what albums do you recommend

[Gee]

Hello everyone,

I am new to the site and found where a lot of members stated their top 10 choices. I'm curious what a lot of you would recommned to add to a growing collection? I like all genres of Jamaican music. All killer and no filler. Always curious about what I don't know!
Thanks

[nya]

STUDIO ONE ROOTS VOLUME ONE - SOUL JAZZ
LONE RANGER- BARNABAS IN COLLINSWOOD
BIG YOUTH - SCREAMING TARGET
SCOTTY - DRAW YOUR BRAKES
JACOB MILLER - TENAMENT YARD
DIGNITARY STYLISH - JAH SEND MI COME
LITTLE ROY AND FRIENDS - PACKIN HOUSE
THE MYSTIC REVELATION OF RASTAFARI - GROUNATION

all killer no filler

[Jah Glu]

Well dubwise i would recommend not King Tubby Meets The Rockers Uptown (Seriously) but these scientist albums but Scientist Rids The World Of The Evil Curse Of The Vampires, Big Showdown (Scientist & Prince Jammy), Heavyweight Dub Champion and Prince Jammy's Kamikazi Dub. With the older dub i would recommend these King Tubby albums: Dub Gone Crazy, Dub Forever (The 2 albums Crucial Dub & Dub Fever in one box set) but i think that the two best dub albums ever is Trojan Dub Massive Chapter 1&2. These are in my opinion the best dub "songs" (what else should you call it?) made even better! Bill Laswell has made some effects and just tinkered with the sound but in a good way. Normally i would despise this kind of album but this is just fantastic i mean it's like you step into a new world when you're hearing it. That's dub.

Rocksteady: Alton Ellis is the big man here and i have yet to get one of his albums although i heave heard his Rocksteady songs on compilations. They're awesome! Girl I've Got A Date, Rock Steady<---(so cool) and of course I'm Still In Love With You. However On The Beach with The Paragons is also great with tracks like On The Beach, Wear You To The Ball, Happy Go Lucky Girl and so on. But who could forget U-Roy! I have a collection called Wake The Town U Roy http://www.bigupradio.com/albumDetail.jsp?aid=3781 <---thats the cover but the tracklist isn't from that album. Looks like it's a bad cd if you look at the cover "art" but its really just U-Roys best toasting over classic Rocksteady riddims including alot of The Paragons and Alton Ellis and so on (Which is awesome!). There are also Dennis Alcapone's slightly inferior album but still classic Forever Version which rides some other riddims than the U-Roy album but has one or two in common i think and it's really really got an heavy bass, Seriously! But thats the record company "fault" although i love it! BASS!.


Roots Reggae: I cant really describe that because there are so much! But i'll give it a try. I think some of the best roots albums is, well i would recommend you buy some collections with Johnny Clarke (He is massive really!) and Horace Andy (that voice!) and Heart Of The Congos by The Congos (It's so deep and heavy, really one of the best albums Lee 'Scratch' Perry ever produced. But another good roots album 'Scratch' produced was War Ina Babylon by Max Romeo (Its not just the title track but Chase The Devil and Uptown Babies Don't Cry is also very fine). I can't think of anyone else but i'm 100% sure there is alot more.


I dont even wanna get in to dancehall since i dont know enough about to tell you but Trojan Ragga Boxset is filled with alot of not so known quality ragga/dancehall songs. I dont really know either about Nu-Roots.


Actually i dont know that much about the albums of ska but the album Foundation Ska by the almighty Skatalites is very fine. Also here id would be a good idea to get Trojan Ska Boxset. Trojan Dub Boxset volume 1 and 2.

[Sergio619]

Horace Andy - Confusion

[IrieMystic]

HUGH MUNDELL nuff said

[James]

I'll throw some Ska into the mix here.

Agree with Jah Glu that the Skatalites collection Foundation Ska is crucial. These days, it's hard to find the original albums, so collections are a good way to go. Because of that it may be easier just to list some musicians:

Desmond Dekker
Rico Rodriguez
The Rulers
Roland Alphonso
Baba Brooks
Justin Hines
Delroy Wilson
The Gaylads
The Flames
Sir Lord Comic

and that's just a few from JA in the '60s and early '70s

From the late '70s and early '80s in the UK:

The Bodysnatchers
Bad Manners
The Beat
The Selecter
The Specials

From the '90s and 2000s in Japan:

Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra
Kemuri
The Silver Sonics
Ore Ska Band
The Dreamlets

That's more than ten, but there's so much good music, it's easy to get carried away.

[Rob]

A mix of UK and JA Harmonies:

Reggae Regulars - Ghetto Rock
Cimarons - On The Rock
Matumbi - Seven Seals
Cultural Roots - Drift Away From Evil
Viceroys - Brethren and Sistren
Meditations - Guidance
Gladiators - Babylon Street
Natural Vibes - Life Hard A Yard

[collu]

Heres a few imop you cant go wrong with:

The Meditations - I Love Jah
Love Joys - Reggae Vibes
Bim Sherman - Across The Red Sea
Coco Tea - Holy Mount Zion
King Kong - Rumble Jumble Life
Rythym & Sound - The Artists and Versions
Dillinger - Dub Organizer
Dennis Brown - Stage Coach
Luciano - Messenger
Garnet Silk -Its Growing

Fisherman Riddim
Queen Majesty Riddim
Ali Baba Riddim

[arize_rootsman]

wailing souls - reggae inna firehouse
half pint - one in a million
halif pint - victory
don carlos - natty dread have crednetials
viceroys - we must unite
earth and stone - kool roots
pablo gad - hard times
aswad - not satisfied
steel pulse - tribute to the martyrs
cultural roots - drift away from evil
black slate - amigo, best of


and ull love (oots rock reggae)

some of these albums redefine the meaning of "roots"

[Nix]

Susan Cadogan - Hurt So Good ( best female voice in Reggae, IMHO)
Aura Meets Lee Perry At the Black Ark - Full Experience
Jacob Miller - Who say Jah no Dread ( Vocals and legendary dubs)
Don Carlos - Raving Tonight or anything by him
Dezarie - Gracious Mama Africa
Keith Hudson - Pick A Dub (1974-75) (Blood & Fire reissue 1994)
Groundation - Hebron Gate ft. Don Carlos & the Congos (not Jamaican but great roots with a jazz flavour)