Ska music reviews

I like this album. Its great old school ska style. Kinda more like the Toasters or Mustard Plug. This is the only Caddies album that is this "two-tone" and classic ska. It deffinetly shows that they were fans writing music inspired by their favorite bands and not quite coming into themselves yet. It lacks the blazing fast paced, guitar chug heavy, horn blaring Caddies we all know and love today. But regardless, its just damn fun even if its not their most original work. I still recomend "Just One More" as their best album.

i dont know how to describe their music, its ska and punk influenced but its like nothing out there its rather the only one of its kind of music

The sound quality of this album is'nt quite as good as duck and cover but the songs are brilliant such as distress, the bell tower and sad Reggie. This is a ska cd thats definatley worth picking up as the music seems to get better every time you hear it (which for me is quite a few times now). For a first album how the band play together and combine the instruments in the way they do shows that there is quite a bit of talent in this band which to be fair you cant say about alot of ska bands. Below is how i would rank the mad caddies albums to date in order and would recommened you get them in.

1.Duck and cover
2.Quality softcore
3.Just one more
4.Rock the plank
5.The holiday has been cancelled

With quality softcore Chuck (the lead singer) seems to have a more reggae edge to his voice i dont know why i noticed that . Another thing that makes this album sound so good is the way the guitar rings on no se the guitar solo on sad Reggie is pretty good aswell so buy this album second to duck and cover if your looking for some top quality ska music.

Bob Marley was making critical waves but not until the release of "Live" in 1975 did he also break through commercially.

"Live" (8 tracks, 45 min.) was re-released in 2001 with a remastered sound and one bonus track. The energy is bustling throughout, starting with the opener "Trenchtown Rock". The band is in top form throughout. This album of course includes the mega-hit "No Woman, No Cry", released as a single and enormously successful. But there are some other great jems, such as "Them Belly Full (But We Hungry)" and "Get Up, Stand Up". The bonus track, not found on the original (vinyl) album, is an equally outstanding "Kinky Reggae".

It is obvious that this is a milestone album in the Markey catalogue. But I still have to wonder why, to this day, the entire show of this legendary London July, 1975 concert hasn't been released. And in my book (which is of course a subjective feeling), the 1978 live album "Babylon By Bus" is even better.

This live album from Bob Marley and his band The Wailers was my introduction to Bob Marley and reggae music in general. It promptly turned all preconceived ideas I had about reggae inside out. From that moment on, I was a believer. The first time I saw this album, I was thinking to myself, "Reggae, what's so special about that? It all sounds the same, anyway." How wrong I was!

First of all, the sound is spectacular. This performance sounds clean, fresh and lively; as if it were recorded yesterday. Every little thing can be heard clearly. Even so, it's not so clean that it becomes sterile and lacking in character. There's still the energy and authenticity that gives a concert something special.

Secondly, this album has all the classic songs to make it worthwhile as an introduction to Bob Marley's music and indeed reggae in general. Just check the track listing.

Also, the versions of the songs to be found here are fantastic and each musician is really impressive. Anyone who says that reggae is formulated, boring or predictable has yet to give this album a chance. This version of The Wailers has a real western/rock oriented approach to the music and it's really easy to hear why they have begun to appeal to a rock audience. Besides, the playing is fantastic and has plenty of feeling.

You shouldn't any more reasons to buy this album. It is just plain fantastic and made a staunch believer and convert out of me.

If that is the case, then let it be this one. Myself, I enjoy Bob Marley for what I see as therapeutic purposes. Chill control. That guy is the most chill guy that there ever was, mon. Don't be knocking. Only an A-hole would bring disrespect down. Personally, my collection has TWO Bob Marley Cd's. This one here and the earlier release CATCH A FIRE. I know I'm missing lots of hits and what not, but, man... dig this record. The hits mean nothing after this one. THIS IS THE GREATEST... its live, yeah, don't think twice about it. These are by far the most passionate versions of every one of the songs on here. This is the absolute best material he ever put out. NO WOMAN NO CRY... awesome, puts tears in my eyes...BURNIN AND LOOTIN... killer, studio version has nothing on this one... BELLY FULL.. way better than the studio... you get the picture so far? The album may not be as long as say LEGEND... but as a whole, this is quality, not quantity.. this album is just right.

