Ska music reviews

I was disappointed at first because this was not the classic ska album that I was expecting from The Scofflaws. After several years of listening to their first album, it took me awhile to adjust to the new sound. It is worth buying and I now like every single song; however, I must give the disc four stars because their first album is superior.

I'm still impressed and enthusiastic about this rare and tasty, masterful recording. I've introduced several friends to Ska music, and this work is accessible to a variety of listening tastes.

My daughter, who is ten, absolutely loves it, and that, I find, is quite amazing for a girl who otherwise listens to 98 degrees, Backstreet Boys, and Will Smith.

This is a great CD! When i first got it all the songs stuck in my head for days!!! It mixes a smooth blend of groovin' jazz 60's camp, sum' kool r and b. nice vocals 2!!! ummmmm. This is great, maybe even better then the debut!!

If you like reggae, rocksteady or ska; if you like "The Harder They Come" and want a compilation that's as good as that one, this compilation is just as amazing--except it's all one artist! I have about 70 cds of music from Jamaica 1960-1980, and this is one of the absolute best. Justin Hinds is a genius.

I was in Jamaica and i met this guy. He is the most incredible person ever. He was so nice and welcoming, he invited me to his home, gave me his phone number and told me i could come back and visit any time. In turn i bought two cds, and neither have left the first and second spot in my six disc cd player. If you like early Jamaican music, are intrested in reggae roots or enjoy musicians like Delroy Wilson and Desmond Dekker, purchase this cd.

The more I listen to Justin Hinds, the more convinced I am that he is one of the 20th century's greatest forgotten musical artists. A colossus in the world of early Jamaican music, Hinds recorded literally hundreds of singles for legendary ska and rocksteady producer Duke Reid from 1963 to 1972. Between 1964 and 1966 alone he recorded some 70 singles, and it was during this time that he became Jamaica's most popular musical artist.

By the time the rest of the world tuned in to Jamaican music in the mid-70s, Justin was no longer in his prime. Arguably neither was the ambassador of Jamaican music himself, Bob Marley. But unlike Marley, Hinds had no real interest in marketing himself and thus never received due attention from audiences outside his own country.

After parting with Reid in 1972, Hinds released several singles under producer Jack Ruby, including his debut album "Jezebel" in 1976.

"Ska Uprising" includes 20 songs, all of which were released between 1963 and 1975. With the exception of I believe one tune, they were all recorded with Duke Reid. "Ska Uprising", which was released by Trojan Records in 1993, is the label's first of two Justin Hinds and the Dominoes compilations. The second, "Peace & Love", covers roughly the same time period and is equally as good. Anyone with an ear for early Jamaican music will want to rush out immediately after purchasing the one to get the other (just like I did.)

What you'll get is some of the best Jamaican ska and rocksteady ever recorded. Hinds' distinctive tenor is virtually unmatched in the world of music for sweetness and simplicity. More importantly, Hinds was, without a doubt, a songwriting genius. The consistency of this material is just amazing. The songs are just so comfortable to listen to. It's as if these songs have always been there. Every one speaks to the soul; every one is uplifting. As is true of most Jamaican artists, Justin Hinds is a very pious man and his lyrics reflect that. Don't get me wrong though - this is a very fun selection of tunes. These songs will make you want to dance, skank and rock steady like a natural born rudie.

One thing to keep in mind is that these songs weren't produced in a high gloss, state-of-the-art mega-studio. Consequently the sound is a little flat and grainy. It has nothing to do with a poor re-mastering job by Trojan- these songs have always sounded like this. I actually enjoy the lo-fi quality though - it's quaint and charming.

If you love Jamaican music, especially ska and rocksteady, you need "Ska Uprising" and "Peace & Love" - both are crucial. Seek them out. Trust me, if you're intrigued you will not be disappointed. Hope this helped!

This is the best Skarmageddon of the whole series,though there is always a special place in my heart for the first one,after all it introduced me to other forms of ska than Ska-core,that I had only previously known through the Mighty Mighty Bosstones.(And Fishbone).
The best song is on disc two, Sgt. Scagnetti's "Sideshow" it is almost like what Fatboy Slim would do if he did Ska,at least in my humble opinion. It bears repeat listening. Some of the bands have albums out on Asian Man Records and whatnot,check 'em out.

