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"Uprising [Bonus Tracks] [Remaster]" (07/31/2001) Reggae Marley, Bob, Tuff GongBob Marley & The Wailers: Bob Marley (vocals, acoustic & electric guitars); Aston "Family Man" Barrett (guitar, piano, bass, percussion); Junior Marvin (guitar, background vocals); Tyrone Downie (keyboards, background vocals); Carlton Barrett (drums, percussion). The I Threes: Rita Marley, Marcia Griffiths, Judy Mowatt (background vocals). Producer: Bob Marley & The Wailers. Reissue producers: Bill Levenson, Maxine Stowe. Recorded at Tuff Gong Studio, Kingston, Jamaica. Originally released on Island (9596). Digitally remastered by Ted Jensen (2001, Sterling Sound, New York, New York). Personnel: Bob Marley (vocals, acoustic guitar); I-Threes (vocals); Aston Barrett (guitar, piano, percussion); Julian Marvin, Junior Marvin (guitar, background vocals); Tyrone Downie (keyboards, background vocals); Earl Lindo (keyboards); Carlton "Carlie" Barrett (drums, percussion); Alvin Patterson (percussion); Judy Mowatt, Marcia Griffiths, Rita Marley (background vocals). Audio Mixers: Chris Blackwell; Errol Brown . Recording information: Tuff Gong Studios, Kinston, Jamaica. Photographer: Adrian Boot. Bob Marley generated a staggering number of great records during his brief time in the world's spotlight. Although he cut his first recordings in the early 1960s, it was not until the 1973 release of CATCH A FIRE that Marley and the Wailers became international stars. Eight years later Marley was dead, a victim of cancer. In between, he recorded eight studio albums and several live albums, all of excellent quality. UPRISING is Marley's final album, and it's also one of his best. As on all his recordings, Marley's writing displays the gift for melody that helped non-Jamaican audiences gain access to his music even when he was singing about the details of island life and the doctrine of Rastafarianism. The most popular tracks here, "Could You Be Loved" and "Redemption Song," are pop masterpieces, but so too are lesser known tracks "Coming In From The Cold," "Pimper's Paradise," and "Bad Card." And except for "Redemption Song," a stunningly poignant protest song that features only Marley on vocal and acoustic guitar, you can dance to it. What more could you ask for? Uprising would be the final studio album featuring Bob Marley & the Wailers to be released during Marley's lifetime. Prophetically, it also contains some of the band's finest crafted material, as if they were cogent that this would be their final outing. The album's blend of religious and secular themes likewise creates a very powerful and singular quest for spirituality in a material world. Although it is argued that an album's graphic design rarely captures the essence of the work inside, the powerful rebirthing image of a rock-solid Marley emerging with his arms raised in triumph could not be a more accurate visual description of the musical jubilation within. Musically, the somewhat staid rhythms often synonymous with reggae have been completely turned around to include slinky and liquid syncopation. "Work," "Pimper's Paradise," and the leadoff track, "Coming in From the Cold," are all significant variations on the lolloping Rasta beat. The major differences are the sonic textures that manipulate and fill those patterns. The inventive and unique guitar work of Al Anderson -- the only American member of the original Wailers -- once again redefines the role of the lead electric guitar outside of its standard rock & roll setting. "Zion Train" is awash in wah-wah-driven patterns, creating an eerie, almost ethereal backdrop against Marley's lyrics, which recollect images from Peter Tosh's "Stop That Train" all the way back on Marley & the Wailers' international debut, Catch a Fire. The final track on the original pressing of Uprising is "Redemption Song." Never has an artist unknowingly written such a beautiful and apropos living epitaph. The stark contrast from the decidedly electric and group-oriented album to this hauntingly beautiful solo acoustic composition is as dramatic as it is visionary. Less than a year after the release of Uprising, Marley would succumb to cancer. The 2

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"Dancehall Classics, Vol. 2 [Sequence] [PA]" (05/02/2006) Reggae Various Artists, SequencePhotographer: Chad Hogan.

