Dub / Reggae: An Idiot's Guide

dood Ernie B's is selling that Jammy and Scientist Strike Back LP for $150.

someone recommend where to start with the following:
U-Roy
I-Roy
Roots Radics Band
Sly and the Revolutionaries
Gregory Isaacs
solo Wailers stuff (besides Legalize It!)

U-Roy = I like the Right Time Rockers album. . . some people swear by the Treasure Isle stuff, but I tend to prefer the stuff he's versioning
I-Roy = that Blood Fire collection is pure fire
Roots Radics = virtually everything released between 80-84 seriously you can't buy a record from this period where they weren't the backing band
The Revolutionaries = for 74-79 kind of the equivalent of the Roots Radics (although they changed names a bit and there are some other great backing groups although often these included Revolutionaries members).
Gregory Isaacs = everything up to and including Night Nurse (there are a few things post this esp. some Gussie Clarke and Tubby productions)
Bunny Wailer = Blackheart Man

Roots Radics and the Revolutionaries are basically impossible to recommend just one record, but if I had to I guess I'd say the Barrington Levy's Shaolin Temple and the Mighty Diamonds Right Time respectively.

Gregory Isaacs I guess I would start with Extra Classic (which Trojan released with some great if scratchy dubs), I guess, but really you can't go wrong with anything pre-83.

tttthx man!

actually I think I have that Barrington Levy - I am really bad at keeping who's on what record straight

Yeah it has about three different names too.

Roots Radics: http://www.roots-archives.com/artist/159

i love the Hugh Mundell - Mundell LP (http://www.roots-archives.com/release/459)
King Tubby - Dangerous Dub - http://www.roots-archives.com/release/1698
Linvall Thompson - Phoenix Dub - http://www.roots-archives.com/release/574
Rod Taylor - Where Is Your Love Mankind - http://www.roots-archives.com/release/351
Rod Taylor - Garden of Eden - http://www.roots-archives.com/release/4733
Scientist - Dub Landing 1+2
Scientist - Scientist Meets The Space Invaders [1981]
Scientist - Scientist Rids The World Of The Evil Curse Of The Vampires [1981]
Scientist - Scientist Wins The World Cup [1982]
Scientist & Jammy - Scientist & Jammy Strike Back [1983]
Scientist v. Prince Jammy - Big Showdown [1980]

Big Showdown is great.

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U-Roy

Dread Inna Babylon w/ Skin, Flesh + Bones, Soul Syndicate
http://www.roots-archives.com/release/914

I Roy, i don't know too much about but the WhapNBapN LP is an undiscovered gem of Disco/Dread proportions. if Morgan Geist ever caught wind of this LP, it would suddenly be the ultimate lost gem. it's a bit cheesy (0k, a lot cheesy) but it's also fascinating in parts.

i'd say just get the Blood and Fire reissues/compilations for U Roy/I Roy or If Deejay Was Your Trade comp.

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Sly & Revolutionaries check the Roots Archives pages for Sly Dunbar and Robbie Shakespear seperately for a complete list of their contributions to jamaican music
http://www.roots-archives.com/artist/29

Barry Brown is one of my favs. but there are really too many great albums they've appeared on to list.

http://www.roots-archives.com/release/454

that barry brown is the shit

this one too http://www.roots-archives.com/release/843

I think I've said it on a half-a-dozen threads but I can't recommend Dub Landing 1 & 2 enough.

I-Roy = that Blood Fire collection is pure fire

The Don't Get Weary Joe Frazier song on this disc is fantastic and sly.

absolutely. Barry Brown is fantastic. the Johnny Clarke combo LP is great. i've recently spent a couple weeks tweaking my Reggae/Dub collection. editing ID3 tags to note backing band, mixer, label, year, artwork and dub album/vocal album counterpart if they weren't named similarly. it's been a wonderful way to appreciate the music. reggae in particular benefits from extended tagging since the backing band wasn't credited and lots of albums that say King Tubbys weren't actually mixed by Tubby.

AS I WOULD SAY!

http://www.soundstagedirect.com/media/linval_thompson_ride_on_dreadlocks.jpg

^underrated

It might be, but it is the least impressive of the Blood & Fire Bunny Lee comps (which makes it still great, but no where near of the class of the Tubby dubs or the Johnny Clarke and Cornell Campbell sets.)

holds it own with the rest of those imo. i listen to it way more than the clarke and campbell

Haha well I guess I am underating it then. ;)

anyone know what VP vinyl pressings are like? was going to get the channel one story 3-disc vinyl set but thought it might be a crap overtly loud or digital type of pressing as it came out in 2004 so might just get the cd instead.

it varies from release to release but they're not all great pressings. i'd ask on either the Blood and Fire board or the Roots Archive board. those guys are nice and knowledgeable. whether or not it's a bunch of white kids typing in patois is up for debate.

