I am stuck in reggae's past, and here's why...

[Matthew]

Glad to see people sharing their stories.
Some great insight for sure.

[stepping razor]

Its like when they remastered the jazz Blue Note Label LPs, not only that, but stuck them on CD.

Peace

[picaraza]

@Leggo.

Can't agree with you entirely. There is a lot of crap I listened to in the 1980s that I am frankly embarassed to admit to now. And frankly, I feel sad for my friends/coevals who actually get sentimental for that garbage. 80s retro golden oldies and the rest.

The older I get the more I can recognize how the production values of each generation really date and undermine the value of what might of have otherwise been pretty good music.

That said, I did not grow up listening to roots reggae. I came to it through reggaefied punk and ska. But my first real (genuine) love was Black Uhuru.

When I was younger I loved Sly and Robbie. But now I look on the "robotic" sound that they introduced as a huge mistake. I don't really care for much reggae recorded after 1979 or so TBH. And I don't think this has to do with yearning for the music of my youth. [I still listen to Black Uhuru every once in a while, though not "Anthem" or "Chill Out"-- can't stand either record]

Roots reggae has its own aesthetic and is much more to my tastes than what came subsequent to it. It sounds much more human and soulful. The same goes for 60s soul-- I am too young to know this stuff from my childhood or teen years.

Some years ago I started listening to a lot of "live music"-- not just concert recordings, but recordings made in the 1920-60s when that is how records were made. You got a band and some singers in a room and recorded what happened. So what if "mistakes" were made? Something magical can be captured when you have a group of human beings playing together... I think that is what's missing from a lot of contemporary music.

[Jah Glu]

Hmm...maybe you are right with some people but to make it a theory about everyone i dont think so. But i believe when you say that it is how you feel. I dont really has anything to contribue since i am "turning a man" right now...but leggo, plz name some of the late 80's music works that you like.

[leggo rocker]

@ Oras My parents had maybe 3 or 400 LPs. And hundreds of hours of music on cheap reel to reel. Not bad for working class low income family living on a council estate (housing project). Maybe they were just dedicated but I remember loads of their friends had big collections.

OK, so many people now have thousands of hours of music on their HDs, but are they really listening to it all?

Vinyl is not my crusade, it's my natural preference. I would rather have music in any form than no music, but my ears would prefer I have vinyl.

@ picaraza

I agree about 'live' recordings. This multi-track layering has little or no spontaneity about it, unlike live studio sound of the early years. Luckily, due to economic restraints, this practice remained prevalent in Jamaica long enough for them to produce tons of the most superb music.

@ Jah Glu

You are right, it is only a theory and one that obviously doesn't hold true with all of us on here. Maybe this theory only works if that music you were exposed to in your formative years was actually any good! But I've noticed that my grown up daughter has an ear for the music I played to her when she was very young. David Bowie, Blues and of course, reggae!

Music Works selection:

Rumours: Gregory Isaacs. Killa!

Telephone Love: JC Lodge. Great!

Operator: JC Lodge. Superb!

Mind Yu Dis: Gregory Isaacs. Total badness and my message to the upstart rudes on the streets here in my town.

Love me Baby: JC Lodge and Tiger. Awesome hard edged tune, brilliant synergy between JC and Tiger.

Hardcore Loving: JC Lodge and Tiger. Once again - brilliant synergy between JC and Tiger.

Don't Test Me (etc): Deborahe Glasgow and Shabba.

All to be found on Greensleeves disco 45s. And maybe they were also released on Gussie's own Music Works label - I dunno.

And I am also a *huge* fan of Kotch and the track 'Clock' has to rank as one of my all-time reggae tunes. And yet it is digital!

[Tribulation]

Hi everybody.Ive been checking this website for a long time,but this is my very first message..
You are exposing a very interesting point,though i dont completely agree.
Like yourself im a die hard fan of the classic roots sound,specially the steppers/rockers style.I cant make it past 82 or 83...For one,the advent of electronics in reggae completely changed the whole vibe,and along with that also came a change in the lyrics,which lost its "righteousness" edge...for me that's it,and well,im not bothered about any reggae music made after 82,after all theres literally hundreds of true rasta tunes made in the height of the roots era,no matter how much you've listened to,there's always room for research.
Ive always been very demanding regarding the standards of music i listen to,and roots is no exception.For me reggae its always been a 7" or 12" affaire,most albums are quite dissapointing imo as a whole, apart from a few exceptions (Africa must be free comes to mind)...Anyway,i guess my reason for liking the old stuff is because sonicwise its closer to some of the things ive always liked (rock/pop/punk etc..),in the sense that is deep,meaningful,raw,hypnotic and quite melancholic in a way..
And all those recordings from the 70s have some kind of specific vintage qualities that are not present in the digital era,its the sort of music i can imagine myself listening to when i become and old man,unlike the electronic stuff...
Well,actually the exception would be Rhythm & Sound,but i guess its because their music is heavily influenced by the classics..

[leggo rocker]

Like I said, this thread isn't about Digital versus Analogue. It's about a theory that music going into our often passive ears while we are growing is somehow taking seed in us and may sprout much later into a personal liking for that sound, or similar sounds.

Analogue Vs Digital can be discussed here:

http://www.roots-archives.com/forum/read.php?2,49711

PLEASE!

[Tribulation]

Ok man,don't bite my head off.

[stepping razor]

I found reggae very soft after 1983, with the rub a dub and the uk wanted something rougher, than lovers rock and rub a dub and early dancehall.
So when the drum machine started to get used in reggae in 1985 in the uk, there was a new form of roots reggae that still kept its roots, but using the new beat boxes and akeyboard and some of the best roots digital tunes came out 85-89. Then it started going wrong again just like on the same terms with hip hop getting all gangstar rap ang ja gangstar hoods.In the 90`s you still had roots tunes made by bands, who would record like a band.
A lot of things go wrong when you try and recreate a past scene of music.Uness you were there at the time and what equipment you use like the Roland Space Echo which is a collecters item.
As for: Its strickly vynil.
As for:Its strickly turntables.
As for;Musicans strickly roots.

Peace

[Jonti]

Stepping Razor, what do you think of this: http://www.jahtari.org/music/WERKCD004.htm ?