Ska music reviews

Have you noticed that a lot of "ska" bands are really punk bands with an occassional horn section thrown in?
The Toasters are not that. They are a ska band, and "Enemy Of The System" is a ska cd.
No...This cd is more than just a ska cd. It is a bittersweet love letter to Jamaican ska music, full of hope, joy, a bit of anger, and remembrance of better days.
The first track, "Skafinger" sets the foundation for the rest of the cd. It immediately got my foot tapping, and head bobbing.
From there on, it's just great 2-Tone ska 'til the end. Other tracks I liked included, "Dog Eat Dog", "Sweet Home Jamaica", "Pirate Radio", "Barney" and a bonus track,"Party in Rio".
Whereas many ska bands rely on heavy guitar work to carry a cd, and therefore come across sounding more like a rock band, this cd is full of amazing sax, trumpet, and trombone solos and combinations. So, not only do I highly recommend this cd to ska fans, but to anyone currently in, or is thinking about forming, a ska band.
I can only hope that "Enemy Of The System" marks a new revival of ska music in the US, and that this cd will serve as its template.

This album ranks as one of the best of a stellar band. You can enjoy the whole thing front to back (or side to side, however you enjoy your music). Where DLTBGYD just piled on more tracks, this one sticks to a lean 12 (not counting the hiddden stuff). Anyways, its obvious that they've seen a lot of good and bad, and have a story to tell. If you get this, you also have to pick up dub 56, and Hard Band for Dead. you're ears will thank you.

This album ranks as one of the best of a stellar band. You can enjoy the whole thing front to back (or side to side, however you enjoy your music). Where DLTBGYD just piled on more tracks, this one sticks to a lean 12 (not counting the hiddden stuff). Anyways, its obvious that they've seen a lot of good and bad, and have a story to tell. If you get this, you also have to pick up dub 56, and Hard Band for Dead. you're ears will thank you.

These guys are fun, fun, fun. I don't think it's possible to put on this album and not get into a good mood. However, four stars for this album. Five stars, though, for their brilliant "World Famous" album.

This awesome band creates yet another stonking record, Full Tension Beaters. Ska Para consistently hit the mark with incredible arrangements and top musicianship. All five horns play tight together even over the most demanding of lines, their tuning and style is second to none. This is a fun album for Ska, Jive and Jazz lovers everywhere.

The opening track, Hot Shot, is a fast tune in Bb. It shows off their talent for melodic yet powerful arranging. Trumpet takes the first solo, screaming in with #4 minims. Piano takes the second, playing up and down the whole range of his instrument with tremendous gusto.

The `shout' version of Dizzy's Blues is another track to note, the trumpet again taking responsibility for the solo. Nargo pulls it off in superb style displaying an incredibly dextrous technique at ff.

The live tune, Jon Lord (live dub), demonstrates an exceptional skill at building a piece of music up, from a percussion intro and a bass line through to sparse keyboard, guitar and baritone lines. It flows trough many choruses before a trombone solo is played and then a trumpet solo before peaking at the end with the whole band enjoying their small but important roles. It has an incredible effect; even for a live piece it has a confident and polished sound.

Their cover of Duke Ellington's, In A Sentimental Mood, is a strong album ender. The tune builds up through big piano and tenor ralls, through a percussion solo into the melody and finally breaks down into trombone and trumpet parts. Gamo, on tenor, takes the first and only solo sticking to a traditional style of Jazz playing, later on putting fills in and around the melody.

Individually these musicians are highly skilled, both at soloing and at ensemble playing. These are skills that are important to have when performing and recording tunes as complicated as these, and even songs that aren't.

The problem, in my opinion, with many modern jazz hybrids like this, is that they lose intensity when they start to record in the studio. This is certainly not the case with Ska Para. Take for instance the New York Ensemble, generally they have the same sort of ideas but sadly the emotion doesn't come across. Their sound is weak and lacking in substance.

Annoyingly for my argument I can't hear anything wrong with this album, I am unable to single out a `weakest player' as such. The production of this record cannot be faulted; even the photographs on the inlay are of high quality, exhibiting both style and substance.

This album is a truly original creation that can only push forward the boundaries of jazz; mixing up rock, dance floor, jive, ska and jazz has never been done better.

This is an incredible band from Japan, in their best-ever album. Funk, jazz, rock, reggae and tons of ska in a explosive package. If you like ska played at a speed of light, this is probably one of the Essentials. Amazing. (And don't let the fact that they are from Japan fool you: this is world-class material).

This is the group of reggae/jazz incredibles right here. Guitar mastermind Ernest Ranglin dazzles me and will never stop. First he recruits Antonio Hart, who probably is one of the greatest saxophonists living today, and has him blow the house down. His solos on all the songs are great. Ernest himself does quite a job himself, and matches all his solos. I'd have to say this is one of the only reggae cds I like. Take a listen to all the songs, you'll never get bored.

P.S Please Check Out My Other Reviews!

