Roots Archives Forum

Wow, thanks for all the answers everyone! Didn't really think I would receive so many.

@vlad
It's beyond Mykal's voice only, there's some real magic going on with those three albums I mentioned before. Everything is in its right place, every bit of sound work in perfect harmony with the other bits of sound. There's a heavy dub influence (I might be talking nonsense, again, I'm a reggae newbie), yet, dub is not my favorite thing in the world. The amount of dub is just right. I REALLY CAN'T EXPLAIN.

I agree these Island Uhuru albums are more then M Rose voice.

Fact is Island PRODUCED reggae to appeal to a rock/mass audience, with Marley, with Ijahman (that didn't work), Heptones (that didn't work), Isaacs (that almost worked), and also with Uhuru (kind of worked). Without going into the session details, I'm quite certain these albums were mixed/overdubbed in a way that gave them an edge. These albums were CONCEPTS. This also includes the album artwork treatment from the great Tony Wright: well crafted, special.

In addition, Sly & Robbie and the Uhuru gang were really bonding from a creative point of view, generating a special & coherent vibe.

Also, try this one:

http://www.roots-archives.com/release/104

Good one, vlad.
Sorry, rhuand, if these are already known to you, but if you don't, you should also check out:
http://www.roots-archives.com/release/1566
otherwise available on the first half of this:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Time-Warp-Dub-C ... +dub+clash
and:
http://www.roots-archives.com/release/24

Yes rhuand - the Liberation Island anthology has some alternate mixes of the Mykal Rose era

from ‘81, in a parallel universe

Psychotic Jonkanoo by
Creation Rebel

http://www.roots-archives.com/release/1659

The first, self-titled, album of INI KAMOZE: it doesn't have the magic of Uhuru's vocal harmonies, but is an equally strong blend of Sly & Robbie's , slightly dubbin' away, roots/rockers sound with a rock/pop edge (and as such could be seen in the same Island recs concept that was intended to bring 'conscious' black music to a white audience, although it's still more 'Jamaican' than Uhuru's 'international' reggae sound): http://www.roots-archives.com/release/755
The pace is slower than most typical Uhuru riddims, but as far as I'm concerned, it's the strongest Sly & Robbie produced album after their cassic Uhuru work (that is, from 'Showcase' tot 'Chill out').

I agree that the early Ini Kamoze stuff is fantastic. But I don't know if it's really comparable with (or to?) these early Uhuru albums. I love the Ini Kamoze album, but I also love the LPs Anthem (Original Mix), Brutal and Positive way more than the early Uhuru/Rose stuff.

I guess I'm just not into that "militant rockers" style. But of course I ain't gonna criticize the old albums, since so many people love em. There must be something to it that I just don't "feel" or something like that.

Well, the fact is that Black Uhuru had a unique sound, so it's just quite hard to find something similar...
Bus, as for similarities: Ini's debut equally offers solid Taxi riddims with a militant rockers vibe, creative mixing by Paul Groucho Smykle, and simply great vocals that give a warm melodic counterpart to the riddim twins' rough&tough musical approach. And, unlike many other Taxi recordings, producing established artists like Gregory Isaacs or Dennis Brown, this music is an entire Sly & Robbie creation (just like Black Uhuru was).