Ska music reviews

so many compilations to choose from. this two cd set will save you tons of dough and give you original hits from the ska era. if you are a ska revival (2 tone) fan or just a reggae enthusiast i recommend this package. trojan has recently put out several box sets of hits and gems from their extensive vaults. as a collector you should pick them up and maybe even look for the vinyl, but the "young gifted and black" project is an absolute must for music lovers and as a historical document of some of the greats. fans of madness, specials, english beat, bob marley.. you need this.

The Trojan label has always been the pioneers in bringing the sounds of Jamaica to the British isles and further afield. This nearly comprehensive collection represents the best of the golden age of reggae. The fact that the tracks run chronologically is a big plus since one can follow the development and evolution of Jamaica's popular genres from bluebeat into ska and reggae.

The quality of the songs is underlined by the fact that many have been covered by different artists down the years, for example Oh Carolina (Shaggy), Madness (Madness), The Tide Is High (Blondie), Rivers Of Babylon (Boney M), Black And White (Three Dog Night), Montego Bay (Many covers over the years), whilst Neil Diamond's composition Red Red Wine was given a later reggae cover by UB40 and I think Bread's composition Everything I Own was also done in reggae style by Boy George. In both of the latter cases the inspiration was the original reggae interpretation.

My favourites are too many to mention, although tracks that really stand out include Millie's cheeky My Boy Lollipop, the moody Train To Skaville by The Ethiopians, the amazing Israelites by Desmond Dekker, the pulsating instrumental Liquidator by The Harry J. All Stars, Boris Gardner's Elizabethan Reggae which is an instrumental cover of The Gunther Kalman Choir's Elizabeth Serenade plus the song from whence the album takes its name: Young, Gifted And Black.

Other highlights include Greyhound's soulful Black And White and Dave And Ansel Collins' buoyant little ditties Double Barrel and Monkey Spanner that are brilliant blends of organ, voice and drums. Oh yes, and Junior Murvin's stunning social comment in his falsetto style on Police And Thieves. It's a pity about certain omissions: Desmond Dekker's It Mek, Bob And Marcia's Pied Paper and Pluto Shervington's Ram Goat Liver ought also have been here since they're all classics. But overall, this compilation is pure aural delight, a stunning showcase of Jamaica's gift to the world and superb value for money.

I've never been a huge reggae fan, but I do enjoy some of it, and this double-CD provides a great selection of reggae from the sixties and seventies, the period I like best.

This set includes many songs that were big British pop hits, including My boy lollipop (Millie), 007 Shanty town, Israelites, You can get it if you really want (all Desmond Dekker), Hold me tight (Johnny Nash), Wonderful world beautiful people (Jimmy Cliff), Young gifted and black (Bob and Marcia), Everything I own (Ken Boothe's cover of the Bread classic), Help me make it through the night (John Holt's cover of the country classic), Side show (Barry Biggs) and Uptown top ranking (Althia and Donna).

The most famous reggae singer of them all, Bob Marley, is represented by Sun is shining. It's not his most famous song, but if this is your first reggae album, a Bob Marley collection should be your second.

Several songs here were unsuccessful for the original artists, but were later made famous by others, including Rivers of Babylon (The Melodians, a #1 UK hit for Boney M) and The tide is high (The Paragons, a #1 UK hit for Blondie). Red red wine, written by Neil Diamond, was eventually a #1 UK hit for UB40, who may well have been inspired by the Tony Tribe version included here. Oh Carolina became famous via Shaggy's cover of the song.

I don't know how well these records did in America, but I'm sure that Americans will recognise a lot of these songs, either in their original versions or via covers (and not just those I've listed).

Whether you just want one reggae album, or you want an introduction to start building a collection, you won't find anything better than this fascinating collection.

While, I live in the lovely city of Ventura, and personally friends with some of the band members. They have three CDs (but don't tell them their first one ..... because it was a different singer). Their second one is as good as any none popular ska bands like The Chinkees and The Bruce Lee Band and maybe as good as Reel Big Fish, The Hippos, or Less Than Jake. But the sad thing is the band is now split because the band went all over the place going to college. So, it was fun while it lasted. But if you want a great debut CD, don't buy theirs, but if you want a great band's second CD release, this is the one. Oh yeah, they do have a third CD which is a live CD from the Ska Parade in Orange County, CA, and that one is good, too.