Agree those are def. the forums for that sort of thing.

i really slept on that baf prince alla/junior ross

That one is awesome (it took me forever to find a cheap copy.) Have you ever heard any of Alla's Jah Warrior stuff, am0n? His track leading off the second label comp is awesome and I've been contemplating picking up the albums.

http://cover6.cduniverse.com/MuzeAudioArt/Large/84/982684.jpg

Gussie Presenting I-Roy! 47 tracks! Fantastic!!!!!!!!!

that cover is so great

@Alex - this is the only alla i've heard. that acid rock guitar on "gold diver"!.. and some of the junior ross tracks kill me

Oh then you should def. get the other Alla B&F collection. Great stuff (a lot of the tracks make up the dubs on Freedom Sounds in Dub as well.) Also the Tappa Zukie in Dub features dubs of a lot of the Alla/Ross stuff.

Barry Brown "Youthman" and Gregory Isaacs Extra Classic expanded reissue from Get Back! arrived today (thx Ernie B's!)... will report back.

I think I listened to "Black A Kill Black" and "Mr. Cop" about a million times when I first got that disc.

wait is that barry brown on cd??

man I love how shit I order from Ernie B's arrives within 24 hours of me ordering it... just got the Hugh Mundell recommended above and Mighty Diamonds "Right Time"

I love the Barry Brown ref'd above, probably a bit more than the Gregory Isaacs double-album, although the Extra Classic material is fantastic. The earlier stuff is a bit more generic.

I bought like 10 CDs for like $18 earlier in the week. Their warehouse clearing sales are always so nice.

Just got a dozen cds from there in the mail myself, including a Barry Brown discomix thingee mixed by Scientist. It's good, but nothing stands out much as of yet. Sadly I think I've reached the point of diminishing returns w/r/t reggae.

!! say it ain't so! My reggae/dub collection is still pretty small compared to what all is available tho...

Haha well I bought 3 Capleton CDs for $2 each and I will say that by the end of the third that there might have been some diminishing returns. But then the collections of Fatis and Tony Kelly productions perked me up again.

to me this genre is like a bottomless pit of riches (similar to Brazilian music) - I know that if I'm bored and want to hear something new but nothing is quite hitting the spot, I can always return to this buried treasure trove and get something worthwhile that I've never heard before.

Yup that's pretty much how I feel about Jamaica (I feel less so about Brazil because I don't like newer Brazilian stuff as much as I like dancehall.)

I'm still playin catch-up with Brazil - I don't think I have anything that's later than like 1985

Yeah honestly I have no idea what happened in Brazil between the weird post-punk comps (which end in approx. 85 and prob aren't representative of what most folks were actually listening to) I have and the funk comps (which start in approx. 01 and are mostly Rio specific).

It is a bottomless pot of riches for me, too, but lately there's nothing that's really blown me away, you know? Nothing that's unique enough relative to everything else I've heard to really grab my attention and make me go "whoa, what is THIS?" It's like I've heard the best (or some % of the best) of each subgenre/style, and everything I get lately is good & sometimes great, but it's very rare that I hear something new (to me) that I'd file amongst my favorites. It's the same way with funk: now something has to be pretty eccentric for me to really dig it.
Unfortunately I'm not too keen on newer Jamaican OR Brazillian stuff :(

Alex what is that Fatis and TK collection called?

"Fat Eyes Dancehall Attack + Dee-Lite" ($2!) and "Triple Spin 2" ($1.50!) respectively.

this thread gonna cost me a lot of money

it sipple out deh

i have scientists Scientist Rids the World of the Evil Curse of the Vampires - anyone know what his best albums are to get? and also, any dub thats from this same sort of period? i like the sound/heaviness of it. any super heavy dub would also be cool.

That's one of his best ones. vs Space Invaders is Linval Thompson productions as is the amazing Dub Landing 1 & 2 (2 features King Jammy) (the other Auralux disc World At War is a slightly less amazing.) King Tubby's Dangerous Dub is from the same period and it's great as well.

http://roots-archives.com/artist/86

Scientist was unbeatable at the beginning of the 80s.

I love Meets Space Invaders, Heavyweight Dub Champion, Big Showdown V. Prince Jammy, Scientist and Jammy Strike Back, Sugar Minott's Meet The People In A Lovers Dubbers Style is also a great showcase for Scientists' work. Dub Landing 1 and 2 (cd reissue has both). Dub In The Roots Tradition, In Dub Volume 1, Heavy Metal Dub, King Tubbys meets Scientist In A Midnight Rock Dub Vol. 1, King Tubby Meets Scientist at Dub Station, Prince Far I - In the Vocal House of Dub (w/ Tubby), Albums by Barrington Levy, Eek A Mouse and Johnny Osbourne from the early 80s with Roots Radics and Scientist at the controls are pretty spectacular. Toyan - How The West Was Won is also great, produced by Scientist w/ Roots Radics at King Tubby's studio.

That's a start but there are others...just go down the line in that Roots Archives page and listen to them all until about 83/84.

Scientist and Jammy Strike Back

this is one of the best

this is good too http://roots-archives.com/release/4142

i've got it but i haven't given it much time other than Babylon Don't Touch My Sensy...guess i'll put that on today.

you'd probably like anything featuring the Roots Radics, dub or not. But for dub, in addition to the ones already mentioned, I like Roots Radics Meet Scientist in a Dub Explosion.