Out of the many of ska comilations I have, the Skarmageddon series have always been one of the best in there. In this 3rd one of the series, they have seperated the oldskool, 2 tone on one cd. The rest on the other. 45 songs and they all rock! Why are you reading this! Buy it!

The set is broken up into 2 discs: the first dedicated to the classic two-tone sound, the second to more on-the-edge third-wave ska acts. The separation isn't entirely clean, but I definitely feel that it was worth it. I've been listening to this CD fairly consistently for past 2 years, which is a pretty good standard of quality for myself.

This set has led me to purchase CDs from bands featured in the collection. I find it fairly rare that a single song on any collection would drive me to further explore the artists within.

The production quality and style of each individual song varies a bit, but you can't really tell unless you're on a high-end hi-fi system, cranked up. But it's all fairly indie ska, so it's part of the music. Most definitely the top choice of all the Skarmageddon CDs so-far, especially for entry-level ska fans.

If you can only buy one ska cd today, this oughtta be it! This definitive CD sampler from Orange County's Ska Parade radio show is dy-no-mite! I'm buying another copy of it, because it was so cool, someone stole my copy when I left it at work. This packed CD features Sublime when they were still a ska band as well as hilarious promos featuring (no kidding) The Jerky Boys, Mr. T. And Mindy's Dad from the lovably wack t.v. show Mork & Mindy.This is one of the most versatile CD's I have owned- even people who don't know much about ska love the catchy riffs and infectious grooves.

The Ska Parade has been the backbone of "3rd Wave Ska" & other genres. "Step On It..." is cuttin' edge & captures the raw energy and personality of the bands. The exclusive, live Sublime songs on this cd were the catalyst for Sublime's success! One of my favorite cds along w/ the "The Ska Parade: Runnin' Naked Thru The Cornfield" cd. MY HIGHEST RECOMMENDATION - BUY BOTH COMPS!!!!!!!!

It's a great bargi

...also get the Soul Jazz compilations of Studio One Roots 1 & 2, Lovers and Rockers and you will truely be happy.

The Saints track "Sleeping Trees" on Roots 2 will drive you nuts! Can't stop listening to it! ..."Let's take another waaaaaaaaaalk"

Bless

Khader

This copilation of reggae from the original label in jamaica is one of the best selections you will ever hear on one disc. With or without spliff you will enjoy the trip. Just sit back, listen with a cool drink in you hand and envision a warm beach sunset view. Remember to turn up the bass and be transported. You won't be disappointed. If you can convince others, than better, it is for all to enjoy.

MMMM. After I had thought that I had acquired all the good studio one stuff, I took a chance on this and was duly rewarded.

Some familiar stuff (to me, at least), such as Johnny Osbourne, the Skatalites, but it mixes in nicely.

For those who aren't familiar, the best way I can think of to describe Johnny Osbourne's sound is Marvin Gaye singing reggae. That same silky smooth voice and enormous range, backed by a soulful organ and floating tempo. This track is a good example of his sound and a true classic.

The Skatellites use a lot of horns and are largely instrumental. But classic. More of a choogling, ska-type beat (ie faster) than Osbourne. The Phoenix City song on this album has got to be my favorite Skatalites song - and that's really saying something, because they have made a lot of classic tracks.

Similar for Horace Andy - probably my new favorite Horace Andy song. This track does not have much of his trademark screeching and instead has him singing much more like an early Jimmy Cliff style (circa the harder they come).

Dawn Penn's track is smooth, sultry and a godsend. I played this at a bar and most of the patrons asked who it was. Almost recalls something by the Cowboy Junkies or Mazzy Star in terms of the vocal style. Just beautiful.

Other high points are the Freddie MacGregor & Lennie Hibbert tracks. All in all, the only track I'm not completely sold on is the crabwalking track by Prince Jazzbo, simply because its just rapping over the Horace Andy track and the cuts aren't all that crisp. But a lot of other people would probably like it.

