Artists that lost it past the golden era....

[Dave K]

Wanna have some "fun"?... Check the Gladiators output past the Nighthawk era. Pioneers: check the stuff they managed to record in 80's and 90's; A disaster. D Brown, Culture, G Isaacs all performed below expectations...

Maybe be past 2010 the ones still alive return with a vengeance!

No one expected Da Vinci to paint the Mona Lisa every time he picked up a paintbrush. Why do expect the musical equivalent from reggae artists?

There are not many musical artists that flourish creatively for more than a few years, in any musical genre. Your expectations may be unrealistic....if something is truly "special", how can it be recreated day in and day out? Simple, it can't be.

Are you serious about Midnite (I didn't see a smiley face)?

[Litelet]

Prince Alla has kept a high standard through the years, with a low in the 80s but oherwise great great voice. Of course riddims are less of my taste, but his voice and vocals is definitely great...

Same for Johnny Osbourne... Max Romeo...

The Gladiators did some interesting stuff in the 80s. Their "Live in US EP" is not too bad with a heavy bass.

But I guess that the faith of a new world deal, the hope of a real change in jamaica, musical possibilities with world demand in reggae, a potential repatriation and a dream of worldwide truth and rights through rasta culture (and the importance of Marley) was a good upliftment for every rasta singer in the 70's and 80's and that probably explain why they sound more "real", invested and deep in that era... Of course studios and players of instruments have probably a strong role too...

Anyway, I was not there to see...

Guidance

[kalcidis]

Michael Rose is still releasing material that's nothing less than Crucial in my opinion. His first album for Twilight Music (2005?) is a fantastic album all the way through. For me it ranks with many of the roots classics.

[jb welda]

michael rose has improved since the uhuru days.

i actually like bunny wailers gumption album.

midnite are a boring jam band disguised as something special. they consistently put me to sleep within about a half hour despite many attempts otherwise.

while its true about gregory isaacs he always seems to come through the dreck.

i would say the real losers are the aswad/steel pulse/jimmy cliff sort of artists. havent done anything much decent in 30 years.

oh and lee perry...how can one discuss "losing it" without a mention of scratch?

one love
jah bill

[Inyaki]

"Artists that lost it past the golden era...."

Depending on your definition of "golden". If you mean 60's, 70's and early 80's.... then all of them, no exception.

Or we can put it this way:
Artists that improved after the golden era?

Just read what I wrote and...needs some rephrasing!

Many artists kept releasing good music post- mid 80s: Dennis Brown and Gregory Isaacs ( sometimes), Prince Lincoln, Earl Sixteen, Cocoa Tea, Frankie Paul, certainly Michael Rose, Mighty Diamonds, Horace Andy, etc....many UK singers too.
But the level of consistency ( the average of good stuff compared to the mediocre releases )doesn't compare to their "golden" periods (especially the artists that started their careers in the 60s or 70s)
Exceptions?...well Michael Rose has been mentioned, Beres Hammond too ( was talking to some fellow musicians ), George Nooks, Glen washington (not very prolific as a singer before 86, or maybe I'm not aware of his career)....who else?
Still, not clear cases IMO.

( and then you have the case of The Abyssinians who don't really release music and therefore they never dissapoint! But keep touring and singing beautifully)

[ACEtone]

for me it's really down to the riddims.
Most of the singers seem to have kept their voices in good shape but the musical styles have 'evolved' as someone said.
The same situation seems to exist for most genres.
art -> craft -> mass production -> units -> $$$ = 0

Also everyone(!) wants to be a star and is not willing to put the work in building a riddim either by collaboration or studio slog.
I try.
Can't link. Not allowed. Bah.

[stepping razor]

Not everyone wants to be a starlite. Until people start making decent rhythms the singers ain`t going nowhere just getting paid for singing over rubbish boring riddims. The singers don`t care they`re getting paid. Too much money pumped in these days. Where`s the poor mans music!! It seems everyone is everyones promoter these days.

peace