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"Songs of Freedom [Box]" (11/16/1999) Reggae Marley, Bob, Island Records (USA)Personnel includes: Bob Marley (vocals, guitar); Aston Barrett (guitar, bass); Earl "Chinna" Smith (guitar); Dean Fraser, Tommy McCook (saxophone); Rita Marley, Peter Tosh, Judy Mowatt, Marcia Griffiths (background vocals). Producers include: Leslie Kong, Clement Dodd, The Wailers, Johnny Nash, Lee "Scratch" Perry. Engineers include: Lee Perry, Carlton Lee, Alex Sadkin. Includes liner notes by Rob Partridge, Rita Marley, Derrick Morgan, John "Rabbit" Bundrick and Timothy White. During his all-too brief life, Bob Marley established himself as one of the giants of modern music; he stands on par with the likes of Miles Davis and Bob Dylan, performers who took established musical forms and revolutionized them, who continually evolved their vision throughout their careers. From his first single, the bouncy "Judge Not," through a loose, live rendition of the haunting "Redemption Song" performed at his last stage appearance, SONGS OF FREEDOM documents Bob Marley's musical legacy better than any previous compilation, and probably, better than any likely to come. Marley was at his peak at the time of his death in 1981, meaning there is no filler or weak material here, only four solid discs of great songs. His philosophical evolution is easily seen: listen to a rude-boy anthem, like the early hit "Simmer Down," next to a later exploration of Rastafarianism, such as "Crazy Baldheads," and eventual statements of pan-Africanism in songs like "Zimbabwe" and "Africa Unite." Musically, Marley's music expanded just as far. He utilizes Stylistics-like harmonies on "High Tide Or Low Tide," incorporates early-80's R&B into the sound of "Could You Be Loved," and even throws a basic blues shuffle into the alternate mix of "Three Little Birds." SONGS OF FREEDOM is exhaustive and beautifully packaged. It is loaded with previously unreleased material, songs from the Ska years, the late-60's Lee Perry productions, and all of the highlights of the Island years. There are extended versions of famous singles like "Exodus" and "Jammin'" so that we can hear dub aspects of the music that only Jamaicans and hardcore fans were previously aware of. Outside Jamaica, reggae begins and ends with Bob Marley. SONGS OF FREEDOM goes a long way to explain why.

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"What One Riddim Can Do [Penthouse]" (04/18/2006) Reggae Various Artists, VP RecordsOne of the first of the Jamaican one-rhythm albums, What One Riddim Can Do was originally released in 1992 as a sort of answer to Beres Hammond's huge Jamaican hit "What One Dance Can Do" from 1985. The rhythm that producer Willie Lindo provided for Hammond's original song has been reproduced here by Donovan Germain in ten different mixed versions (only nine are listed -- there is an unlisted hidden track), and several artists take their turn creating new melodies and approaches over it, including Sugar Minott's pass at it as "Cool Down," saxophonist Dean Fraser's instrumental version as "Pressure on the Sax," and Audrey Hall's direct and spunky response to the original Hammond song, "One Dance Won't Do." The rhythm itself is simple and infectious, if maybe a little maddening when heard over and over again, but this set gets it right by keeping things short and sweet, exiting before the rhythm can burn itself out. Germain fundamentally understood the importance of not overdoing things in these kinds of collections, a lesson unfortunately often unheeded by subsequent one-rhythm anthologies, which can include too many versions to keep the rhythm sounding fresh and vital. ~ Steve Leggett

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"R&B Hits Reggae Style, Vol. 2" (05/23/2005) Reggae Various Artists, VP RecordsPhotographer: Paul Neil. This collection features several Jamaican vocalists taking a shot at redefining American R&B in an island context. Sanchez leads things off with an easy, bubbling version of Luther Vandross' "Superstar" that is easily the most interesting track here, although Glen Washington's take on Luther Ingram's "(If Loving You Is Wrong) I Don't Want to Be Right" and J.D. Smooth's bright run-through of Al Green's "Let's Stay Together" are also both memorable. The rhythms are on the safe side, and nothing here is too jarring, making for a pleasant listen, but one wishes for a little bit of that intangible edginess that characterizes the best Jamaican music. ~ Steve Leggett

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"Power 96 Presents: Dancehall Twice As Nice [PA]" (03/22/2005) Reggae Various Artists, Sequence

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"Roots Reggae (The Early Jamaican Album) [Box]" (10/25/2005) Reggae Toots & the Maytals, Trojan (Cityhall)Includes the complete albums THE SENSATIONAL MAYTALLS (1965), SWEET & DANDY (1969), MONKEY MAN (1970), THE MAYTALS GREATEST HITS (1971), STOOT SLATYAM (1972), ROOTS REGGAE (1974). This superb six-disc box set is the quintessential collection of early recordings by Toots & the Maytals. One of reggae's defining acts (reputedly the first to use the word, in a song entitled "Do the Reggay"), the Maytals blended rocksteady, soul, ska, and gospel into harmony-heavy, groove-saturated perfection, with a great deal of help from the killer pipes of lead vocalist Toots Hibbert. The Maytals continued to perform throughout the 1980s, 1990s, and 2000s, yet the group's most definitive music was recorded in the '60s and '70s. ROOTS REGGAE covers that material (including work recorded for legendary producer Leslie Kong), and includes classics like "54-46 That's My Number," the driving "Funky Kingston," and two gems from the film THE HARDER THEY COME: "Pressure Drop" and the percolating "Sweet and Dandy." Brilliant, buoyant, and full of life, ROOTS REGGAE is a sublime slice of classic reggae, and a sure-fire bet for any fan of the genre.

