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We love Sly & Robbie – really we do. And while they were responsible for many of the toughest rhythms ever laid to wax, they did cut their share of material that hits nice and hard, but may not be as sublime as their finest and fattest. While on paper this Bill Laswell produced session that finds the Rhythm Twins meeting up with an all star cast including Rammellzee, Bernie Worrell, Henry Threadgill and D. St. among others, it somehow manages to result in a sum that's that's less than the combination of all the dope parts. But you could do a lot worse, and we're guessing if you heard any of these 6 tracks in a different context, you might well consider it the heat: "Fire", "Boops (Here to Go)", "Let's Rock", "Yes We Can Can", "Rhythm Killer" and "Bank Job".

Classic dub & rocksteady from Joe Gibbs & The Professionals and Sly & Robbie – Errol Thompson & Joe Gibbs produced dub,rocksteady and dancehall LPs – 4 classic albums in a great little 4CD box set! It starts with classic easy and dubby rocksteady of the State Of Emergency album, rolling on with the killer rhythms of Majestic Dub and African Dub Chapter 5 set, and ends with the crisp steppin' dancehall sounds of Sly & Robbie's Syncopation album. Includes 3 Joe Gibbs & The Professionals albums, including State Of Emergency from 1976 on the first disc, with "Bounty Hunter", "Wicked & Dreadful", "I Shot President", The Great Escape" and more. Majestic Dub from 1979 on the second disc, with "Ten Commandments", "Social Justice", "Kings Of Dub", "Bionic Encounter", "Martial Law", "Nations Of Dub" and "Embargo". The third disc features African Dub Chapter 5 from 1984, and titles include "The Day After", "Long Distance Affair", "Chaper Five", "Ladies Night Out" and more. The fourth disc features the Errol Thompson and Joe Gibbs produced Sly & Robbie set Syncopation from 1982, with "Syncopation", "Free Ticket To Ride", "Flirting In Space", "Flight To Nowhere" and more. Each comes in a mini replica sleeve of the original LPs.

The cream of the crop of early 80s reggae. Fusing militant, political lyrics with the excellent harmony vocal arrangements of Puma Jones, Duckie Simpson and Michael Rose and the unrelenting electrified rhythms of Sly & Robbie, Black Uhuru represented the zenith of the modern Roots era. This album is considered by many to be the group's last great one, in spite of a number of concessions that gave it further commercial appeal – and helped it win a grammy. Whatever your opinion, it's hard to argue with classic cuts like "What Is Life?", "Solidarity", "Party Next Door" and "Bull In The Pen", plus "Black Uhuru Anthem", "Try It", "Botanical Roots" and "Elements".

One of our top 10 dub albums of all time! This album bridges the gap between the the low-fi, down and dirty excursions of the 70's dub era, and the later high tech dub revolution brought on by On-U, Mad Professor and Jah Shaka. The rhythms here are all first rate, drawn mostly from their Chill Out LP with a few from Red, fueled by Sly and Robbie and a cast of regulars from the Island/Mango stable. Sly & Robbie also handle the production duties, and there's no shortage of fat grooves and unrelenting rhythms, then taken to the next level with deep space echo drops and 21st century sound effects and tape edits. Includes "Ion Storm", "Big Spliff", "Boof'N'Baff'N'Biff", "Puffed Out" and "Android Rebellion". This CD reissue's been newly remastered, with 3 additional dubs as bonus tracks: "Cool Off", "Destination Unknown" and "Fire & Brimstone".

One of our favorite Black Uhuru albums, when they'd fully matured as a group under the production of Sly & Robbie, with a tight modern reggae sound that few other groups could match from that era. Heavy, heavy grooves saddled with the trios potent lyrics and harmony vocals, including the massive "Youth Of Eglington" and "Sponji Reggae", plus "Puff She Puff", "Rockstone", "Carbine", "Utterance", "Journey" and "Sistren". This CD reissue's been remastered, and adds the discomix version of "Sponji Reggae" and non-album track "Trodding" as bonus tracks.

