What are your favourite reggae albums?

[AntManBee]

Not sure this has been done before, but inspired by the "Music you listen to excluding jazz" thread, I thought this thread was appropriate. I'm just out the door, so I'll post my list when I get back. There's a few reggae fans here so I hope there will be a couple of lists coming.

[aristide]

you can get it if you really want but you must try try and try you'll succeed at least....is this by jimmy cliff? anyway, i love it since i am 17 or 18 and since then it did not get out of my head. always when i am in a situation when i want to give up the tune begins in my head. and it helps!

[Mingus]

[GoodSpeak]

Here's a few I like:

EARTH CRISIS- Steel Pulse
NOW DUB- Black Uhuru
EXODOUS- Bob Marley
SURVIVAL- Bob Marley
GOOD THINGS- Culture
96 DEGREES IN THE SHADE- Third World

IMO, if you're looking to start up a collection, grab off any number of compilations by Mango entitled "Reggae Greats." By themselves, they are very good albums as well.



My two cents...

[lazarus]

[BFrank]

Not much of a reggae fan, actually, but Goodie's list is about where I would start:
Steel Pulse
Black Uhuru
Third World
Marley

Also: Peter Tosh "Equal Rights" and Linton Kwesi Johnson "Making History".

[John B]

[me wag]

The Reggae albums I've listened to the most (that I can think of right now):

Burning Spear - Marcus Garvey + Dry & Heavy
U Roy - Dread In A Babylon
I Roy - Crisis Time
Gregory Isaacs - Night Nurse
Black Uhuru - Red
Bob Marley & the Wailers - Rastaman Vibration & Exodus
Toots & the Maytals - Funky Kingston
The Harder They Come S/T
Bunny Wailer - Blackheart Man & Sings the Wailers
Peter Tosh - Legalize It
The Beat - I Just Can't Stop It

[Deke]

Favourite reggae albums?

That sounds like an oximoron to me.

Or is that a contradiction in terms?

The best reggae number I ever heard was Frank Zappa's last guitar solo.

...and that was rubbish.

[Joey X]

Originally Posted by Deke

Favourite reggae albums?

Don't like reggae, but I wouldn't count it out.
Joey X

[Monte Smith]

Rock steady is better.

[lazarus]

Some more favorites:

Mighty Diamonds - Right Time
Joe Gibbs - African Dub All-Mighty-Chapter 3
King Tubby - Dub Gone Crazy
Israel Vibration - The Same Song
Burning Spear - Marcus Garvey
Abyssinians - Forward On To Zion
Big Youth - Dread Locks Dread
Black Uhuru - s/t
Dennis Brown - Words Of Wisdom
Wailing Souls - Wild Suspense
Max Romeo - War Ina Babylon
Prince Far-I - Cry Tuff Dub Encounter-Chapter 3
Lee Perry - Roast Fish Collie Weed & Corn Bread
Lee Perry & Friends - Open The Gate
Gregory Isaacs - The Lonely Lover
Gregory Isaacs - More Gregory
Johnny Osbourne - Truths And Rights
Dr. Alimantado - Best Dressed Chicken In Town
Heptones - Party Time

[AntManBee]

To begin with:

The Congos Heart of the Congos
Yabby You Conquering Lion
Ras Michael & The Sons of Negus Dadawah
Dr. Alimantado Best Dressed Chicken in Town
Israel Vibration The Same Song
Hugh Mundell Africa Must Be Free by 1983
Culture Two Sevens Clash
Max Romeo Open the Iron Gate
The Upsetters Super Ape
Augustus Pablo Original Rockers
Prince Far I Long Life
Linton Kwesi Johnson Forces of Victory
Poet And The Roots Dread Beat An' Blood
Pablo Moses A Song
Big Youth Screaming Targets

[AntManBee]

I just can't decide what Burning Spear album to choose.

[Root Doctor]

Reggae is a singles medium, but here are some albums that are consistently strong:

Big Youth: Screaming Target
Black Uhuru: Showcase
Burning Spear: Marcus Garvey
Culture: Two Sevens Clash
Dr. Alimontado: Best Dressed Chicken in Town
Half Pint: In a Fine Style
Gregory Isaacs: Extra Classic
Ijahman: Are We a Warrior
Meditations: Message from the Meditations
Sugar Minott: Black Roots
Johnny Osborne: Fally Lover
Max Romeo: Open Up the Iron Gate
Augustus Pablo: Original Rockers
Upsetters: Present Super Ape
U-Roy: Dread in a Babylon
Wailers: Soul Rebels
Wailing Souls: Fire House Rock
Yellowman: Mr. Yellowman

[AntManBee]

Originally Posted by Root Doctor

Ijahman: Are We a Warrior

Right on, Root! An excellent choice, heartily seconded!

