvey, its one of the all-time best reggae albums)
Linton Kwesi Johnson - Forces of Victory
Max Romeo - Open Up The Iron Gate (Anthology of Reggae Collectors Series Vol. 5)
Best of Inner Circle (with Jacob Miller) (Make sure it has Tired Fe Lick Weed In A Bush)
Gregory Issacs - Ultimate Collection (with Night Nurse, The Border, My Number One)
Dennis Brown - Various (One of Marley's favorite singers)
UB40- Labour of Love
The Harder They Come Original Soundtrack
Peter Tosh - Various

Good stuff man!

So true about the 70s reggae and the artists you have listed.

You cannot go wrong with pretty much any Bob Marley cd.
Currently listening to Catch a Fire. Good stuff!

Was lucky to catch a few mini Reggae Sunsplash in the early to mid 90s when I used to live in Atl.

I still have a huge preference for the SKA and Lovers Rock style more so than Dance Hall.

I have a tidy collection of just plain DUB music and still looking for more!

hochpt21

I've been listening to quite a bit on MOG and youtube. I think I prefer a more chilled out style. Not big on lots of horns or fast paced.

I guess kinda looking for smot pokin music...although I havn't poked the smot for quite some time.

gumbay13

hochpt21 wrote: »

I like this song a lot. Havn't listened to Bunny Wailer enough yet to pick out a favorite.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JaMy-5aZImY

Then you will love a lot of the reggae DUB stuff.
Basically a lot more instrumentals than singing.

Do a search on Amazon for Reggae Dub.
I believe they have a couple that you can listen to.

hochpt21

gumbay13 wrote: »

Then you will love a lot of the reggae DUB stuff.
Basically a lot more instrumentals than singing.

Yup.

Thanks for the recommendation.

dromunds

I think you'll like Bunny Wailer Sings The Wailers. Also Inner Circle (with Jacob Miller). Not dub but try Burning Spear Garvey's Ghost for that, doesn't get any better for dub.

vcwatkins

A new discovery for me has been a reggae-jazz guitarist Ernest Ranglin. Creative, skilled picking in front of relaxed rootsy band. Very unique. If you currently listen to jazz, this would make an easy transition to reggae.

Also, you might wanna try King Tubby's druggy dub and Dread Zeppelin for pure fun.

Craig

rromeo923

Alpha Blondy.

I have seen him twice. Both amazing times. Not well known in the states. He is from the Ivory Coast.

[Deleted User]

I was just listening to Dub side of the Moon. Does that count?

voltz

a bump to the top for orange!

Orange

I started out listening to much of the older stuff but, I find myself listening to bands like Slightly Stoopid, Matisyahu, and Stephen Marley mixed with Bob these days.