In the fall of 1999 it seemed as if the Pilfers were set to conquer the world. They had built a large underground fanbase in a very short time and were at the center of a large major label bidding war which Universal/Mojo Records eventually ended up winning. At 1999's CMJ fest it looked like Universal/Mojo was going to give this band one of the biggest pushes for a band ever and posters and flyers for "Chawalaleng" covered every inch of New York City.

So what went wrong? When the album was released in September of 1999 it was seen as a major disappointment to many of the bands fans when compared to the Pilfers first self produced/released album. That first Pilfers record (released in 1998) was raw and hard, full of amazing hooks and blistering horn solos. It truly captured the essence of a Pilfers live show with all of it's fire and intensity.

"Chawalaleng" by comparison sounds very overproduced with many of the original elements of the bands sound have been replaced with electronic beatbox noises. The Pilfers also made the grave mistake of re-recording three songs from the original Pilfers album ("Hypnotized", "Climbing" and "Saga" which sound HORRIBLE compared to the originals, all victims of this new polished over produced sound. Other songs from "Chawalaleng" are just plain cheesy through and through such as "Choose Life".

"Chawalaleng" isn't all bad however, and does has it's moments. "Mr Exploita" is reminicant of the Pilfers first record and the new version of Coolie's song "Legal Shot" (originally performed with the Toasters) is also very good. "Why" captures the full range of the Pilfers quite nicely. Not all of the experimentation is bad either. "Skungle" is perhaps one of the most suprising and intriging songs on this CD. But overall it never comes close of reaching the heights or "elevation" achieved on the Pilfers first CD.

If you've never heard the Pilfers before, you will probably enjoy this CD very much...However if you get a chance to listen to the Pilfers first record, you will see how this is pale in comparison.

I love this CD, by far my favorite album. The Pilfers never leave my car, good driving music. And if you are feeling down listen to "Choose Life", and it will pick you up again. There are no bad songs on this CD---BUY IT!!! I think mostly everyone that buys this CD has seen them live. I had never heard of them until they opened for The Amazing Crowns----see them live, listen to this CD. Dance, feel happy.

The Pilfer are a great band. The first time I every heard them I went to one of there shows, and I feel in love with the way the music sounded and I have both of there albums. They are a mixed kind of music it's S.K.A, Punk, and Regga all mixed together, they have great songs.

I love this album, and it's one of the only ones that the whole album has been downloaded to my ipod!!
I actually got into this album in 1998 when studying and going out with a St Louis native. I didn't buy the album in the States, but visited a friend in Japan and found this album in a second hand record shop (thrift store) in downtown Nagoya - a Truely international cult following I think!!

This is the Urge's best CD ever. More heavier and less post-alternative laced. The best track on this CD is "Brainless". This intro gets the CD kicking and you will prepare for the ride of your lifetime. The material is very original. It's very different from 311, another great ska/punk/metal band. The trumpets add in nicely to this masterpiece. "All Washed Up" has more of a punk rock speed to it, which makes it another good song. Just buy the whole damn album. It's all good. No ska band can be as good as the Urge.

I have owned this CD since 1998. It is on my top 5 favorites of all-time.

What separates this band from the rest is:
1. LIVE PERFORMANCES: "Straight to Hell" is where The Urge sends those immatators who can't perform. I have seen dozens of nationally known bands, but NO ONE CAN PERFORM LIKE THE URGE. Period.

