New from VP- Gregory collection /Sugar collection @ EB's

[j j]

Check em out at EB's both are double CD sets which also includes a DVD
Gregory Isaacs - Live @ the Brixton Acadamy 1984
Sugar Minott - Live In Japan 1986

If anybody's got them, are any of the tunes extended (ie, 12" mixes)??

thanx

[jp]

Was curious about these as well....just saw them last night. Wondering about the quality of the DVD's and how long they are too.

[clecom]

if the live at academy video is the same as the lp set , it is decent.

[rokkimake]

On You Tube there are some clips of those DVD's and Sugar's set looks just great. Gregory's set looks decent but his moves are excellent.
Track listing seems to be also quite good, though probably most of us already have those tunes.

Yes, I did place mi order. There is also a new Studio One CD on Soul Jazz at EB's.

[YMS]

I was tempted but unfortunately VP seem to do a pretty good job of ruining the sound quality on releases. Can anyone comment on the SM set?

[rokkimake]

For some time I have been listening and watching these sets and I'd like to share my views on them.

Playing times of Gregory's CD's are over 75 minutes and the DVD is about an hour long. On one audio track there are distorted vocals. Not as bad as on Ballistic Affair on my copy of Channel One Story vol.1.
I tried to compare audio quality to other CD versions, but the problem is that you soon forget to analyze and start to listen the music. I have several VP CD's and the company might have some sort quality problem in their analog to digital transfer process.
The Brixton Concert DVD is technically poor quality. Hazy picture and muddy sound mixing but altogether there are quite good vibes around and one begins to like it more and more and forget technical issues.
The leaflet is kinda B&F style.

Sugar's set is somewhat shorter, CD's are over 60 minutes and the DVD is only 22 mins long. Technically the DVD is ok, the band is great and Sugar Minott is such an energetic performer.
Especially I like the versatile track selection of Sugar's CD's, there is a balanced set of lovers, roots and dancehall.

The both sets are not all essential but well worth money.
I was thinking both artist were so prolific that one could easily compile a great 5-8CD box with extended and DJ cuts, something like the Shanachie box of Augustus Pablo.

[j j]

Thanks for the indepth review rokkimake. Can you tell me - are there any extended tracks? & yeah i agree, what a fantastic experience it would be - having an 8 CD box set of these artists!

j j

[rokkimake]

There is only one extended track on Gregory's set, namely, Mr. Cop, on which there is slight distortion on vocals.
The Minott set has not extended tracks.

On Trojan there is a Gregory Isaacs double CD 'Cool Ruler' which contains some 12" mixes and sound quality is better than VP's.
On Moll-Selecta there is also a Sugar Minott double CD named 'The Roots Lover' on which all the tracks are extended ones.