Roots Archives Forum

Too bad these 2 guys didnt record together

They looked similar:

http://www.reggaefrance.com/photos/sund ... isaac3.jpg

http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/top ... ges-videos

Now, hear this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SMcfUjIguSs

or even better:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DBqbfEBpP5w

I wish Gregory had been better managed in his live concerts, instead of repeating the same repertoire with often class C backing bands. Same applies to his recordings. Too much average stuff, not releasing his full potential.

Gregory recorded enough great stuff for his fans to enjoy countless hours of fabulous music

And he did tour with the Radics and Sly & Robbie or some other great Jamaican bands until the mid 80's. There are plenty of recordings of such performances.

Let's enjoy what we have, it's plentiful and a lot of it is great.

Yes, agree. Lets focus on the good.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8l42wkKmWkk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KMqn_pgLBDg

Jah Bless Gregory

vlad wrote:I wish Gregory had been better managed in his live concerts, instead of repeating the same repertoire with often class C backing bands. Same applies to his recordings. Too much average stuff, not releasing his full potential.

I don't get this statement at all...? How is a band based around Sly & Robbie "class C backing"? I find he recorded too much good stuff, I don't have time to take it all in. Of course there's less than brilliant stuff towards the end of his career, but why focus on that. I guess one could argue that no one really reaches their "full potential", because that is an ideal state, but I think albums such as Extra Classic, Mr. Isaacs, Cool Ruler, Soon Forward, The Lonely Lover, More Gregory, Night Nurse etc. aren't too lousy nonetheless...

99th floor,

I mean as of the mid 90's, hence my comment applies "only" to the last 15-20 years of his career, where perhaps only a minority of his studio recordings were above average (vs. a vast majority before), and his live appearances were mediocre renditions of the exact same vintage repertoire, backed up by C class bands.

gbougard wrote:Gregory recorded enough great stuff for his fans to enjoy countless hours of fabulous music

And he did tour with the Radics and Sly & Robbie or some other great Jamaican bands until the mid 80's. There are plenty of recordings of such performances.

Let's enjoy what we have, it's plentiful and a lot of it is great.

Agree @gbougard. Lets focus @ his top notch area.

vlad wrote:I mean as of the mid 90's, hence my comment applies "only" to the last 15-20 years of his career, where perhaps only a minority of his studio recordings were above average (vs. a vast majority before), and his live appearances were mediocre renditions of the exact same vintage repertoire, backed up by C class bands.

Ok, I can kind of agree with that, sorry if I was a bit harsh, but you didn't specify that in your post. Still, that means something like 25 years where "a vast majority" of what he did was "above average", so I think we will just have to be content with (and grateful for) that.

however, I agree with Vlad:

starting in the late 80s, Gregory's live performances are sub-par, repeating the same stuff all over again...however, you'll find this with a lot of aging veterans, most notably Burning Spear and Bunny Wailer but at least these two still hire great musicians to back them

exactly

He deserved, even in the late 90's / 00's, better producers for his studio recordings, and better back up bands for his live performances. But of course, that was also his doing.

Nuff said and RIP to one of the greatest of all times Mr Isaaaaaacs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mWoQSXkoyG8