The follow up to the burning Showcase set and second LP finding the harmony trio of Michael Rose, Puma Jones and Duckie Simpson under the heavy guidance of Sly & Robbie. While it didn't produce as many singular hits as the preceding set or the following Red LP, this album's still solid from top to bottom, with mighty, might Taxi productions grooves throughout. 10 tracks in all: "Happiness", 'World Is Africa", "Push Push", "There Is Fire", "No Loafing (Sit & Wonder)", "Sinsemilla", "Endurance" and "Vampire", plus the added bonus tracks "Guess Who's Coming To Dinner (discomix)" and "Sinsemilla (discomix)", and newly remastered too!

Just like the title says, two bad, bad Dee Jays plying their trade over niced up rhythms from Junjo Lawe – with all star backing that includes Flabba Holt, Sly & Robbie, Style Scott, Santa Davis, Sowell, Chinna Smith, Bo Pee, Bingy Bunny, Gladstone Anderson, Ansel Collins, Steelie, Winston Wright, Sky Juice, Skully Sims and others! 10 tracks in all, including "Can't TakeAnother World War", "Another One Bites The Dust", "Talk About Run", "Sweet Sweet Matilda", "Special Request To All Prisoner", "Dance It Have Fe Nice", "Gal Pon The Front Line", "Jack Spratt", "Tribute To General Echo" and "Hey Mr DJ".

One of the greatest harmony groups to ever come from Jamaica – a killer quartet who fused together American soul styles with sweet reggae rhythms – all to create a groove that really helped push forward the sounds of Kingston! This collection of classic work by The Ethiopians is completely sublime throughout – numbers that step along slowly, with a great head-nodding groove – and vocals that echo out wonderfully with a collaborative, spontaneous quality you don't always get in reggae work of this vintage. Instrumentation is by a lineup of greats recorded at Treasure Isle and Wirl – including Tommy McCook on tenor, Winston Wright on Hammond, and Sly & Robbie on rhythms. Titles include "Train To Skaville (Original Version)", "Guilty Conscience", "Hurry On", "Reggae Hit The Town", "The Selah", "Ethiopean National Anthem", "Need Someone", "Slave Call", "Everything Crash", "Love Jah", and "Obeah Book". CD features a few bonus tracks not on the LP.

Early work from Gwen Guthrie – produced by Sly & Robbie, but with a sweet modern soul sound that's got a lot less of their influence than you'd guess! The sound is much more New York than Jamaica – and that's probably due to some great instrumental backing on keyboards by the likes of Harry Whitaker, Bernie Worrell, and Wally Badarou – all massive talents that bring a nice sweet jazzy sound to the best cuts on the record. There's a definite 80s sing-song groove going on – in that not-yet-top-of-the-charts soul sound that you'd hear on the better small urban stations at the time – moving back and forth nicely, in a strong link between the mainstream and the underground clubs! Tracks include "Hopscotch", "Seventh Heaven", "Oh What A Life", "Younger Than Me", and a nice cover of Sly Stone's "Family Affair".

Early work from Gwen Guthrie – produced by Sly & Robbie, but with a sweet modern soul sound that's got a lot less of their influence than you'd guess! The sound is much more New York than Jamaica – and that's probably due to some great instrumental backing on keyboards by the likes of Harry Whitaker, Bernie Worrell, and Wally Badarou – all massive talents that bring a nice sweet jazzy sound to the best cuts on the record. There's a definite 80s sing-song groove going on – in that not-yet-top-of-the-charts soul sound that you'd hear on the better small urban stations at the time – moving back and forth nicely, in a strong link between the mainstream and the underground clubs! Tracks include "Hopscotch", "Seventh Heaven", "Oh What A Life", "Younger Than Me", and a nice cover of Sly Stone's "Family Affair". CD features 3 bonus tracks too – "Padlock (Larry Levan special mix)", "Hopscotch (Larry Levan rmx inst)", and "Peanut Butter (Larry Levan special mix)".

10 excellent roots rock rhythms given a nice dub treatment, and though we're selling this record as most shops do, as a King Tubby side, we'd be willing to wager he actually wasn't around his studio when this was mixed, and certainly wasn't around Joe Gibbs' or Bullwackies when the cuts included here from those spots were mixed. Still it's a great set of rhythms, all with excellent spaced out dub mixes, and burning performances at the hands of Sly & Robbie, Family Man, Bagga Morris, Santa Davis, Augustus Pablo and others. With "Rocker's Almighty Dub", "Dunza Dub", "Storm & Lightning", "Something Nice Bout Da Dub", "Upful & Positive Dread", "Hold this Dub" and "21 Gun Salute to Brother Marcus".

