Roots Archives Forum

I rest my case..

Roots,
Jah Chicken

"Author : jackie gorden
Date : April 17, 2007 10:08PM

70 stuff = rubbish

80's stuff = irie"


I wonder how much time JG has actually spent listening to 70s reggae?

I have a collection that you could pretty much split down the middle (numerically) with 1980 being the middle.

And stuff from BOTH halves (decades) can rock off my socks everytime, and probably would for anyone who loves the downbeat reggae vibe.

I can easy switch from Clement Irie, Caress me Down (inna ragga digi dancehall stylee) to Revolutionaries, Doberman Skank (78 HEAVY dub), and love them both.

So I guess my message to all who have taken 'sides' here is to listen again to the side you feel you don't like - it may hold many surprises for you.

After all the stands I've taken for vinyl I hesitate to even write this post. Hopefully It'll all make sense by the time I'm done.

I've been running a "test" for a couple weeks and it's proven interesting. Give this a try if you're so inclined. It does require using digitised music instead of vinyl...

I put together a playlist of all my Reggae and Ska and have been shuffle-playing it. That's it. This controversial thing I hesitate to write about. But here's the deal--my collection runs from the mid-'60s through about '85. Then there's a hole until the early '90s where I started buying new stuff again. I've kept up into the present. So while I've been reading the thread and composing this post I've heard:

Desmond Dekker ('60s Ska from JA)
The Specials ('70s Ska from UK)
Audio Active ('90s Reggae from JP)
Rico ('70s Reggae from JA)
Judy Mowatt ('80s Reggae from JA, playing now)

Looking ahead on the list I see coming up:

Bob Marley ('60s Reggae from JA)
Max Edwards ('80s Reggae from JA)
Sly and Robbie ('80s Reggae from JA)
Jimmy Cliff ('70s Reggae from JA)
Steel Pulse ('70s Reggae from UK)

Okay, here comes my point (finally): Each track has led into the following track independently of when or where it was recorded, and it has all sounded great!

Try something like this if you want to prove to yourself just how great Reggae and Ska music from all decades and locales can sound. It's better if you don't peek ahead to see what's coming next.

Good suggestion James.

And for those who don't want to go through the hassle of preparing the trascks and playlists, just go to my reggae radio station and tune in for ska rocksteady and reggae of all manner of vintage.

You may surprise yourself how easy it is to slip from 1974 into 1984 and back to 1964 and still find yourself loving every minute of it.

Great idea! Now why didn't I think of that?