2. ENERGY: They give their shows 110%. The band is officially broken up but you can still catch them in their annual reunion shows in St. Louis. They just played 3 live soldout shows in St. Louis, their hometown and went on a small midwest tour to two shows at Mizzou, SMSU, KU, and SIUE.

Everyone's favorite ska superheroes burst onto the scene with this debut album and it's obvious from the start that they are one of a kind. The album offers up 10 ridiculously catchy ska anthems about, well, basically nothing, but who cares? With songs as infectiously silly as "Pinch And Roll," who needs deep meaning? This is a great CD, but it pales in comparison to their second work, "Fury Of The Aquabats," which contains revised versions of a few of the best songs here. But for fans of the Aquabats, this is a classic CD.

Well I picked this cd up last after all of the other three aquabats albums, and I was very surprised. The sound made me want to get up and dance. This cd is very short and more of a ska dance feel, it's classic. Many people disagree when I say this cd is there best, there are only ten songs but Playdough and CD Repo Man are so good plus the fact that Idiot Box and Martian Girl are originally from this cd makes them even more fun to listen to, this cd is essential for Aquabats fans and a ska fan.

Playdough- So catchy! Better than Super Rad. 10/10
Martian Girl- Long, 2nd best song about a Martian. 7/10
Ska Robot Army- A great song! Makes me want to party. 7/10
Idiot Box- Excellent. Slower than the remake but still great.8/10
Pinch & Roll- Wow! Hilarious and a good ska raggae feel. 9/10
Tarantula- A little repetitive but still funny and decent. 7/10
Marshmellow Man- Another great song, sound like the Toasters.8/10
Aquabat March- The only track I occasionaly skip, still ok. 5/10
CD Repo Man- Best on the cd, one of the best Aquabats songs.10/10
It's Crazy,Man! Another great song on the cd, fast and fun. 9/10

As you will see all of these songs on the cd are very high rated with one exception. You probably think I'm just rating these songs high because I just like the Aquabats, well if you don't beleive me then check my other review for the Fury Of the Aquabats or just buy the cd, trust me it's there best.

As always, The Aquabats have a style unlike any others. They have an excellent sense of humor and don't take themselves too seriously. Their songs themselves are also very catchy.

This is the Bosstones at their best. Fast brass rock. Ska to the core. They've put out nothing like it since. Oh skank heaven.

this is the bosstones greatest cd ever! it was the first one i ever heard and to this day remains the best...i enjoy their other stuff and own almost every album but this remains my personal fav...not just by them but my favorite ska album!
highly reccomend this to anyone!

Best Bosstones album ever.Dicky's gravely,ripping vocals adds to the great combination of punk and ska.Best album out there.Devil's Night Out and Haji are two of the best songs on this cd,although this cd can be listened the whole way through with out skipping any tracks.

Just have to say that this is some of the funnest music I have ever heard. This CD was recommended to me by a friend. In fact, tomorrow I am going to see Babaloo live in NYC! Can't wait because I know it will be a blast. You should buy Babaloo.

As a Boston native, I've been going to Babaloo shows for a few years now, and they just keep getting better. This is one of the most amazing bands I've ever heard, mainly because of the amazing range of different musical styles they employ. Their African, reggae, mambo and merengue sounds are wonderfully authentic. This CD features some of my favorite songs of theirs, including 2 songs sung by the lovely Smith Crankshaft, who is no longer in the band, but she has been known to grace us with her presence once in a while. Definitely buy this CD, but if you really want the essence of Babaloo, check out one of their live shows and be completely blown away. Enjoy!

Babaloo is exhilirating, entoxicating, envigorating. And even if I didn't grow up in Jamaica Plain too, I would still say that! 2nd only to the singular experience of Babaloo LIVE is this CD. Buy it, and listen often. You'll be a happier person for it.

If you've heard some good stuff about the slackers, or you just want to listen to some damn good music, buy this album. It is definitely on my top 5 albums of all time list. Vocalist and keys player Vic Ruggiero's amazing song writing ability really shines through in this cd. All 19 tracks are solid. Buy it now.

