Reggae Thing - Inner Circle

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 12 chunks of chilled out Reggae by Toots and the Maytals on it. Kicking off with "54-46 That’s My Number" a rocksteady number for 1968 based upon Toots time in prison, then moving onto "Reggae Got Soul" it moves 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... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

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 -Wonderful World, Beautiful People The makers of this compilation have done a really fantastic job rounding up these classic reggae hits. No need to such for odd songs in tens of CDs anymore. Everything I like about Reggae captured onto one CD. Excellent value and a great buy for the reggae enthusiast.... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average somewhat helpful

Advantages: Great songs, great music, serious message
Disadvantages: Some of the songs have lost their context

...harvest scattered from the skies. Skin and bones is creeping, doesn't know he's dead. Ancient eyes are peeping, from his infant head. Politicians argue sharpening their knives. Drawing up their bargains, trading baby lives." To those that know UB40 of a later period they might find this record surprising in it's attitude and commitment. In later years probably flushed with their critical and commercial success the band moved away from this kind of politically engaged music and became a much poppier mainstream act increasingly adapting covers of some of their favourite reggae artist as can be seen on the 'Labour Of Love' albums. I suppose it would seem incongruous for a collection of by then very rich musicians to be still talking about unemployment and inner city squalor however in the early days their sentiment were sincere... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful