REGGAE XPRESS E-NEWSLETTER JUNE 2002 Welcome to the June issue of Reggae Xpress informing you of some of the latest new and revival releases. Many thanks for all the kind words of support over the last month. Due to feedback this time we're incorporating a Soul and Jazz section. We have no financial interest in the promotion of any CDs reviewed and don't sell them, so our words are only biased by our personal opinion of the material. To obtain the CDs we would suggest you contact your local reggae store or they can be obtained via mail order from Dub Vendor www.dubvendor.co.uk and Greensleeves Records www.greensleeves.net Soul, Jazz etc. CDs are easier to find in the high street stores like Virgin, Our Price and HMV, but for mail order try Soul Brother Records www.SoulBrother.com Any comments should be directed to the editor at de.koningh@virgin.net CD REVIEWS - SKA-REGGAE Album of the Month Various Artists - Rupie's Scorchers- Success Productions 1969-71 Trybute TRRCD05 Small independent label Trybute have pulled out all the stops on this lavish twenty-three track collection of Rupie Edwards productions. All of you '69 reggae lovers will have a field day rocking along to the likes of Lloyd Charmers, Karl Bryan, and Neville Hinds on the now so in demand chugging instrumental sides collected here. While the vocal cuts include two tunes from Mr. Isaacs' first group, The Concords and a stunning collaboration from Lloyd & Devon called 'Love Is The Foundation of the World'. That's aside from five vocals from Rupie, John Holt offers two tunes and Dobby Dobson, Joe Higgs and Hugh Roy Henry weigh in with one apiece. The CD's booklet is amazing with an overview of Rupie's career, a run down of the principle players in The Rupie Edwards All Star Band (the usual culprits we all know and love), and track by track notations. Great music and a first rate presentation - what more needs to be said. Available direct from Reggae Retro Records rretro@clara.net Various Artists - Let's Do Rocksteady 1966-68 Trojan Records double CD TJDD027 Almost album of the month, and only piped at the post by the fact that many of these tracks are available elsewhere on other Trojan CDs. That's the only negative thing that can be said of, to my mind, the best selection of quality Rocksteady ever put together by any record label. Every track is an absolute gem, with some big money items turning up such as Keith & Tex's 'Stop That Train', 'Engine 54' from The Ethiopians, and Phyllis Dillon's sublime 'Don't Stay Away'. Top graphics, indepth sleeve notes and fifty-four tracks of the absolute cream of Rocksteady music make this a CD set I'll be playing for years to come. Linval Thompson - Phoenix Dub Motion Records FASTCD011 This was another tight runner-up for album of the month as another small independent label raise the standards with an exemplary issue of dub workouts courtesy of Linval Thompson. Although they may be Thompson's rhythms, it's the board wizardry of Tubby, Jammy and mainly Scientist which bring the tracks to life as only they could. Focusing on late 1970's through to early 1980's work from such giants of the time as Johnny Osbourne and Anthony Johnson, the deconstructed rhythms are some of the finest, and it seems extraordinary that they were lost and have only just seen the light of day. The detailed sleeve notes from Dave Katz complete an outstanding dub set. Various Artists - Tighten Up 2 Various Artists - Tighten Up 3 Trojan Records TJCCD017/TJCCD026 The whole world must own Tighten Up 2 judging by the number you see in collections and at every car boot and record fair. But with a massive thirteen bonus tracks added the CD's pretty good value, particularly as a couple of the extras are hard to find skinhead gems such as Richard Ace's storming 'Hang 'Em High' and The Hippy Boys 'Doctor No Go'. Much the same can be said of Volume 3 which comes with a die-cut outer sleeve and facsimile poster, and is graced by Ansel Collin's desired 'High Voltage' and 'Franco Nero' from Joe Gibbs Destroyers. Both volumes come in snappy slipcases, have top quality graphics and decent sleeve notes from Harry Hawk - what was he on when he wrote number three! Johnny Clarke - A Ruffer Version. At King Tubbys 1974-1978 Trojan Records TJACD025 Trojan again, but this time in roots mode with youth genius Johnny Clarke. Johnny, Bunny Lee and King Tubby just about ruled the dancehalls of the mid 1970's with rocking, mainly culture based songs and wild dub cuts of the aforementioned vocals. Compiler Dave Hendley has pulled together all the vocal hits alongside a good number of Tubby versions to give a twenty-three track Johnny Clarke retrospective, and mighty it is too. If 1970's roots is your bag then this is pretty essential stuff with Johnny and Tubby at their creative best. Ben Okafor - Coffee With Lazarus Plankton Records PCDN156 I've never quite got in to the African reggae of Alpha Blondy and Lucky Dube, so I was a little dubious if I'd take to Nigerian born - resident in the UK, Ben's latest album. Being recorded in the USA has given it the texture so missing in the rather one rhythm style Lucky Dube albums and that coupled to some outstanding song writing has given Ben a definite winner. Whether it be songs of love or distress his work is perceptive and thoughtful, and while the backing could be said to be reggae there's touches of High Life in there along with some jazz and great bass lines. Stand out tracks have to be the heavy, more traditional roots-lovers of 'Deep Love' and the contemplative 'Palace'. 'Coffee With Lazarus' really is a fine album which grows on you play by play, and deserves to do good things for Ben Okafor. Various Artists - Let Your Yeah Be Yeah One Stop Records ROXS 3CD One Stop Records enter Trojan territory with an unashamed collection of major chart hits ranging from Desmond's '007' and the Ethiopians 'Train To Skaville' to DB's 'Money In My Pocket', with a fair smattering of '69/skinhead reggae in the middle. Nothing rare here but all top quality crowd movers, and nicely packaged to boot. Lee Perry - Trojan Upsetter Box Set 3 CD set. TJETD021 A nice collection of Perry productions running from the late 1960's through to a couple of very recent cuts from the new century. Most of the older Upsetter label recording are easily available, while it's the mid/late 70's Black Ark material that really gain interest, particularly the Anthony 'Sangie' Davis' solo cut of 'Words' and Twin Roots' Know Love'. Of the 80's and 90's tracks we all have our own opinions, and I'll leave it at that. Various Artists/Hydroponics - From The Growing Room Dub Head 2 CD DBHD027CD Various Artists - A New Breed of Dub 3 Dub Head DBHD025CD Various Artists - Meteosound Select Cuts Meteosound 003 Various Artists - Select Cuts From Echo Beach - Tribute To Martha & Muffins Select Cuts SC2012 Four CDs of Nu-Dub technology The Hydoponics offer a double CD set with the first disc being all vocals and the second the dub versions. Aside from Prince Alla and Kenny Knotts they're all new names to me with the strongest tune coming from Sister Maria with 'Moving'. The dubs are as expected from The Conscious Sounds stable - deep and heavy. 'A New Breed of Dub 3' is basically a sampler for Dub Head releases with Love Grocer, Zion Train, Iration Steppas and The Bush Chemists to name-check a few of the more well know artists. It's all good heavy nu-dub and a cheap way in to the scene. Meteosound hail from Berlin and aside from Sugar B and Manasseh, I'm not familiar with the rest of the performers. The whole CD feels a bit new age with bubbling synth noises, clanking guitar and heavy thudding basslines. The only vocal track, 'Beautiful World' from Jah Meek is a pretty nifty stepper with a very late1980's London feel to it. Last up 'Select Cuts From Echo Beach' where you have thirteen radical remixes of the Martha & Muffins 1980's pop chart entry 'Echo Beach'. There's some great funky dub courtesy of Deep Dive Corporation, groovy dance from Vincenzo and sparse bass heavy mixing on cuts like the Groove Corporation's. The mixes are so far apart that tedium is the last thing to set in, and the whole CD is a hugely enjoyable set for those with more open minds.