If you enjoy roots reggae, great lyrics, ska and a kick arse band these guys are for you. Probably their best album to date even though they all rule. Vic is far and away one of the best singer/songwriter of this generation. The guy cannot write a bad song. Everyone I have exposed these guys too becomes instantly hooked!

Regardless of what genre of music you're most into, The Slacker's The Question is among the best albums of any genre. The Slackers play with an authentic Jamaican ska sound. Ska/rocksteady/reggae such as this by The Slackers is great music. It's got soul, heart, a groove, harmonies, unique melodies, it's usually catchy as hell and it isn't meant to be commercialized! It's meant to be enjoyed and DANCED to!

Anyway if you've heard of the Slackers you probably already know how awesome they are. I would recommend this cd to anyone who is looking to find out what ska is all about, this is the cd I would give them. It's got 19 outstanding tracks that are sure you keep you dancin' on that deserted island.

This album is by far their best album. Unfortunetly, they have sold themselves out and signed a record deal with MCA Records and will now be heard on the radio. But their earliest albums are still good.

I've been a devout H2O fan for years, but I've only recently completed my H2O full length collection by picking this up. I must've been insane to have lived without this CD for so long. Obviously (look at my username), H2O has had a huge impact on me as a person, more specifically the lead singer Toby Morse. I think I'm lucky that I haven't seen H2O live while this CD has been absent from my collection (actually I'm seeing them live for the first time in August), and here's why:

There isn't one bad song on here. Of course, with the exception of Go, you can pretty much say that for all of their full lengths. Most specifically, their debut album is NYHC with a little more cheerful mood to it, if you will. Songs like "Spirit of '84", "Surrounded", "Here Today, Gone Tomorrow", and especially "5 Year Plan" and "Family Tree" have extremely infectious choruses or just "crew" vocal parts in general that beg you to memorize every word. Yeah yeah yeah, so what? This can be found in every hardcore band, right? Maybe, but I can only think of a few bands, namely Warzone, that incorporate true and positive lyrics in a such a catchy yet serious manner. Sorry if that didn't make any sense.

Another great thing about this CD compared to the others is that it's FASTER. Positive, catchy, and fast is the way hardcore should be, and even if this isn't really a hardcore album, H2O stays true to their roots and delivers in a truly distinctive way.

first off, let it be known that my music tastes are completely polar from any resemblance of hardcore. but, $hit! this is a great cd. i had heard the cd several times following its release, but disregarded it due to its hardcore style. then i actually took time to listen. from beginning to end the subjects of the songs are great. several years later i still drop this cd in to the deck and put it on repeat. any young man will identify with the content of h2o's material, and anyone with a pulse will sing along.

This CD is rock to the purest! When I found this band in '98..I got this CD and havent stopped listening to it yet!! Katrina Chester is an amazing vocalist..and with Ian Hattons guitar..makes for an amazing combination! I strongly recommend this CD to anyone!!

People, I can't say enough about this band! It's like rock has died with all the post-grunge stare at your shoes stuff that's been out there. These guys though are hailing back to real Rock. They have songs! Not whiney complaints set to second rate fuzzed up guitar... I am so glad Rock is beginning to register on the radar again... Oh and I saw these guys live, man the singer is a powerhouse with such an amazing range. The band is totally first rate also. The vibe I get is one of old Van Halen, Aerosmith, maybe some Doors in there too.

Amazing is *truly* the only word to describe Luxx, and the amazing voice of lead singer Katrina Chester. I have seen them in concert numerous times, and each time is better than the last!

A few weeks ago, all our CD's got stolen -- the first one that really hurt when we realized it was gone was Luxx. Both my fiance and myself adore the CD and the band.

I HIGHLY recommend this CD. Katrina's voice enchants people who aren't even fans of rock -- and the ones that are, don't even stand a chance. You'll be hers in a second!