Reggae & Ska > Roots Reggae Reggae & Ska > 1980 to 1989 > up to 5 GBP

Advantages: Pressure Drop
Disadvantages: 3 Songs with ghastly 80's production

I love Reggae but thankfully for you I am not as obsessive about it as I am about other forms of music, ok maybe I am but then I am more subdued about it. I spied this collection in my local HMV for £5-99 and it somehow slipped into my pocket, good thing too cause it has got two of my all time favorite songs on it "Reggae Got Soul" and Pressure Drop. This CD is part of Islands Reggae Greats series rather obviously from the Title isn’t it and has ...
...into a nice steady relaxed reggae grove and I am happily skanking away on my seat here. "Monkey Man" ups the tempo and I am chanting "Aye Aye Aye" hey I'm Scottish and we are infamously bad at doing Jamaican accents. However three classics to start of the disk makes it worthwhile already. The question being are we going to get more classics and the answer is yes the soulful "Just Like That" comes on next definitely snuggling music this time. "Funky ... Read review

Advantages: Lyrics, Patrice's voice, it just never gets boring
Disadvantages: None that I can think of

Great music, great singer, great lyrics!! He has his very own style ever since this first album of his. His music is a unique mix of reggae and ska with some soul, funk, jazz, folk and hip hop elements in it. Career Patrice Bart-Williams was born in a small town near Cologne, Germany, in 1979 and started to make music when he was 12 years old. He played in several bands until he joined the label 'Yo Mama' and accompanied Lauryn Hill on her ...
...which to date is considered his best one, was released in 2000. Since then he has published four other albums (How do you call it, Silly Walks Movement meets Patrice, Nile & Free-Patriation). Tracks 1. Shine on my way 2. Everyday Good 3. Wonder (Shinin' On) 4. Fear Rules 5. Lions 6. Love 7. You Always You 8. Murderer 9. Queens 10. No Excuse 11. Moneypulation 12. Lions (Live) 13. Love (Live) 14. Fear Rules (Live 15. No Excuse ... Read review

Advantages: Fab compilation of all the hits
Disadvantages: None at all

Wow! What a fantastic CD! I could tell when I listened to it, that every song had been carefully hand picked to create such a smooth album. The songs seem to intertwine into one another. All of the big reggae stars from the past captured onto two discs. Features such artists as: -Shaggy -Toots and the Maytals -Desmond Decker -Tony Tribe -UB40 Bob Marley Features such song as: -Boombastic -Mr Loverman -Welcome to Jamrock -Red Red Wine ... Read review

Advantages: Good music, reggae brought back to a roots sound
Disadvantages: None

Live at Stubb's is Matisyahu's 2nd album and his 1st live album recorded at Stubbs in Austin, Texas. It was released in February, 2005 by JDubRecords. If you are not familiar with Matisyahu, he's an intriguing chap, a New York Jew (Matisyahu is the Yiddish pronunciation of Matthew), who dresses in the traditional clothing of a Hasidic Jew and doesn't perform on the sabbath. He spent several years taking hallucinogens and touring with the rock band ...
...Matisyahu Miller - Vocals Roots Tonic: Aaron Dugan - Guitar Josh Werner - Bass Guitar Johan David - Drums Yoni - MC (on Beat Box) Beat Box is a particularly good song but I liked them all and it works well as it's a live concert. ... Read review

Advantages: It's the Specials!
Disadvantages: One or two tracks not so good.

...folk this song epitomizes the specials, old style reggae Ska, bouncy bass line, trumpets, simple guitar riff and constant, steady drumming. The ultimate get up and move tune, everyone mouthing the words and understanding them, what a great track, still brings back great memories. My 13 year old son who is into thrash metal even likes this. 9/10. 2. Do The Dog Much more percussion and synthesizer, modern Ska, more energetic, more of a dance tune. ...
...we start to hear Terry Hall make his mark vocally on the band, lots of electric guitar too. Personally I think Mr. Hall 'whines' a bit in a Midlands way on this track. 6/10. 4. Nite Klub Love the trumpet use in this track and the almost urgent use of drums, Terry Hall vocals again, yet this time much more suited to the song which, you guessed it, is about a Night Club. Quite like this, though a little away from what I would consider Ska. 7/10. ... Read review