Ranging from metal to regae, this CD is great for all ages and all musical interests. They have done a great job of blending together all different styles of music into 12 great ska songs. My favorite song is "Springer" which pokes fun at america's new favorite show displaying hicks, strippers, and violence. This CD is a must have for anybody that likes music. Especially good music.

19th Hole is an awesome band and "your title here" is a great example of just how awesome they are. I recommend this CD to everyone...order it for your friends,too, they'll love ya for it :)

Awesome - 5 *****. I think Chefdeverque must have been smoking a big spliff when he reviewed this one, he's not even talking about the same album. Crazy baldhead.

There are probably more reviews than you can shake a stick at when it comes to the Island albums done by the Wailers and by Bob Marley. True devotees of the Wailers like to seek out their earlier recordings, and this is one of the better collections I have found.
It is as good an example of how the Wailers developed their style as you are likely to find. The songs are splendid to listen to, and can be appreciated on their own merits even without considering the future that Marley and the Wailers had.

This album is one of my favorites. Definitely a classic. A must have if you love reggae, particularly the original stuff. Notice that UB40 made a killing on their "laour of love" album in the 80's taking most if not all their material from the artists included in 20 reggae classics. Now, if I could just get my hands on volume 2.

Awesome - 5 *****. I think Chefdeverque must have been smoking a big spliff when he reviewed this one, he's not even talking about the same album. Crazy baldhead.

There are probably more reviews than you can shake a stick at when it comes to the Island albums done by the Wailers and by Bob Marley. True devotees of the Wailers like to seek out their earlier recordings, and this is one of the better collections I have found.
It is as good an example of how the Wailers developed their style as you are likely to find. The songs are splendid to listen to, and can be appreciated on their own merits even without considering the future that Marley and the Wailers had.

This album is one of my favorites. Definitely a classic. A must have if you love reggae, particularly the original stuff. Notice that UB40 made a killing on their "laour of love" album in the 80's taking most if not all their material from the artists included in 20 reggae classics. Now, if I could just get my hands on volume 2.

If this CD doesn't make you jacked-up and start tapping your feet, I don't know what else will !! Great upbeat sounds with tight horn section. Unlike those many cheesy imitation ska bands, Parka Kings have a unique stylish sounds. Too bad they don't have any new album coming out.

They were the best. There live shows couldn't be beat. The CD pales in comparison, but is still great. Rock over London, Rock On Chicago.

I've had this CD for about 3 months now and cannot stop listening to it! I absolutely love it! It's better than their CD titled "Sublime," and it has great tracks. A lot of songs do sound similar, especially at first, but once I began listening to it more and more, I grew to love it more and more!

This CD has one song that you can't get anywhere else, and that's the Original Ebin recording, and let me tell you, it's totally worth it. 40 Oz blew me away at a time when all the grunge music was overspilling from the radio. This CD is one of the best all time. There is something it lacks. As it was picked up by the major label and released nationally, they took a song off - Get Out! For some reason they threw on a different version on "Second-hand Smoke". If you own 40 OZ., this CD is still worth getting because of Ebin, the other extras you can pick up amongst Second-Hand Smoke and other "throw-it-together" CDs they've released since the passing of Mr. Nowell. It would be the perfect CD if it still had the original Get Out! version because I think that's actually one of the best displays of Brad's heartfelt voice out of all those CDs. But still all-in-all, this CD is well worth the investment.

CONSIDERED THE BEST BRAZIL HAS TO OFFER, OTHER THAN SOCCER OF COURSE! THIS BAND HAS BEEN ROCKING THE PLANET FOR 15+ YEARS. THIS CD COMPILES ONE OF THE BEST SONG LIST THEY HAVE EVER PLAYED.
I'VE SEEN THEM TWICE IN FLORIDA, EXCELLENT SHOW, VERY MOVING!
A MUST HAVE.

This album has already made a great sucess in Brazil, and soon will be conquering the world. Paralamas do Sucesso together with MTV, prepare this album to their fans. The 21 songs were hardly choosen between their most important songs, that are not a little. Hebert Vianna has a great voice and hability with his guitar. Why are you wasting your time there? Listen to this album now!