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"Trojan Box Set: Ganja Reggae [Box]" (08/19/2003) Reggae Various Artists, Sanctuary (USA)Includes liner notes by Stephen Nye. Liner Note Author: Michael DeKoningh. Jamaica has been called the loudest island in the world, and given its size (some 4,000 square miles), it undoubtedly releases more records per square foot than any other place on the planet, and with the possible exception of Trinidad, no country has a more political pop music. While railing against Babylon remains a continued concern, Jamaican musicians have also turned their dizzying array of styles, versions, toasts, and dubs to more secular subjects, including hundreds of paeans to ganja. British label Trojan Records licensed Jamaican records for distribution during the 1970s and 1980s, and has raided the vaults for numerous reissues over the years, leading to this three-disc box set of hymns to herbal conditioning. Spanning late ska, classic roots reggae, DJ toasts, and early dancehall, Ganja Reggae boasts 50 tracks of smokin' classics. Included are Glen Browne's recipe for disaster "Collie and Wine," Clancy Eccles' hopeful "Ganja Free," and Neville Brown's defiant "Babylon Don't Touch My Sensi." Lee "Scratch" Perry's production of "Kaya" by Bob Marley & the Wailers is here, along with the dub version, and a credible cover of the song by Ronnie Davis. Another Perry production, Bunny and Ricky's spooky "Bush Weed Corntrash," is an obvious highlight. The various Trojan box sets always yield treasures, and this one is no exception. Pound for pound, it is the best ganja set out there. ~ Steve Leggett

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"Pressure Points [Digipak]" (05/24/2005) Reggae John Brown's Body, Easy Star RecordsJohn Brown's Body: Daniel Delacruz (flute, tenor saxophone); Scott Palmer (bass instrument); Tommy Benedetti (drums); Alexander Beram (percussion). Personnel: Kevin Kinsella (vocals, guitar); Elliot Martin (vocals, programming); Eric Aceto (violin); Hank Roberts (cello); Alexander Beram (trombone); Tommy Benedetti (drums). Audio Mixers: Elliot Martin; Joshua Driscoll; Kevin Kinsella. Recording information: E=MC2 (2004); Electric Wilburland (2004); Pyramid Studio, Ithaca, NY (2004); REP Studio (2004); Shut-In Studio (2004). Photographer: Liz Linder. Roots reggae is an international phenomenon, one that's played on every continent, with greater or lesser degrees of success. New York-based John Brown's Body have been doing it well for many years now, with great harmonies and strong melodies, as on "Follow Into Shadow." Singer Elliot Martin is a strong vocalist who brings a huge presence to the disc, most evident on a track like "Resonate." But he's far from being the only focal point -- guitarist Kevin Kinsella is excellent throughout. While the band are very convincing in their roots, they haven't completely ignored the last two decades of Jamaican music, as "Blazing Love" shows, tipping more than its hat to raga, and they're also comfortable dipping into R&B for "Not Enough." This is a band that's paid its dues, but also know what it can do, and does it very well indeed. Yet there's more than professionalism at work here; there's passion behind it all, and that's the most important factor. ~ Chris Nickson

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"Strictly the Best, Vol. 10" (05/23/2005) Reggae Various Artists, VP RecordsArrangers: Courtney Cole; Dalton Browne; Danny Browne; Richard "Bello" Bell; Freddie McGregor; Bobby "Digital" Dixon; King Jammy; Lloyd Campbell ; Philip "Fatis" Burrell; Robert Livingston; Beres Hammond. Freddie McGregor's "Born a Winner," Garnett Silk's "With Your Mercy," Dennis Brown's "Second Chance" and Marcia Griffiths' "If You Knew" are just a few of the stellar dancehall tracks included on Strictly the Best, Vol. 10. ~ Keith Farley

