Ska music reviews

YEAH ROCKER-T IS REGGAE AND SUBLIME IS MORE OF YOUR
SKA-PUNK STYLE MUSIC.DONT OVERLOOK WHO LAID THE PATH
BOB MARLEY,STEEL PULSE,THIRD WORLD,PETER TOSH,YELLOWMAN
AND MANY,MANY MORE.WITHOUT BOB MARLEY REGGAE WOULD NOT
BE WHAT IT IS TODAY,SOME TRY BUT CAN NOT DUPLICATE...
AS FAR AS SUBLIME GOES THEY PUT OUT ALOT OF GREAT MUSIC
BUT THERE STYLE WAS CHANGING FROM TRACK TO TRACK. A LITTLE
PUNK,ROCK,REGGAE,SKA AND EVEN SOME SALSA TYPE [STUFF]...
SO FOR ONE OF THE PREVIOUS PEOPLE WHO WROTE A REVIEW ON THIS
ALBUM HE OBVIOUSLY DOES NOT HAVE AN OPEN MIND AND LISTEN
TO ALL TYPES OF MUSIC ,BUT TRYS TO PUT ONE STYLE AHEAD OF
ALL OTHERS. THERE IS SO MUCH GREAT MUSIC OUT THAT I CAN
GO FROM RAP TO ROCK TO THRASH METAL TO REGGAE TO SOME GOOD
OLD FUNK....YOU SHOULD LISTEN TO THESE ALBUMS
-BOB MARLEY:EXODUS
-THIRD WORLD:ANY ONE YOU GET (IT'S ALL GOOD)
-STEEL PULSE:SAME AS ABOVE
-YELLOWMAN:SAME AS ABOVE
-TOO RUDE-SELF TITLED(VERY GOOD NEW REGGAE)
-KOTTONMOUTH KINGS:ALL ALBUMS (RAP,ROCK,REGGAE,PUNK-ROCK)
-SUBLIME:40 oz. TO FREEDOM (MY PERSONAL FAVORITE;ALL GOOD)
-MIX MOB:SO CAL DRUNKS (RAP,ROCK,REGGAE,PUNK-ROCK)
-LONG BEACH DUB ALLSTARS:BOTH ARE GREAT(SAME AS SUBLIME
MINUS BRAD NOWELL) (R.I.P.) SMOKE 2 JOINTS......

i'm sick of people thinking that sublime was a "reggae" band. god, get over it. next time somebody compares an awesome album like this one to a sh1tty band such as sublime, i'm gonna go to their house and jam a lee perry album down their throat. thanks. buy this.

I just bought this album recently, I was simply amazed. Th is one of the few hidden gems that didnt get recognized by the MTV types.

ok...well if you wanna waste $11.98 than buy this cd cuz thats all you'll be doing is wasting it. I suggest you go out and buy Drunken Lullabies, Swagger, or Within a Mile of Home by Flogging Molly. Blood or Whiskey may be irish but they need to think up a better career...i was very disapointed, especially after having listened to dropkick murphys and flogging molly and then listenin to them...

If you like real Irish roots music ie. The Pogues, The Dubliners, buy this CD. If you're more into over produced pseudo punk bands like Flogging Molly or Dropkick Murphy's, then don't. Blood or Whiskey are very good songwriters who mainly play trad Irish instruments. This is great drinking music, and is perfect for arond St. Paddy's Day and all year long.

Without a doubt, Blood or Whiskey is my favorite group of all time. The music is catchy and I find that I can't get it out of my head. The lead singer has a very deep raspy voice, and unlike Dropkick or Flogging Molly, Blood or Whiskey are actually based out of Ireland and have a real Irish flair. Blood or Whiskey tend to steer clear of obnoxious guitar riffs and instead stick to banjo and mandolin solos, and some amazing penny whistle solos. Truely a great Irish band with flare and talent.

i bought the album before i went to work one day.and when i got to work i put it in.just to piss my boss off becuase he hates ska. but as i was working and listening i liked what i heard but wasnt really paying attention. but when i got home and really listened i liked it alot. its a good quality record good music. if you like slapstick, less than jake or mustard plug you'll like these guys

I got into Potshot through the Mailorder is Fun compilations from Asian Man Records, and ordered this album along with Potshot's Rock n' Roll. This is truly an awesome ska/punk album.
Every song is happy and uplifting, and the horns add so much. Give it a listen.

There are hundreds of skapunk bands out there. Many of them sound very similiar, and Potshot doesn't do anything that stretches skapunk much further. But for what they are, they're excellant. SkaPunk at it's best. This CD should be in anyone's collection of skapunk. Their second CD is good too, but not as good. They are sort of like Kemuri with heavier japanese accents, which i like. Sure, some of the songs are corny, but most skapunk is. My favorite song is radio. Check this out.

When I read the Reggae Injection press release, I was a bit sceptical. How many times do you read some thing about a new release, that is supposed to bring you back to what some regard as the golden years of reggae? And how many times did you found out that what bands call "old skool" in fact is not? I know I have come across this. What many people seem to forget, that it is not only the music that makes a release sound "old skool", but the way it was produced is at least as much important as the music itself. How can you make ancient sounds with new technology? Much better it is to use the real thing. Spring Reverbs and Tape Delays instead of new computerized effects. But you can never reach there in this time.

Strange thing, this (Reggae) Injection that the (Rhythm) Doctors gave me. It makes me kinda philosophical after listening to 12 Shots of, what I really must call, Authentic Reggae and Ska. Although it does not sound 100% like the real thing only because the recording is simply too good still, I must say that this CD comes very close. And although the press release mentions the sound of Lee Perry's BLACK ARK STUDIO, there is hardly a phaser used on the CD and on those tracks where it is used, it's not done in the Lee Perry style. No, most of the music style pre-dates Black Ark for real. The Doctors play a very energetic kind of music, sometimes reggae and sometimes ska. Every track is instrumental, but many titles open up with some crazy vocals, which gives you the feeling that you're listening to movie soundtracks. One track uses a melody line from a gospel song ("I Love You Lord"), revealing the faith of (some) band members.

As I said earlier, the Doctors play a kind of reggae and ska as it was played in the late 1960's to the early 1970's. Not all tracks are like that, though. As the CD progresses you'll find some tracks using the Steppers Drum (basdrum beat on every count) and there's even three real Dubs present. And three real nice Dubs they are for real! I hear many vintage effects like Spring Reverb.

When you like Sure Dread's instrumental tracks, or the Stubborn All Stars, I think you will also love the Rhythm Doctors. But if absence of vocals (or Dub) bothers you, then this one is not for you. But they sure make real what they write in the press release: "Reggae Injection is for everyone that'd given up on listening to new Reggae or SKA Bands." If you don't believe me, take into consideration, that they have backed up for Prince Buster recently (september 2000).

ONCE AGAIN TKO RECORDS DO NOT DISSAPOINT WITH THIS TOP QUALITY (& TOP PRODUCTION) FROM THE Rhythm Doctors,the last time i heard anything like this was at an ice skating rink many years ago where a man would belt out a tune on a great stage at the side of the ice... the structure of the ice rink would make this one man sound like a full ensemble &...boy would i like to see the Rhythm Doctors at the ice rink now. mainly organ led this falls between soul reggae & ska (& not the annoying stuff that passes its self as ska nowadays) every tune is an uplifting affair and its the mark of a great band that (an instrumental band) can keep your attention for the whole of the cd..the only instrumental band to do that to me since the great compositions of SOUNDS INSTRUMENTAL way back when.. i reccomend this if you are already fans of the allstonians,mobtown usuals etc

It is so great to see somebody with the guts to do this style of reggae! In a time when people watch too many talk shows, and think "skinhead reggae" is an oxymoron, The Rhythm Doctors bring back the sound after thirty years with a vengenance. All the tributes to skinhead reggae are here: the hammond organ sound, the plucky riffs, thumping bass, and cheesy skits. Very traditionaly, yet highly original! "66-40" is my favorite song.

I first saw this band at a pre-FSU football game party on the campus, and thought they rocked. I got their CD and was very impressed. Good riffs and clean, crisp horns. A very good SKA album.

The Double Deckers are one of the most orginal ska bands I have heard in a long time. They have a style that is all their own that is oozing with talent and orginality. The CD is a wonderful mix of different elements that showcases their talents and their personalities. A definate must have in any ska collection. The CD is wonderful and is only topped by their live perfomances. Ska, Swing, Funk, Jazz, Latin and Rock are all blended together on Showtime. Highly recommend.

The eclectic debut sways, swings, saunders, and skanks its way through soundsystems everywhere, causing unexplainable feelings of dance. Tropical sounds mix with music fit for a bull- fighting toreador's theme. Classical elements mix with traditional ska music keep bodies moving...

Skankin' Pickle plays mostly uptempo third wave ska revival and faster, modern ska-punk on this album, although they take the occassional break to slow down and play some more light-hearded ska on a few tracks ($13k, Onyonghasayo and Margaret Cho for example). But throughout the album, they show that they're very capable musicians, able to blend both the sounds and the feeling of ska and punk seemlessly.

Most of SP's lyrical content is light-hearted and easygoing, although the song "Hate" gets a little more serious. They do a fantastic cover of the 80s song "Turning Japanese" by The Vapors. I've heard several covers of this song by various bands over the years, and this one is by far my favorite, they nailed it. Some other favorite songs on this album are "$13k is a lot of food" and "I'm in love with a girl named spike".

This is the only studio produced album I own of SP, but I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys modern ska-punk, although you may very well enjoy this album even if you're not accustomed to the style.

Skankin' Pickle plays mostly uptempo third wave ska revival and faster, modern ska-punk on this album, although they take the occassional break to slow down and play some more light-hearded ska on a few tracks ($13k, Onyonghasayo and Margaret Cho for example). But throughout the album, they show that they're very capable musicians, able to blend both the sounds and the feeling of ska and punk seemlessly.