This CD is worth getting. I got this CD for over 17.99, and Amazon sells it cheaper. I listened to the CD over and over, and have never gotten sick of it. I have memorized the solos which are incredible by both the saxophones and the guitar. It really is a nice mix, since the sounds of the saxophone and guitar really blend together nicely. It also helps that the players have nice flowing solos, so the songs are upbeat and never get boring. Track 3, The Bubbler has a good solo by the saxophone who sounds exactly like Michael Brecker. This is a good buy!

Here we have a fine blend of sax, vibes, guitar, percussion, and some other varying instruments resulting in superb, rhythmic jazz flavored Jamaica sounds. Every piece is excellent, and there are some nifty guiter solos for the guitar buff! All in all, darn good. My only criticism is that the tunes and rhythms do get a bit repetitive, but still a 5-star piece!

Overall this is a decent compilation of Fueled by Ramen records. Personnally, if having to choose between the first samplier and the second, I would have sided with the first. As far as the actual CD is concerned, the Stereo's and Impossible's songs are by far the best stuff on the CD. "Sweet Redemption" by Jersey and "15 years" by Ensign are also very good songs that add to the many genres that make up Fueled by Ramen records. The one missing aspect of this record is a song contributed by the band Jimmy Eat World, which released their "Lucky Denver Mint" single/EP on this label. With this inclusion , the complilation could only have been better. Though without, it is still a very good effort.

it's quite good. i wouldn't buy it if it were the price of most other cd's. but seeing that this is just a sampler, and it's cheap, i reccommend it. the only band i'd heard before was the alkaline trio, but once i heard some of the others, i realied that there were some good bands on here. if you have some extra money, like the [cheap] sampler cd's, and a little extra time for some good music, go ahead and buy this.

Most Indie record samplers showcase the way that most bands on that label are carbon copies of each other. The FBR sampler showcase several diverse genres in a half hour -- whether it be the The poppy alternative beat of The Impossibles, The cheery catchiness of The Stereo, the uncompramising attitude of Jersey, the metallic hardcore of Spitfire, the punk rocking punk rockingnous of Strike Anywhere, the funky beat of the Causeway, the pure straight-edge hardcore of Ensign, and of course, you cannot leave out the greatest band to hit the scene -- The Alkaline Trio, and there are many others, but it would take to long to list all the great bands feautured on the sampler.

Bad Manners were the pioneers of Ska/New wave/Zaniness and probably a few other categories that I missed. All I know is that I went back & got this Cd to relive my early 80's party days, and wound up rediscovering the fun that was Bad Manners.For fun, you can't beat this puppy! The Cossack-sounding That Will Do Nicely opens up the Cd, with the fun & echoey Salad Bar next. Tonight is Your Night is a great sing along while Sampson & Delilah & Exodus are great!My Girl Lollipop might have been done before, and recived the radio play, but remains my favorite, none-the-less.The Cd then goes into some hummable tracks, including the nutty remake of Van Morrisons Whats Up Crazy Pup! It may seem to you like I reviewed just about every song, and you'd be right! It's just that good. Listen to it yourself!(Whatever happened to Fatty Buster Bloodvessel, and more importantly, does he still hold the record for the most Big Macs eaten in one sitting?).

Buster and the crew, are always a pleasure to work with, and this album is truly bad manners, great fun! Tony Beet, Ex-International Beat..

i know them for many years now, and still grazy about the music and the people who are playing it. i hope they will go on for a long time

Seeing Buck-o-nine is definately one of the best shows you'll experience mostly because it seems to be more enjoyable for them to be playing for you than for you to be there. They always take the time say thanks to their fans. Once the trombone player ran across Sunset blvd dodging traffic just to thank me for coming to the show when all i did was wave to him. Not that their musicianship wasn't phenomenal, they are tight, skilled and explode with energy and between every song they become as entertaining conversationalists as players. That's why i was a little disappointed in this live effort. The sound quality pays them no respect and seems kind of dud. I feel that for a band that thrives on stage this album does not represent them well. Too bad for such a great band. Don't let this album or review taint your image of a band that has never let me down at a show and if they are ever in your area pick up a ticket immediately.

I collect music, it is my hobby. This Buck O Nine c.d. is fairly good but nothing too amazing. The sound quality is not that good, you hear more bass than anything else, but the band I think knows that. As for the unreleased songs, they are really good, more reggea then ska, but overall really good. I only say die-hard fans buy this because one, it is out of print and two, to really enjoy it you have to have all the albums. If just getting into Buck O Nine buy 'Libido' or '28 Teeth.'

Sounds Like: Less Than Jake, Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Mustard Plug

This album is AMAZING! If you have ever been lucky enough to see Buck-O-Nine live then you know what I am talking about! All the best songs with Jon's famous in between chit chat....Highly reccomended!

Sugar Minott, what can you say about the man, he just hasn't got the props that is due to him. A genius musician and creative talent out of JA that still rivals with the best of them. This album features an array of artists through several periods of time. The stand out feature on this album is the talent that Minott produced these songs for...Johnny Osbourne has a brilliant modern roots song Rope In Rasta, Horace Andy, Every Tongue Shall Tell, African Bros. Father Lead Us, Sly & Robbie War Power and the Dub. Excellent tunes from obscure artist, Jr. Roots' Natty Dread Time, "Progress" by Barry Brown, all show Minott's ability to tap into the very best in an artist. The albim can be a bit too mix match, but offers a steady flow. Big Up bro. Minott!