Yeah, I know what you're thinking-- ska is sooooo dead. And you're right. Ska is dead. Oh well. But this album, which as far as I can tell has nothing to do with the other Skandalous releases, isn't so much ska as it is good music. Seriously. Ruggerio writes some of the best pop hooks around and his voice is like a marshmallow floating down a river of honey-- it's that smooth.

I put on this record for non-ska fans and they love it. Songs like "Whiskey Still," "Parking Lot," and the standout "Sunday Malady" are classic songs in any genre.

So forget labels and just buy some good music. It's super good.

Don't forget The Skandalous Allstars and don't forget The Age of Insects! Ska folk will sing the praises of The Slackers or The Toasters from the mountain tops, yet those same peeps never even mention The Skandalous Allstars. This CD is an overlooked gem. Give the first track, American Psychopath, a listen and Vic Ruggerio's vocals while convince you that you've found something special. With the laundry list of ska-allstars on this disc, there's no surprise at the amazing musicianship on all the tracks. Do yourself a favor and buy this one. After one listen, you won't be forget.

Don't forget The Skandalous Allstars and don't forget The Age of Insects! Ska folk will sing the praises of The Slackers or The Toasters from the mountain tops, yet those same peeps never even mention The Skandalous Allstars. This CD is an overlooked gem. Give the first track, American Psychopath, a listen and Vic Ruggerio's vocals while convince you that you've found something special. With the laundry list of ska-allstars on this disc, there's no surprise at the amazing musicianship on all the tracks. Do yourself a favor and buy this one. After one listen, you won't be forget.

I got this cd for 9.99. and it is worth every penny. The two live tracks are great and funny. I liked this CD a lot. ANd if you are looking for a good LTJ CD theen get this one. THE CD was made in ENgland too.

What a great way to get us ready for their new album coming out in August. Less Than Jake gives us three great songs of their's from their past two albums, Losing Streak and Hello Rockview. Also included on the single is a studio cut of "All My Best Friends Are Metalheads", which has a 'live show' feel to it and is the way LTJ should be heard. If you're a fan of Less Than Jake or Punk and Ska music like Green Day, Blink 182 or Reel Big Fish, then get this single!

I can't add much to the excellent review given by the prior writers (kudos for that review- excellent!!! I'm glad there are other Ellis fans out there), so I will only add what I can to help strengthen their review.

This collection was not a proper lp at any point, though it should have been. The songs are first rate examples of Ellis' rocksteady power. "Willow Tree" was a hit for him in late '66, and "People Make the World Go Round" was also a minor hit; so my guess would be that these songs were recorded around the late summer to fall of '66 (remember, technology was basic then- many lps were recorded live in the studio, as overdubbing was not yet common, especially in Jamaica- until King Tubby and Scratch got their paws on such machinery).

As for "Breakfast In Bed," it is no worse than the Heptones' banned clasic "Fattie Fattie" though the point is well taken as to how it got radio play..who knows when it comes to censorship?

As always, Ellis showcases his soulful voice to great effect on this collection, and his powers were rarely sharper. This lp, along with any others that showcase his Studio One output ("Sunday Coming," "Sings Rock and Soul") come very highly recommended. Delicious.

This CD, to the best of my knowledge, was never a proper LP. Rather, it is a collection of singles. They are either duets or solo performances, from sometime in the mid to late-60's, the peak of the rock steady period (which was basically Jamaican interpretations of the Detroit and Memphis R&B scenes).

To the unacquainted: Alton, at this stage in his career, was the Jamaican Marvin Gaye and on these performances espescially, the subtle nuances (use of breath sounds, vibrato, etc.) of his voice are without fault. He gives the impression that he can bend and shape a tone at will. Now, on the other hand, Hortense displays an Astrud Gilberto-esque innocence. It's as though she's singing, not as a professional but, as a result of having actually lived the tribulations behind these love songs.

Amazing productiuon and engineering. Tactful and subtle musicianship. And other than the altered "Breakfast in Bed" (a racy little tune that, as the metaphors reveal themselves, makes one wonder how it actually recieved airplay), none of the songs have been remixed or dubbed over. These are classic rock steady performences that rival America's best and most soulful moments. I've got over a thousand records and this ranks among my favorites. If you've got friends that can't get past the (horribly misinterpreted) hippie stigma of reggae, this is the record that will win them over!