fat_fleet
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Reggae - Where to Start?
Aug 13, 2013, 23:31
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Greetings fine folks.
I don't know anything about reggae or dub...not even completely sure of the difference. Does dub always use drum machines? I'm looking for suggestions... no interest in dancehall, reggaeton, any of that stuff. I have a feeling a lot of what I need to hear is classicish.... you know, of-a-certain-era. I'm on this kick because I found a copy of the Wailers' "Burnin" in with some records a friend gave me awhile back and I gave it a couple spins and really kinda like it. But I've heard things about Lee "Scratch" Perry that make me think he might have some albums I need to hear. I've heard Burning Spear is good too, but the discographies are pretty dense and I'm sure there's a lot of stuff I wouldn't like by both those artists. In my personal listening life, I like long noodley psych jams... early Dead, electric Miles, Krautrock (more Can than Kraftwerk), druid folk etc... I tend to like big ensembles, and I'm not crazy about any type of fake drums or MIDI instruments. Just a bias, I'm old I guess. Thanks in advance for your trippy reggae picks!
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Sin Agog
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Re: Reggae - Where to Start?
Aug 13, 2013, 23:41
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It made a bit of a stir here a couple of months ago, and I wouldn't mention it again if it weren't for the fact that it seems like it will scratch the itch of someone who mentioned those genres and influences: Dadawah - Peace & Love (Seventy Two Nations)
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mingtp
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Re: Reggae - Where to Start?
Aug 13, 2013, 23:45
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You're gonna get bombarded with long lists so I'll keep mine short (both essential):
Misty In Roots - Live At The Counter Eurovision 1979
Max Romeo - War Ina Babylon
You pretty much can't go wrong with Burning Spear or Culture either.
Good luck.
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valis23
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Re: Reggae - Where to Start?
Aug 13, 2013, 23:47
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Maybe look for some of the Trojan box sets. I only have a couple of the dub boxes, but it's classic stuff. There are many other sets in the series, if I recall - ska, ganja-themed songs, rocksteady etc...
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mingtp
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Re: Reggae - Where to Start?
Aug 13, 2013, 23:47
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Sin Agog wrote: Dadawah - Peace & Love
Sin, I should have known you'd display impeccable taste, that Dadawah album is amazing and perfect for anyone with trippier tastes getting into reggae, good call bud.
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mingtp
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Re: Reggae - Where to Start?
Aug 13, 2013, 23:50
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valis23 wrote: Trojan box sets
Absolutely, and / or any of the 100% Dynamite series of comps on Soul Jazz too.
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fat_fleet
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Re: Reggae - Where to Start?
Aug 13, 2013, 23:59
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Yep, that Dadawah is right up my alley...thanks for that. Looking into those other suggestions too. This was definitely the right place to come with my reggae question!
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Sin Agog
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Edited Aug 14, 2013, 00:38
Re: Reggae - Where to Start?
Aug 14, 2013, 00:31
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Also Dadawah under another name, and with some absolutely mental Lee Perry production: Ras Michael - Love Thy Neighbour
Those Trojan boxes are almost all uniformly ace, by the way. I always thought the ultra-melodic, honeyed strains of Rocksteady would be a good in to reggae music for someone outside of the world, but it doesn't get spoken about as much as some other Jamaican music. Trojan's Rocksteady box is one of my favourite comps. A friend of mine got me into their Lover's Rock one as well recently, which surprised me as I figured it was more on the schlock end of the Jamaican spectrum, but it was pretty much just an '80s version of Rocksteady. I.e. really good and pretty. (Not rec'ing anything in this paragraph, by the way. Just scatting about Trojan boxsets).
A few other things worth looking into are:
Cedric Im Brooks & The Light of Saba - The Magical Light of Saba (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ndalfixsJJw)
The Abyssinians - Sata Masa Gana
The Mighty Diamonds - Right Time
Poet and the Roots - Dread Beat an' Blood
The Congos - Heart of The Congos (recently saw them perform at Glastonbury)
Johnny Osbourne - Truth & Rights
Ijahman - Haile I Hymn
Sugar Minott at Studio One
Black Uhuru - Showcase (Black Uhuru are playing here in a few days, I think)
Sylford Walker - Lamb's Bread
Yabby You - Jesus Dread
The Heptones - On Top
For On-U-Sound this is my fave release, and it's way crazy: Missing Brazilians - Warzone
Safi Abdullah - Another One Gone (Disco Reggae?)
For Dub Bullwackies are king. There's also a V.A called King of Dub that's the best straight-up dub thing I own.
Plus this is on youtube in full: Raiders of the Lost Dub (Indiana Jones dub!)
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5-Track
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Re: Reggae - Where to Start?
Aug 14, 2013, 00:46
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Lee "Scratch" Perry's SUPER-APE and RETURN OF THE SUPER-APE are two of my favorite records. The Congos' HEART OF THE CONGOS which is a Lee Perry production is one of my favorite reggae records. There's a Lee Perry compilation called UPSETTER SHOP VOLUME ONE: UPSETTER IN DUB which has been one of my favorite discs for decades. For Marley I like EXODUS a lot but I probably play KAYA the most.
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Lawrence
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Re: Reggae - Where to Start?
Aug 14, 2013, 01:54
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Definitely start with Lee Perry or anything on the ONU-Sound label.
Avoid the Dancehall stuff and make sure you don't get anything alluding to fag-bashing. I just don't find that side to the music particularly cool...
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