Heavy dubs from a fairly unsung producer Phil Pratt – a set recorded at Channel One at the end of the 70s/start of the 80s –backed by the mighty rhythms of Sly & Robbie and other key figures in some of the greatest Jamaican music! This is some of the most adventurous dub we can think of from that time, yet it doesn't go too far off the experimental deep end – with acres of infectious echo and some tripped out atmosherics. Ron Brian is on guitar, Bobby Kalphat & Ansel Collins on keys, Tommy McCook & Herman Marquis on horns. Includes "Dial-M-For Murder", "Danger UBX", "Stinger", "Beware Of This Rass Dub", "Chase A Crooked Shadow", "Don't Watch My Size", "Walking Razor", "Wonder Woman Dub", "Bad Boy Dub" and "Jam Up".

One of the better late solo efforts from the former Wailer, with him toning down the politics a bit and falling back into a mellow groove. There's some nice backing vocals courtesy the Tamlins, and some nice rhythms courtesy Santa Davis, Gibby Morrison and Sly and Robbie. Includes "Mama Africa", "Glasshouse", "Maga Dog", "Where You Gonna Run", "Peace Treaty", and his cover of "Johnny B Goode".

Yeah, it's spectacular alright – a sturdy box set featuring 7 X 7" singles from the Channel One vaults – all in replications of the original sleeves! It includes mid 70s singles originally issued on Well Charge and Channel One, plus a trio of early 80s Hitbound singles – stellar original tracks by Delroy Wilson, Leroy Smart, John Holt and Sammy Dread backed by the Revolutionaries versions, plus Michael Palmer, Barrington Levy, Roots Radics and more! Includes "It's A Shame" by Delroy Wilson w/ "Fire Bun" by Revolutionaries, "Jah Jah" by Leroy Smart w/ the Revolutionaries version on the flip, "Up Park Camp" by John Holt (plus Revolutionaries version)", "Jah Will Work It Out" by Mighty Diamonds w/ "Masculine Gender" by Ranking Trevor, "M16" by Sammy Dread w/ the Revolutionaries version, "Pon Your Toe" by Michael Palmer w/ "Unmetered Taxi" by Sly & Robbie, Dean Fraser & Robbie Lyn and "Black Rose" by Barrington Levy w/ Roots Radics version.

The undisputed King, even to this day! 10 more blazing Tubby dub rubs, ample evidence to why he's remained enthroned to this day: space echo drops and reverb adding some tasty dub sauce to chugging rhythms from Sly & Robbie, Fully Fullwood, Santa Davis, Wire Lindo, Chinna Smith and others. Includes "Super Star Dub", "King Zion Dub", "Rubba Dunza", "Blood, Sweat & Dunza Dub", "King, Queen & Minstrel Dub", "Easy Dread & Check This Dub", "Fancy Up A Dub" and "Stalag 80 Dub".

The Lone Ranger delivers a silver bullet with this batch of bouncing dancehall niceness featuring a Channel One posse that includes Sly & Robbie, Soldgie, Scientist and Barnabas! Probably best known as Studio One's top DJ, the Lone Ranger proves he can keep the bad guys in check even under his own production with this set that delivers a tight batch of tracks that hit the bull's eye with every shot! 10 tracks in all, including "Tom Drunk", "Rub 'N' Scrub", "Legalize The National Herb", "Gunshot Mek Daughter Drop", "Liviing As A Poor", "Johnny Make You Bad So", "The Clock", "Lone Ranger & Tonto", "Solomon" and "Love Affair Problem".

Ian Dury takes his spastic rhythm style to Jamaica, where he adds in Sly & Robbie to the mix, and gets produced by Chaz Jankel. Not his classic stuff, but pretty nice anyway. Tracks include "Spasticus (Autisticus)", "The (Body Song)", "Lonely (Town)", and "Funky Disco (Pops)".