I give this album 4 stars....it's grwat but I don't end up rememebering the songs as much as preevios albums. I realize that all bands change somewhat and this album is just a bit different. Any VGS fans will love it and anyone who doesn't like frank and the rest ought to be ashamed of themselves.

This is one of the best Ska albums ever produced. Musically, the Voodoo Glow Skulls rank with the best of Southern California's legendary ska-punk bands. Commercially, the band hasn't achieved the sales of such contemporaries as the Long Beach Dub Allstars, No Doubt, and Goldfinger. As a matter of fact, they are better than their contemporaries, so buy this and not those cheap sellout "pop with horns" bands. These guys are far superior. Buy this now!

when i say this i say it for all the VGS cd's. i love punk and hated ska but theres something about VGS that make it sound soo good.

In the beginning, there was Sam Cooke. Following in that groove were Otis Redding and Marvin Gaye. Toots' reggae is rooted in the soul/R&B vein, and no one did it better. This first CD features his older material with more of a traditional soul sound: highlights include the seminal "Do the Reggay", the underdog themes of "Pressure Drop" and "Time Tough", and the Memphis horns sounding anthem "Reggae Got Soul". CD#2 features love songs, positive: "My Love is so Strong", sad: "Just Like That" and anger: "Chatty Chatty". Then the songs start to take on a more spiritual bend: "Careless Ethiopians", "Spiritual Healing" and the drop dead gorgeous "Peace, Perfect Peace". Not a clinker in the collection. And the sound quality of the remastering reveals The Voice better than any other Toots recordings I've heard. The excellent bands he worked with are revealed in detail; you can hear each player, whereas the original recordings tended to slur the instruments together. The variety and quality of the selected tracks make this highly listenable front to back.

OK, the track "Sit Right Down" is missing..nothings perfect but this collection comes close...you got way over 2 hours of prime stuff here from the early sides to his later R and B infusion..Toots was called many things..but for your newbies..he is a reggae style Otis Redding, Wilson Pickett with the groove of Calypso and the sound of funky Kingston..Marley may have been king but Toots was the performer at the palace..high energy,soulful grooves and that famous keyboard came from him,that keyboard riff which Paul Simon duplicated on his opening of "Mother Child Reunion"..his tribute to reggae...
These performances so influenced the UK punkers ie:the clash,The 2 tone Specials that they covered them themselves...

Toots is simply an incredible performer and his music needs to be heard. This 2CD set is probably the best way to hear it. It covers 25 years and has a fantastic song selection. Listen to the way he reworks Joh Denver's "Take Me Home Country Roads" and makes it totally his own. "Pressure Drop" and "Funky Kingston" are just two of my favorite songs from him.

Just a side note; "Get Up, Stand Up" is NOT the Bob Marley/Peter Tosh classic but Toot's composition. Still, it's a great song.

es la mejor recopilacion de hardcore cristiano ke eh conseguido y aun excelente precio.

Six Hours of mostly really awesome music for the price of a double cd album. WOW!

I don't have this yet but it looks soooo awesome!!! Holy crap, there r like 126 songs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

As my title implies, the Pietasters took another different direction here, continuing their streak of completely unique albums. This is neither the pure neo-trad ska of Oolooloo (an even better album-- get that too), nor the mainstream late 90s sounds of Willis. It has a great 70s R&B/soul feel with some definite reggae influences (Mellow Mood, Drunken Master, How We Were Before). The best songs are Malmo, Rachel (possibly my favorite Pietasters song ever), Set Me Up, and Nothing Good to Eat (although the Give em the Boot III version sounds much better.)

In short, highly recommended for fans of all music from soul and old-school R&B to reggae and ska. But for the best Pietasters records, get Oolooloo and Strapped Live.

I assure all unfamiliar listeners that this CD is absolutely worth every penny you pay for it. Stunning sounds, strong brass, penetrating drum beats...it unbeatable. Keep reggae ska alive and pass this little known secret on: everyone should taste the pie. These guys are great musicians and great guys. They deserve to earn some cash.

I have been a fan of the Pietasters for sometime and think it is great to see them evolve musically. This album picks up where Awesome Mix left off very well. Steve "I Feel Good" Jackson is soulfully heard through most of these jams. The rest of the band is at their best and man, can you hear the basslines flow! IF YOU HAVEN'T TRIED THE PIE, THAN IT'S TIME TO TASTE A PIECE!

