Reggae & Ska > 2 Tone Ska Reggae & Ska > 5 GBP to 10 GBP

Superb

Advantages: Amazing songs, wonderful music
Disadvantages: None

...ex Ravishing Beauty Nicky Holland, Waiting offered a series of strong songs convincingly played in a wide variety of styles, from uptempo tracks like We’re Having All The Fun to reflective pieces such as Things we Do. The album also gave the group a number 10 hit single with Tunnel Of Love. The Fun Boy Three had been a major debut, but Waiting was a massive step forward, establishing them as a major force to be reckoned with. Unfortunately, they ...

dave27 17.10.2000 · Read full review
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Review of Waiting - Fun Boy Three

Too much, too young.

Advantages: All their biggest song + lots you've probably never heard
Disadvantages: Most of the B sides

When I saw this 3 disc album for on my Christmas shop for a fiver there was no way I was leaving the Shop without it. For those who don't know of the Specials (also known as the Special AKAs before changing it to the Specials then changing back), they are a second wave ska band from the late seventys. They became fomous on the back of the '77 punk wave and had a big punk infuence. They sang about social issues and where probably the most relivant ...
...biggest single was 'Ghost Town' and I'll be shocked if you've never heard it as it's on just about every 'top 100 songs of all time' lists. The 1st disc in this 3 disc set is A-sides containing all thier best singles, 'Ghost Town', 'Too Much Too Young' and 'Message To You Rudy' just to name a few. Most of the songs on this disc are happy and up-beat and will make you feel like danceing. None of the tracks on this disc are bad, to say the least but ...

Cammers 03.01.2007 · Read full review
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Review of Stereo-Typical (A's B's And Rarities) - Specials (The)

The Best of the Beat

Advantages: Great beats, great lyrics, brilliant songs - all hits
Disadvantages: Couple of songs not so hot

...on the album. 06 - Best Friend, good song, yet another chart hit, but just average compared to the rest of the album. 07 - Rankin Full Stop - this is the first song I heard by The Beat many years ago and is a brilliant ska beat. Should bring back lots of memories. 08 - Can't Get used To Losing You - one of their more main stream songs, brilliant love song, amazing how many can be done with ska and not feel wrong, great beat and vocal combo. 09 ...
...average than some of their best stuff, but considering everyone song on the album was a hit...its not bad. 11 - To Nice To Talk To - great song - a reminder how stupid I used to feel as a teenage when faced with someone I had a crush on. 12 - Doors Of Your Heart - my favourite song on the album, great lyrics, vocals and music arrangement, explains why it was a hit. Starts with what feels like a love song, but leads into querying racism, and ends ...

Sherish 04.05.2007 · Read full review
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Review of Best Of The Beat, The - Beat (The)

Dancehall '69: The best skinhead reggae comp out there!

Advantages: Loads of tracks, amazing and obscure selection, great notes, EVERYTHING!
Disadvantages: None

This album, compiled by Michael De Koningh, is the best compilation of Skinhead Reggae, period (for those who want to know, skinhead reggae is - very basically - early reggae from around '68-71). It contains some monster rarities (which are still fantastic tunes, which will please both newbies and obsessive collectors alike), from obscure subsidiary record labels of Trojan and Pama records such as Gas, Camel, Escort, Joe, Big Shot, Grape, and Bullet. ...
...be a horrific task and would cost you a fortune, so be thankful for people like Mr De Koningh! This CD has it's own haunting vibe, it's an absolute revelation, with some of the best music ever released which otherwise would only have been be heard by the peope who bought the original 7" in '69! One of the most amazing things about this album is that you can listen to the tracks with absolutely no knowledge of the music, yet the sound is so raw, compelling, ...

john_harrison 21.09.2009 · Read full review
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Review of Dancehall '69 - Various Artists

Him Name Buju Banton... Nahh Mr. Mention

Advantages: Lots of bangers
Disadvantages: Ends on a track that's weaker than the rest

“Mr. Mention” was released in 1992 as the second album from the Jamaican Dancehall musician Buju Banton. It dropped soon after his debut (within a year) and so had him showing just how productive he could be at the time as he brought lots of his Dancehall material (that became much more Reggae-styled as his career developed and he embraced Rastafarians ways. 1. “Batty Rider” The album opens up with one of the biggest singles that he had released ...
...that here you get him blasting through a fly tune that has him bringing through the sort of controversial lyrics that gave him notoriety when he broke into the game at the age of 15 with “Boom Bye Bye”. It is a hardcore tune, but one that I can’t say is really for all due to the themes. **Five Stars** 2. “Love How The Gal-Dem Flex” This is a big tune on the release and one that is seen to build upon the sorts of things that were heard on the first ...

XICripZ 18.10.2009 · Read full review
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Review of Mr. Mention - Buju Banton