Great compilation, with tracks from reggae legends and some lesser knowns. All classic 80 roots and dancehall.

What makes this release far more interesting than other compilations is the fact that they have included no less than 10 previously unreleased tracks. Don't consider these unreleased tracks as inferior left-overs, but as high-quality tunes drawn from Sugar's extensive vaults. Listen to Alton Ellis' lovers tune Still Trying and War Race by Branches and you know what I mean ! The first set was well received by the reggae massive and this set looks like proving just as popular.
This volume showcases such killer tunes as the Junior Roots 1981 boom tune, Natty Dread Time and Progress by rootsman Barry Brown. Sugar Minott is known for his amazing ability to create new melodies across classic (mostly) Studio One riddims. Here you'll find two versions of his own hit 'River Jordan' (itself being a reworking of Alton Ellis 'I'm Just A Guy'): the combination Captian Sinbad & Little John (at the tender age of 9 !) with 51 Storm and Cassyman's Humble Yourself. Some seriously sought after tunes like the remix of Tenor Saw's dancehall classic Lots Of Sign, the criminally underrated Sammy Dread with Because Of Money and the 1970 African Brothers tune Father Lead Us are featured here as well. Sugar Minott's Penny For My Song can also be found on his album 'African Girl', one of Sugar's early eighties albums.
Probably one of the best Black Roots compilations ever, this set is a testament to the durability and strength of Sugar Minott's productions...another superb item from the Easy Star crew !

From the NJ cover band circuit, Katrina Chester has taken her sometimes sultry/sometimes abrasive vocal style and continued to deliver quality hard rock. The winning elements of the first LUXX album are here, and at times, HYDROPONIC rocks even harder. She's got a great band and it's only a matter of time before a major label takes notice.

A follow up to their first release (Luxx, Luxx) Hydroponic is a beautifully written and produced album. With the udeniable Luxx style in every song it seems that these amazing artists have reached out to try a few different styles...ALL WINNERS!! It seems there is no end to the creativity of this group! Rock on LUXX!!!

New York City's Luxx entitled their sophomore effort "Hydroponic" as a reflection on how the album was made: with no record label or commercial support. Written and produced by the band, Hydroponic is a lush recording: deftly layering guitarist Ian Hatton's pop-sensible, guitar-rock hooks, over the pulsating rhythms laid down by bassist Tony Fennel and drummer Dave Steele. Floating over it all, is of course, the sultry voice of vocalist Katrina Chester. With songs ranging from the screaming betrayal of "Pandora" (in which Katrina describes catching her boyfriend and her best friend in a compromising position), to the wonderfully rich and orchestrated strains of "Don't Let Me Down", to the anthemic "Understand", Luxx consistently delivers songs that demand your attention.

Toots & The Maytals make melodic reggae with beautiful vocal harmonies. This album has a spiritual undertone and lots of soul. My favorites here include Got To Be There, the title track, Time Tough, the John Denver song Take Me Home Country Roads, 54-36 and Fever. A very accomplished set that demonstrates the band's versatility and their musical prowess that earned them an almost mythical status in Jamaica. Reggae comes in many forms - whereas there is a strong rock influence in the music of Marley and Tosh, for example, the music of the Maytals is a seamless blend of reggae and soul. Listen and enjoy.

Every song on this album is truly fantastic. "In the Dark" should appeal to everyone, young & old, and for fans of reggae, this should be the next CD you pick up.

It is hard to imagine how the record company decided to leave any song on this album off of the greatest hits package, especially, "Love Gonna Walk Out On Me", which is one of the best songs I have ever heard.

One of my top five albums of any genre of music. Hibbert's vocals are passionate and enduring. You'll find the majority of the tracks on their anthology, but not all; and believe me you want them all! I recommend this album highly to any fans of great music.

The Jinkies Debut CD was alright, but definately not what I expected. The only two songs that really got me groovin' were "Something New" (a GREAT song) & "Road Trip", other than that... like i stated earlier, the album was okay - nothing special, just another ska band with nothing original to really offer to the scene. They have good lyrics, but the singers don't really have the best timing when melodizing with the background music. They couldn't keep up with the music at times, and that was just a pitiful minus. Oh wells, they still earned my respect - they got at least 2 good tunes... if that's enough for you to buy the album, go for it - but for me... it was a waste.

I really like the Siren Six who are on the same record label as the Jinkies, so I bought this one. It's more mellow than the Six, but it's really good! I like the singing alot, the two girls are fun. If you totally love ska as much as I do, I think you should buy it!

...and most of the credit goes to adorable Christy and Leah, the sweet lead singers. I disagree with the other reviewer's comments--I think they are wonderful! They get silly and have fun in the great tradition of the girls in the B-52's and the Dance Hall Crashers. The variety of songs keeps the listener's attention all the way through, with some rock-steady, a little tropicalismo, 2-Tone...and did I mention FUN?? The Jinkies are definitely worth a listen!