Roots Archives Forum

Just got this in the Observer CD box. So far I feel a bit ho hum about the album proper, though I like a few of the songs, but mainly it's the extra 5 tracks at the end that are killer. Are these just compiled singles? And if so, why does it seem like most of the best stuff is on singles rather than lps! I'm just now starting to notice that after all these years. Not always the case, of course.

Temptation, Botheration and Tribulation
An African Child
Holy Mount Zion
Through the Fire I Come
Jah Guide

And, I guess at this point things like this shouldn't surprise me at all, but does anyone have an explanation for why 'Jah Guide' appears both on the Niney box from VP, as well as one of their Joe Gibbs 12" comp CDs that came out a little while back? So is Jah Guide a Gibbs or Niney production? Can it be both? Killer tune either way of course. It just occurred to me they could be different versions, but it didn't sound like it on a first listen.

Hi
is it because JA was primarily a singles market and that LPs are an afterthought often singles and fillers.
Also I think niney used to use Joe Gibbs studio as I have seen his name on Gibbs releases in the past, including Dennis Brown's Wolves and Leopards which at one time came out via Joe Gibbs.

Hi
is it because JA was primarily a singles market and that LPs are an afterthought often singles and fillers.
Also I think niney used to use Joe Gibbs studio as I have seen his name on Gibbs releases in the past, including Dennis Brown's Wolves and Leopards which at one time came out via Joe Gibbs.

Niney has had a long standing relationship with gibbs going back to late 60s. A lot of the early "gibbs" produced stuff was actually niney, eg Love of the common people by nicky thomas actually niney arranged all that session, he was the main man in the studio but gibbs got all the credit!!!!!!

It may also be because iirc Naggo was lead singer on Better Days LP & also on Jah Guide?

j j

The album would have probably been a lot worse if it wasnt for naggo taking lead vocals on those particular tracks. He's another underrated reggae singer....
Not dissing Earl or Barry Llewellyn but majority of tracks they lead on (on this album) are not really anything worth screamingf and shouting over, except maybe Better Days and Temptation...........