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"The Best of Gregory Isaacs, Vols. 1-2" (05/15/1992) Reggae Isaacs, Gregory, Rounder SelectThis 20 track collection features many of the hits Gregory Isaacs recorded for Alvin Ranglin's G.G. Records. Originally released as two separate albums, the Heartbeat label now brings the pair together on one fabulous disc. And taken alongside My Number One and Love Is Overdue, this brings together virtually the entire lexicon of recordings Isaacs cut with producer Alvin Ranglin during the mid- to late '70s. Best Of is a bit of a misnomer, even in its day, suggesting both volumes compiled hit singles. In reality, the records mostly featured new material, with only a few recent chart busters thrown in for good measure, but events conspired to prove the accuracy of the titles. Volume One boasts the mighty "My Number One," which had already torn up the Jamaican chart, the seductive "Special Guest," the rootsy perfection of "No Speech," the exquisite pain of "Tear Drops," a sublime cover of "Willow Tree," the haunting "Cool You" -- in fact, there's not a song on the record that didn't deserve single status. Out of the aforementioned six, four were massive hits and swiftly gained classic status. Volume Two is fired by a quartet of tough cultural songs -- the fierce "A Riot," the simmering "Jailer," a heartfelt "Village of the Under Privileged," and the powerful return-to-Africa-themed "Border" -- intercut with lovers offerings, notably the evocative "Once Again" and the gorgeous "Tumbling Tears," another classic. Both albums were recorded with the Revolutionaries, whose percolating beats (Sly & Robbie, of course) power the album, with the rest of the band laying down a musical accompaniment that shifts between lovers rock and rockers style, that perfectly backs Isaacs own emotive, yet gentle, vocals. Ranglin keeps it all simmering, creating a pair of albums that indeed featured some of the singer's best. ~ Jo-Ann Greene

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"Downbeat the Ruler: Killer Instrumentals from Studio One" (01/24/2006) Reggae Various Artists, Rounder SelectThe third reissue of the Heartbeat label's trawl through Studio One's back catalog that were originally released in the '80s -- expanded and remastered editions The Best of Studio One and Full Up being the first two -- focuses exclusively on instrumentals. The very nature of Jamaica's recording industry makes instrumentals a minefield. Some really were true instrumentals, composed solely for instruments. Others were instrumental versions of a vocal cut, the inevitable flip side of a single, and while some of these were unique takes on the song, others were merely the A-sides with the vocals stripped off. Then there were dub plates, acetates created specifically for the sound systems, the prototype for dub, and then there's dub itself. The fact that a song's rhythm can be recycled endlessly over the years just adds to the confusion. Originally released in 1988, then reissued in 2006 with a slightly different track list but with much better sound, Downbeat the Ruler is titled after Coxsone Dodd's own sound system and contains examples of most instrumental subtypes. With the 1987 remix of "Throw Me Corn" and the 1965 recording of "Man in the Street" both being dropped from the original edition, the vast majority of the tracks date from the reggae era into the roots age. "Throw Me Corn"'s earlier 10" version is featured and is obviously a dub plate aimed at the sound systems, leaving plenty of space for the DJ. "Banana Walk," in contrast, is pure dub, while "Real Rock" is a take on "Armagideon Time" and shows just how older rhythms can be revived. With the rise of dancehall, everything was elevated (or reduced, depending on one's point of view) to the level of a rhythm. And certainly many of these instrumentals were ripe for recycling -- and they were repeatedly. "Heavy Rock," "Baby Face," and "Rockford Rock" would all find new life in the '80s, while many of the rest were equally influential. Interestingly, regardless of the proliferation of groups and artists credited, they're all aliases, and every track here is actually performed by Studio One's house band. Even those credited to solo artists merely showcased a particular session man, normally the one who composed the song. But don't feel cheated -- these musicians were some of the best, and were the powerhouse behind Dodd's success. It's only right that they should be glorified with their own album. ~ Jo-Ann Greene

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"Strictly the Best, Vol. 1" (05/23/2005) Reggae Various Artists, VP RecordsRecording information: V.P. Records.