Most of SP's lyrical content is light-hearted and easygoing, although the song "Hate" gets a little more serious. They do a fantastic cover of the 80s song "Turning Japanese" by The Vapors. I've heard several covers of this song by various bands over the years, and this one is by far my favorite, they nailed it. Some other favorite songs on this album are "$13k is a lot of food" and "I'm in love with a girl named spike".

This is the only studio produced album I own of SP, but I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys modern ska-punk, although you may very well enjoy this album even if you're not accustomed to the style.

"Sing Along..." is an upbeat, horns-blaring, fun third wave ska CD. The horns are loud, the lyrics are speedy, and the style is both varied and comfortable. The instrumentals are fantastic. Highly recommended.

very good and stuf

This CD has it all covered, punk, reggae, swing, and just plain SKA! I've never seen a more complete and balanced compilation. It is a MUST for ska fans. The cover songs CD is hillarious, and not to mention well done. The set even has rare and live cuts on it as well. Don't pass it up!

This cd's great. It's got so many songs and so many types of ska ranging from third wave ta traditional, some dumb, some good, but all in all, A GREAT CD!!!

The music is excellent but...
the sound quality on these cheapo box sets IS a let-down. I have quite a few of them and in some instances i have the same songs on other non-trojan cd:s. Sometimes they definitely sound much worse (no high frequences) and sometimes they just sound different.

A less important fault with this box set is that it includes some rock steady tracks as well. I love rock steady, but this says something about the lack of care that went into this product.

I view these box sets as a road map and an alternative to hard-to-find mp3s. Once I have aquired the majority of tracks on other better compilations then i will sell them all.

Shame on those listeners who have chosen to criticize Trojan for the release of these comprehensive, low-priced, collections of chestnuts.

As another listener pointed out, the sound quality is about what is to be expected given the nature and level of the technology at the time these recordings were originally made. Yes, they're at times a bit primitive, but that's the nature of the beast.

If you want Steely Dan, go find it elsewhere.

Not strictly for purists, the entire series is a fantastic introduction for the neophyte, as well as a tremendous resource for the long-standing aficionados among us.

A better bargain cannot be found. Kudos to Trojan.

If you're getting only three of these to start, I'd recommend "Rocksteady" and "Instrumentals" as well. Hopefully Amazon.com will add the latter very soon.

Yeah. The sound quality isn't any good because no Jamaican recordings have ever been good. The quality of these recordings is suprisingly good considering. The bass comes through very well...check your headphones, the dub recordings are fantastic quality against any recording standards of the time...Allan, pal, if you're going to review something, maybe you should know about it first: these recordings were first laid on wax and recorded by singing into a tin can basically. Bottom line, these recordings are fantastic, Trojan did a great job assembling this and all of their compilations and the sound quality is the best that jamaican music recorded in the 1960's can be.

While this is a very good collection, the double CD "Time Tough" includes all the tracks here, but does a better job of covering the whole Toots spectrum, and the sound quality is quite a bit better. So while I agree with the positive reviews here, you get a lot more bang for the buck with "Time Tough". And TT gives you a lot more of his latter work, when love and spirituality infused his work and raised reggae to a higher plane. Go on and spend the extra $10, you won't be sorry (like I was when I bought this then still had to go out and buy "Time Tough" to get a sampling of ALL the Toots and the Maytals I came to love through buying most of his LPs in the 70's and 80's.

I was lucky enough to see both Bob Marley & the Wailers and Toots & the Maytals on the same double bill at the Beacon Theater in NYC back in the '70's. Until then I had heard neither. While Bob Marley was phenomenal. He did more with simply folding his arms than most rockers do flailing all around the stage & smashing guitars. But the true revelation was Toots & the Maytals. They didn't stop until they rocked the house. Listening to this "Best of" collection brings that night home to me. If you've never experienced Toots & the Maytals, buy this collection, and give it a listen. You won't stop dancing and swaying. I promise.

This is good time music.

Reggae has that laid back feeling. It brings you to that place only reggae can bring you with a Red Stripe beer preferably.

My only complaint is some of the tracks (including 1968's "Do The Reggay" a song credited as coining the word reggae), though probably remastered, do not sound so crisp. Especially for stuff that was recorded in the 1960's. I wonder if it could sound better.

Anyway, Toots & the Maytals are awesome. How could you not be with a name like that. Check them out.

You know I was considering buying this cd until I heard the last song on the cd

I bought this CD after hearing a sample of some of their songs off of a Hopelessly Devoted to You sampler CD and I was very pleased. THis is like angry ska music, I guess some would call it Skacore, whatever it is I like it a lot. But I am sad to say that my CD has gone either missing or was stolen because I havent seen it now in about 2 months, but luckily it is on my computer and my mp3 player. Anyways, this CD has very catchy songs with some sweet horns and awesome anti-authority lyrics. Highly recommended for fans of ska music. I also own their CD 24-hour Roadside Resistance and I greatly like this one better, this one is much more ska than 24 hour.

I thought this was a pretty good CD, some new songs and some old songs. If you like this I recommend Choking Victim and Operation Ivy.
And to the guy who said the thing about "a ska band that hates ska", Ska sucks is a cover song from Propagandhi, which is a joke song.