Your favourite Reggae LP

[mirio]

I know that could be really hard to say, but which reggae complete LP you think is the best one ever?? including lyrics, melodies, musicians, production, mastering and everything

[ephteeay]

Earth & Stone - Kool Roots is my idea of a perfect LP (and the inclusion of the dub counterpart completes the Reggae experience!)

[johnnyB]

Heart of the Congos without any doubt.

[Apostle]

Answering that question means you always injure so many other records.
There are a few classics though that never fail to amaze me, it seems impossible to grow tired of them.
Like Black Uhuru's self-titled album from 1979 (riddims made from steel!), or Haile I Hymn by Ijahman Levi.
Noel Ellis' untitled record from 1983 is a strong runner -up. Very good lyrics on that one and a very personal touch.
Also Cultural Roots- Revolutionary Sounds from 1981.

And +1 for Earth and Stone and the Congos up here.

[Apostle]

Damned, how could I forget Cedric Im Brooks and The Light of Saba.

Seems like all the self-titled LP's are the best ones.
But I could keep going for a while, it's a bit of an impossible question. It's like the question which is that one maxi you will rescue when your house is on fire.

[Ringo]

And

[lankou]

Probably Macka Fat by Jackie Mittoo. Could be another one some time some day.

[kalcidis]

It all depends on the mood I'm in. But I would probably say Countrymen with Twinkle Brothers if I was hard pressed to only choose one. That's probably the album I've listened to the most (together with Ice-T - Power, Curtis Mayfield - Superfly and Miles Davis - Kind of Blue).

[mirio]

i always loved Black Uhuru - Black sounds of freedom and Steel Pulse - Handsworth revolution but i dont really know if they are the best or not

[underated]

Side one

1. So Much Trouble in the World
2. Zimbabwe
3. Top Rankin
4. Babylon System
5. Survival

Side two

6. Africa Unite
7. One Drop
8. Ride Natty Ride
9. Ambush in the Night
10. Wake Up and Live



Bob Marley – lead vocals, rhythm guitar, acoustic guitar, percussion
Aston "Family Man" Barrett – bass, rhythm guitar, percussion
Carlton Barrett – drums, percussion
Tyrone "Organ D" Downie – keyboards, percussion, backing vocal
Alvin "Seeco" Patterson – percussion
Junior Marvin – lead guitar, backing vocal
Earl "Wire" Lindo – keyboards
Al Anderson – lead guitar
Rita Marley – backing vocals
Marcia Griffiths – backing vocals
Judy Mowatt – backing vocals

Artwork By Neville Garrick.


Produced by Bob Marley & the Wailers & Alex Sadkin. Recorded & Mixed at Tuff Gong Studio. Engineers : Alex Sadkin

Mastered from the original two track analog master tapes at Sterling Sound, New York, 2001.

[There are a few remastered versions throughout the years ]


played the tape till it popped,
played the record till it scratched,
played the cd till it skipped.


"Bless my eyes this morning
Jah sun is on the rise once again
The way earthly thing's are going
Anything can happen"

(So Much Trouble)

[mark b]

Light Of Saba--Sabeba

[RB]

despite owning a horrifying amount of LPs, there's not many which i love listening to all the way thru, front to back, with no skipping.

here's all the ones like that for me, that i can name off the head -

steve knight - orphan child (my all time favorite reggae LP)
earth & stone - kool roots & dub (my 2nd fave)
heptones - good life (one of the most underrated reggae LPs of all time)
mighty diamonds - all the LP's for channel 1 (i need a roof, stand up to your judgement, deeper roots, tell me what's wrong)
cultural roots - drift away from evil
revolutionaries - s/t (che cover)
nitty gritty - general penitentiary
wayne jarrett - what's wrong with the youths
flick wilson - school days
revolutionaries - full charge revival dub
revolutionaries - satta dub strictly roots
barrington levy - all the jah life/junjo LPs (bounty hunter, shaolin temple, shine eye gal, hunting man, englishman, robin hood, 21 girls salute)
little kirk - ghetto people broke
skatalites - ska-boo-da-ba (top deck)
wailing souls - best of wailing souls (channel 1)
black uhuru - love crisis/black sounds of freedom
augustus pablo - king tubby meets rockers uptown
burning spear - s/t (studio 1/first LP)
dennis brown - deep down
dennis brown - just dennis (trojan) or westbound train (third world) or dennis (vista)...depends which one i pull out...all the niney stuff
dennis brown - joseph's coat of many colors
horace andy - dancehall showcase (wackie's)
horace andy - get wise
keith hudson - pick a dub


prob more i'm forgetting...

[minidub]

RB, next time you check an LP you should NOT skip any tracks and instead re-check some cuts you think you don't care for. i'm always shocked at how much my tastes can change in this regard...tunes i never really cared for suddenly really hit me, and i fall for them for the first time! it's like getting new music without the added expenditure.

in this regard, i always think of errol dunkley's "darling ooh" album. when i first got it i liked just two or three (at the most) tracks, but now this is an LP i listen to straight through and love every tune on it.

m.

[Donovan]

Compilations count? If so, than it's Wiser Dread on Nighthawk.

If only single artist, then Freddie's Bobby Babylon

[Natty Matti]

Very hard to single out one favourite but these have a special place in my heart:

Bob Andy - Song Book
Abyssinians - Satta Massagana
Burning Spear - S/t
Burning Spear - Marcus Garvey
Big Youth - Screaming Target
The Congos - Heart Of The Congos
Gregory Isaacs - Extra Classic
Gregory Isaacs - The Lonely Lover
Israel Vibration - The Same Song
Augustus Pablo - King Tubby Meets The Rockers Uptown lp
Bunny Wailer - Blackheart Man
Count Ossie - Groundation