[Gentle Giant]

Originally Posted by AntManBee

Right on, Root! An excellent choice, heartily seconded!

I don't know that Ijahman recording but am glad to see his name mentioned. I was going to recommend (and will) (and am) his album, Haile I Hymn. Masterful stuff. I got to carry Jah heavy heavy load, indeed.

Lots of other good stuff already mentioned so just to be unorthodox: Joe Jackson, Beat Crazy.

[chuckyd4]

In terms of more pop-oriented stuff that I didn't see mentioned, it would be hard to beat these two, the first a collection, the second a solid album start to finish:





Now I would never claim to be an expert, but they've done me well in recent months. Shouldn't Gary Sisco be on this thread somewhere?

[Noj]

I've got some cool tracks by Eek-A-Mouse and Pato Banton on this compilation called Big Blunts II. Can anyone recommend albums by those two?

I'll definitely reference this thread to balls-up my reggae section! Big up! Bo! Bo!

[GoodSpeak]

Noj,

If you like Eek-A-Mouse, you might also try Alpha Blondy or Yellowman.

Here's a couple others I left off my first list:

MEK WE DWEET- Burning Spear
JAH KINGDOM- Burning Spear

[chuckyd4]

I just remembered that I found this thread pretty interesting when it popped up the first time.

[Noj]

Originally Posted by GoodSpeak

Noj,
If you like Eek-A-Mouse, you might also try Alpha Blondy or Yellowman.

Thanks GoodSpeak.

I like a lot of the artists previously mentioned--I've got loads of Marley, some Tosh, a bunch of compilations, and the Scratch Perry Arkology 3cd job...

The Eek-A-Mouse track I have is "Ghanja Smuggling," he sings this "gong gong giddy gong gong giddy men den den den meta meta mohoy getamenden gettemeden" nonsense hook that cracks me up.

[GoodSpeak]

Noj,

I feel the same way about Sugar Minot's Rub-A-Dub Sound


Cool song, though.

[patricia]

Johnny Clegg & Savuka, "Shadowman"
. Hypnotic.

[Deke]

Originally Posted by patricia

Johnny Clegg, "Savuka". Hypnotic.

Rats. I just wrote a massive reply to this, and I don't know if it clashed with you altering 'Shadowman' to 'Savuka' (Who aren't strictly reggae, I would have said...), but as soon as I pressed 'Submit' the browser crashed.

Now you're never going to hear the story of Johnny Clegg putting his foot through the floor and my brother getting beaten up in the bogs...

[GoodSpeak]

Deke,

Any English Reggae we should know about out your way?

[patricia]

Originally Posted by Deke

Rats. I just wrote a massive reply to this, and I don't know if it clashed with you altering 'Shadowman' to 'Savuka' (Who aren't strictly reggae, I would have said...), but as soon as I pressed 'Submit' the browser crashed.

Now you're never going to hear the story of Johnny Clegg putting his foot through the floor and my brother getting beaten up in the bogs...

I changed the players back to Johnny Clegg and Savuka. The title track of the album was "Shadowman". I'm listening to it now.

Please, tell us the story about Clegg, the hole in the floor and your fisticuffs.

[lazarus]

Is Johnny Clegg really a reggae-artist? Isn´t he the white guy from South Africa who´s music is a blend of South African zulu-music and western pop?

[patricia]

Originally Posted by lazarus

Is Johnny Clegg really a reggae-artist? Isn´t he the white guy from South Africa who´s music is a blend of South African zulu-music and western pop?

Yup. He may not be who most people think of when they think of reggae artists, but he, although he is indeed white, was the first taste I had, years ago of music from South Africa. After that, I discovered Bob Marley and there was no stopping me.

[me wag]

Originally Posted by Gentle Giant

I don't know that Ijahman recording but am glad to see his name mentioned. I was going to recommend (and will) (and am) his album, Haile I Hymn. Masterful stuff. I got to carry Jah heavy heavy load, indeed.

Oh yeah! I forgot to put Are We A Warrior? on my list. One of the most truly spiritual sounding reggae albums you will ever find.