But to see them live is to really experience the full Pietaster madness! Don't be afraid - just buy it!

If the Pietasters come to your town, be there. . .you will have a blast.

Many years ago, when I was just a lad, a would make seemingly bi-weekly trips to a dirty old hole called City Gardens, tucked away in the wastelands of Trenton, New Jersey. It wasn't pretty, but it was my home, and I loved it. One of the bands I used to go frequently to see was the NY Citizens, and those shows are still some of the fondest memories of my misspent youth.

I was in attendance on the night "Lemon Jelly" was recorded, the last track on this compilation, and it was the most powerful close of any show I have ever been to. When I hear it, it takes me back, and I feel seventeen again. I love the fact that Randy Now can be heard at the end reminding everyone, as he always did, who they just heard bring down the house. Really, he was telling us that there was no forthcoming encore, and to hit the bricks - or the dirt and gravel parking lot, as it were. It never made me smile then, but it sure does now.

A lot of this "Best Of" CD is cobbled together from the "Stranger Things Have Happened" EP and their first recording, the name of which escapes me, and these are the great tracks that live in my memory. Magnetic tape often failed, in my opinion, to capture the energy of this band, but it does a passingly good job of doing so on tracks like "Rude Girls", "Helltown", "Boxer Shorts", and the aforementioned live song. My favorite tune of theirs, "Pounding the Pavement", was recorded twice and never successfully; the version represented here is the newer and better of the two, and still misses the mark by yards. The new(er) material just leaves me cold, so much so that I have never heard it again since the first time.

The Citizens were a flavor that was best sampled live, but we have to make do with what we have available. I found this album to be a worthwhile purchase because all of my cassettes have long ago disappeared, and even should they choose to resurface, I would have no means to listen to them. My recommendation is that, should you have the opportunity, pick up the original recordings, and enjoy them in all of their analog inferiority. Poor recording and mastering loses much of its charm when transferred to digital media. That said, I am at least glad that there is a permanent record of their existence, and that the work they did will live on for another generation of ska fans to discover.

KSD

This is a very good "best of" CD of the short lived New York Citizens,('88-95?)despite the revolving door of musicians who performed on it. What really keeps the consistency is the singer, Robert Tierney (90% of the writing). I've seen the N.Y.Citizens four or five times, and never saw the same musicians twice. Tierney's vocal talents shine both live and on this release. "Shut up and Listen" is truly a great song, one of the best of the '90's, but there are more great tunes here. There are different styles of music on this CD, so you're not just getting another run of the mill 3rd wave Ska band. I've heard them compared to Operation Ivy, but it's more mature and has a better shelf life. Don't get me wrong, I love Op Ivy, but it doesn't match up to T.T.A.T.N.Y.C. My guess is that the "man in the bitter lemon suit" review is an unemployed ex-roadie of the NYC's, because he doesn't have a clue about influential importance...Tierney was the brightest point of the N.Y.Citizens, and how they brought the US Ska wave to surface. 'Nuff Said.

I LOVE THIS ALBUM, AND ALONG WITH THE TOASTERS "IN RETROSPECT"- ARE REALLY THE ONLY NYC SKA ALBUMS WORTH HAVING. ROBERT TIERNEY (ONE GREAT FRONTMAN) AND THE NEW YORK CITIZENS WERE THE FIRST BAND PRODUCED BY "BUCKET" HINGLEY, AND IT SOUNDS LIKE THEY REALLY KNEW THE DEAL. IT NEVER GETS BORING, AND YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO HEAR NEXT.
THEY PLAY SKA, PUNK, SURF, AND EVEN SOME GROOVY FUNK A LA NYC'S
STYLE. THIS IS HIGHLY RECOMMENDED LISTENING AND GOES FAR BEYOND THE SHORT SIGHTEDNESS OF THE JOHNNY-COME-LATELY BANDS THAT FOLLOWED THEM. THE SKA SCENE LOST THEIR BEST RESOURSE WHEN THIS GROUP DISBANDED. BUY IT AND LISTEN FOR YOURSELF.