Roots Archives Forum

Funky Punk wrote:I've never actually been able to understand the majority of Big Youth's toasting. His accent is really thick and he 'chats' fast.

I just find myself only picking up the odd word here and there and have literally no idea what most of his tracks are even supposed to be about.

Not a criticism. Just an observation.

Fair enough ...maybe a matter of taste. There certainly are faster chanters, I think. I've heard Ranking Joe doing some really wicked stuff with his tongue .

I might not have noticed it because I've listened to BY's material from a long time ago. Would you be able to give an example of track for which his lyrics are hard to understand because of speed?

So which of the djs would you say does not have a thick accent?

Thanks

Wouldn´t like to compare them. Each is unique. Roy as the originator and Youth as a rebel.
For those who aren´t too deep into Big Youth´s music I would reccommend his Dreadlocks Dread / 1975 album. Great riddims, and heavy toasting.

I've always liked the sound of Big Youth's voice, as well as appreciating his obvious influence on Trinity, and Youth's "Progress" album is one of my favourites, but having seen both him and U-Roy live, U-Roy is the man whether with a band or sound system!

davek wrote: Big Youth saw the version side as an open canvas to expound upon any subject he wanted to, and not just to continue the lyrical theme of the "A" side. IMO, he is one of the few JA srtists that can rightly be called "genius".

"Screaming Target" changed people's lives when it came out, and ushered in the possibility of an artist appearing on an LP cover wearing dreadlocks.....even before Bob did. Check your cover of "Screaming Target" (from 1972), where you see Youth with gorgon locks. Big Youth broke the "dreadlock barrier" in reggae, and created a wake that others rode.

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Davek:

I always enjoy your comments and you seem to be one of the more knowledgeable posters here. I remember you saying some time ago also that Big Youth is one of the best on-record performers, as opposed to DJs (such as Briggy) better at live performance.

Could you list a few or handful of specific tracks that illustrate your claim for his genius on record? I don't disagree with you at all, but maybe it's a little hard for me to recognize his genius sometimes because apparently so many other DJs were inspired by him. What I mean is, for example, in my case just by chance I heard Trinity, Dillinger and others before I ever heard Big Youth (I didn't start listening to reggae until the mid-to-late 80's, and what I heard was mostly whatever happened to be in the used bins at my local shops). So when I first heard him he sounded like just another DJ. And, some of his earliest recordings can sound like he's kind of mumbling a lot of 'tell you 'bout the sound as I would say' type stuff, without a whole lot of substantive lyrics, as many other DJs of the time did as well. Of course, on the flip side are tunes like "keep your dread" which show quite a bit of development on the lyrical front.

Anyway, I like Big Youth, but have come to him a bit late. I have the Trojan double CD, Screaming Target and the Blood and Fire 3 CD comp, but haven't really digested them yet. It's a lot to go through. So, if you'd like to point out a few particularly good examples, I'd be interested to listen to them with a new ear. I suspect this kind of thing happens often in many different genres of art. The originator doesn't sound quite as amazing to someone who wasn't there at the time to catch the full effect of the origination.

Flashman -

I think you´re right about it not always being easy to appreciate the pioneers many years later, when others have been inspired to do the same thing.

Anyway, you do have the best Big Youth records right there!
As always, it´s a combination of voice, rhythm, production...
Try the following playlist from "Ride Like Lightning":
CD 1 - 1,2,6,17,23
CD 2 - 1,4,10,11,12,14

flashman wrote: Could you list a few or handful of specific tracks that illustrate your claim for his genius on record? I don't disagree with you at all, but maybe it's a little hard for me to recognize his genius sometimes because apparently so many other

Have you listened to these two
[cover=1186,1366]


Also,check out some singles on the Negusa Nagast label I mentioned in the first post

Funky Punk......yeah agree sometimes you have trouble keeping up with the Youth. I listen almost every night when I go to bed and the best way to get in tune with him is to put on good quality headphones and enjoy what you hear. You will soon be toasting awayin your sleep and you will also understand the deep sense of what he is singing about.

Lately i've been enjoying Big Youths funky "Black on Black".

j j

my favorite Big Youth LPs are Dreadlocks Dread (75) and Natty Cultural Dread (76)

Screaming Target took longer for me to appreciate

blackarkrock wrote:......Try the following playlist from "Ride Like Lightning":
CD 1 - ...6.....

I just cannot get enough of **["Cool Breeze"](http://www.roots-archives.com/release/7 ... light=9463)** on the "Stop That Train" riddim.