Is this album worth getting? "Heart of the Congos"

[I-Lion Tafari]

Whoa, yes, Turn And Fire is crucial!! Love it!!

[matty]

I agree ^^^^^^

[Dubs_West]

Brethren thanks for the response,i am definitely getting this album.I have ordered the original recording remastered on the blood and fire label.The only problem is that i have to wait for it to arrive from the states wich could take two weeks.What is "Trenchtown mix up" like and what about Maxfield Avenue Breakdown :Channel One Dubs & Instumentals 1974-1979.Are these albums worth getting?


Respect and guidance

Rasta.

[Sleng teng]

Trenchtown Mix Up, if you talk about the Gladiators' Lp as I assume, is one of the very best roots albums of all time. Do notr hesitate !!!
Maxfield Ave Breakdown contains some solid dubs and versions from Channel One, with a whole lot of classic riddims.

[Nefta]

The Gladiators Trenchtown Mix Up is a must in every collection

[leggo rocker]

Trenchtown Mix Up is a great album -- until you play it next to Heart of the Congos, when suddenly it sounds average...

[I-Lion Tafari]

Ya man
T-Town Mix Up is another timeless, excellent album.
If you go on like this, you`ll have a very rootsy collection!!

[Well Charge]

"Maxfield Avenue" is channel one dub. Which means a nice, crisp sound and good, solid riddims, but no dub extravaganza like King Tubby's (they mixed their own dubs) It can sound a bit same-ish after a while, without vocals.

[Ras Patat]

Don't just get this LP -- but why not also make it your life's mission to track down all those various versions and mixes?

phewwww, i'd skip the countless Fisherman do-overs on B&F 7"s from last year, but would definately invest $200+ for that speedy intro of Congoman alone on # LP 4049
the dub on Upsetters(clouds) 7" the next step ...

[Version Control]

Is there really such a difference between the various mixes of this album? From what I've heard the only difference is in the JA version there are no cow noises and on the international version there are?
I personally have only heard the Blood & Fire release.

No, there isn't much difference between the mixes, except for the first JA pressing that, as you say, was released before Scratch added all the sound effects.

What I referred to earlier was the track lengths varying, as prior to Blood & Fire putting it on CD nobody had found a way of cramming nearly 60 mins onto an LP. That I know from my own copies. And there was a thread on B&Fs own site a few months ago complaining that the latest vinyl pressing (V&P?) had attempted to solve the problem by speeding up the whole thing instead of cutting off the endings!

So if you already have the B&F version then it's probably not worth seeking out others. You're not missing much - an intro to Fisherman that is consistent instead of switching from channel to channel, an abrupt end to Children Crying instead of the fade out, an alternative dub to Ark Of The Covenant and (if I remember) The Wrong Thing switching from Vocal to Dub in a different place.

All in all, hardly worth shelling out £50 or $250 or whatever! But if you want different mixes a bit cheaper, try the B&F Heavyweight Sampler 2 for La La Bam Bam and Wrong Thing, and Megaton Dub 2 for the full version of Fisherman Dub.

VC