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"Trojan Box Set: Jamaican R&B [Box]" (10/22/2002) Reggae Various Artists, Trojan (Cityhall)All tracks have been digitally remastered. Of all the excellent Trojan three-CD box sets in their current limited edition series, the Jamaican R&B set fills the greatest need in linking its various histories. Here are 50 cuts compiled by Laurence Cane-Honeysett form the vaults of Trojan's massive holdings, including some things never before issued -- some forty-odd years after their recordings -- and a similarly varied treasure trove appearing on CD for the first time ever. The cuts track from the great Duke Reid's early version of a sound system, to Clement "Coxsone" Dodd and Prince Buster's sound systems of the late '50s, invented due to the advent of instrumental and vocal groups cutting sides to make up for the lack of suitable R&B recordings coming from America at the time. While pop stars had claimed the singles market, and cats like Joe Turner, Fats Domino, Amos Milburn, and Rosco Gordon -- just to name a few -- were on the wane, doo wop was still underground for the most part, and Motown hadn't yet arrived. Here, the earliest sides by Reid, Laurel Aitken, Rico Rodriguez, Owen Gray, Derrick Morgan, The Blues Busters, and two dozen more, reveal a sizzling, if na?ve take, on R&B from the island perspective. Many of the sound system purveyors hired the same musicians, and so cats like Ernest Ranglin and Roland Alphonso are heard here in the same way Nash Vegas studio cats are, backing many different singers, or cutting instrumental sides under different names to be played by one "producer" (in those days a glorified DJ) or another exclusively on his sound system. The music here cooks, shimmies, shakes, croons, burns, and wiggles. Reggae collectors will need this one, but so will those who are deeply moved by great soul and R&B. This is an essential collection. ~ Thom Jurek

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"Ska Bonanza: The Studio One Ska Years" (01/02/1992) Reggae Ska Bonanza, HeartbeatContains 41 rare tracks, some previously unissued, circa 1961. 41-song, double-CD compilation of '60s ska, produced by Clement S. Dodd, largely (if not totally; the documentation is vague) at Studio One. Most of the big names of ska's vintage era are represented: Bob Marley & the Wailers, the Skatalites, Lee Perry, Don Drummond, Toots & the Maytals, Alton Ellis. Considering that ska's sometimes thought of as a homogenous style, the range of actual sounds and variants is impressive. There's New Orleans R&B-derivations, doo-wop-influenced ska, Motownish uptempo struts, soulful slower tunes, and instrumentals. The cuts by the unknowns include pleasurable surprises that match or exceed the ones by the stars; Frank Anderson's tropical instrumental "Wheel and Turn," for instance, or the goofy modern doo-wop jive of Chuck Josephs' "Du Du Wap." It isn't necessarily the best ska compilation that could have been concocted; Scandal Ska, to name just one, is on the whole a more exciting anthology. It is, however, one of the best of the relatively few available, and thus for the time being merits the highest rating. It's since been divided into two separate compilations, Streets of Ska and Go Ska Go. But get the original two-disc version if you can, as it's more convenient to have all the tracks and liner notes in one place. ~ Richie Unterberger

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"No More Heartaches" (05/23/2005) Gospel Sanchez, VP RecordsPersonnel: Sanchez, Nadine Sutherland, Sensi (vocals); Sly Dunbar (bass); Carol Dexter, Junior Jazz (background vocals); Mafia, Fluxy, Dean Fraser. Producers include: Lloyd Campbell, Dean Fraser, Mr. Doo, Oniel Clark, B. Hall. Personnel: Sanchez (vocals, background vocals); Althea Layne Hamilton, Carol Dexter, Chris Frazer Smith, Junior Jazz (background vocals). Audio Mixers: D. Michael; Malcolm Ferguson; Fluxy; Jason Sterling; Mafia . Recording information: Big Yard; Chad Supreme; Checkmate Studios; Heavy Beat; SoundMixers; Tuff Gong. Editor: Paul Shields.

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"Stays on My Mind" (05/23/2005) Reggae Sanchez, VP RecordsPersonnel: Dalton Browne, Dean Fraser, Paul "Limey" Murray , Kevin Jackson, Lymie (background vocals). Audio Mixers: Jason Sterling; Lloyd Campbell . Editors: Paul Shields; Joel Chin. Photographer: Anderson Ballentyne. Reggae crooner Sanchez writes some of his own material on his 2002 release Stays on My Mind. In fact, Sanchez has really opened up his repertoire to include classic reggae covers, R&B covers, traditional reggae, and many other new touches. Produced by collaborator Lloyd Campbell, this should appeal to fans of his previous output. ~ Bradley Torreano

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Reggae Music calling your name? Find all of the top Music gear that you want at ShopRoid. Compare prices from top brands like as well as . Browse ratings from merchants that sell Reggae Music and other Music. Narrow your choices down by price range, brand, merchant, and more. Find the product that's right for you: Uprising [Bonus Tracks] [Remaster] by Bob Marley & the Wailers (CD - 07/31/2001) - Dancehall Classics II [5/2].