One of the greatest harmony groups to ever come from Jamaica – a killer quartet who fused together American soul styles with sweet reggae rhythms – all to create a groove that really helped push forward the sounds of Kingston! This collection of classic work by The Ethiopians is completely sublime throughout – numbers that step along slowly, with a great head-nodding groove – and vocals that echo out wonderfully with a collaborative, spontaneous quality you don't always get in reggae work of this vintage. Instrumentation is by a lineup of greats recorded at Treasure Isle and Wirl – including Tommy McCook on tenor, Winston Wright on Hammond, and Sly & Robbie on rhythms. Titles include "Train To Skaville (Original Version)", "Guilty Conscience", "Hurry On", "Reggae Hit The Town", "The Selah", "Ethiopean National Anthem", "Need Someone", "Slave Call", "Everything Crash", "Love Jah", and "Obeah Book".

Includes tracks by Sly & Robbie, the Orb, Mad Professor & DJ Spooky.

The debut album from the second lineup of Black Uhuru, with Duckie Simpson, Michael Rose and Errol Nelson. Produced by Prince Jammy, this is a tremendous slice of rootsy rockers, even if it doesn't quite top the later version of the group with Puma Jones and Sly & Robbie's production. This later Greensleeves edition was remixed by Jammy at Tubby's in 1981, and includes "Time To Unite", "Love Crisis", "Willow Tree", "African Love", "Eden Out Deh", "I Love King Selassie", "Hard Ground" and a great version of Marley's "Natural Mystic".

Amazing music – at an equally amazing price! The set features every studio album ever recorded by Serge Gainsbourg – monumental sounds that completely transformed the world of French music in the 60s and 70s, and have gone on to have a global impact well into the 21st Century! The sounds here are amazing right from the start – a mix of jazz, Latin, and other hip modes – all set to playfully sinister lyrics by Serge – which get even better as the 60s move on, and Gainsbourg dips into fuzz, funk, and other amazing elements to push out some far frontiers in his music! The 70s sees some great electronics, classic collaborations with Sly & Robbie, and gives way to some surprisingly great 80s material towards the end of Serge's too-short career. Box features 14 albums on 12 CDs – with records that include Du Chant A La Une, No 2, L'Etonnant Serge Gainsbourg, No 4, Gainsbourg Percussions, Initials BB, Jane Birkin/Serge Gainsbourg, Histoire De Melody Nelson, Vu De L'Exterieur, L'Homme A Tete De Chou, Aux Armes Et Caetera, Mauvaises Nouvelles Des Etoiles, Love On The Beat, and You're Under Arrest.

A sweet overview of work from the second stretch of the career of Gilberto Gil – and a set that's worth it alone for two of the five albums in the package! The set begins with Refazenda and Refavela – both fantastically funky albums that have Gilberto Gil hitting a soulful style that's very different than before – a mode that's more Jorge Ben than any of Gil's previous work – yet still with some of the sharper, more creative edges that always made him one of the leading lights of 70s MPB! Realce manages to capture a lot of the warmth and imagination of Gil's earlier work. The production's a little smooth in parts, but Gil's beautiful voice and guitar playing are still right out front, especially in some of the more stripped-down tracks. Raca Humana is pretty compelling stuff – almost a new wave album of sorts, recorded with lots of tight guitar work by producer Liminha, and plenty of catchy tunes that sparkle like some lost gems from early 80s radio. And Kayangandaya is a real surprise – an album of reggae tracks, mostly by Bob Marley, recorded in Kingston at the Tuff Gong Studios, with help from the Rita Marley, Marcia Griffiths, Judy Mowatt, Sly & Robbie, and others. The record's actually pretty nice – a good blend of the dub-heavy sounds of Jamaica, with some of the rougher soul stylings that Gil was crafting in earlier years – a combination that shouldn't work, but which does nicely.

One of our favorite albums ever from Grace Jones – a record that has her shedding some of the disco excesses of earlier years, and moving into a great blend of sounds that really showcases the energy of the New York scene from which she sprang! The album was recorded in Nassau, with help from Sly Dunbar on drums, Robbie Shakespeare on bass, and Wally Badarou on keyboards – and most tunes have an edgier feel that makes Jones sound even darker than before. There's loads of great disco-not-disco moments – from the straight funk of "Pull Up To The Bumper" to the insane post-punk grooving of "Demolition Man" – to other tracks that include "I've Seen That Face Before (Libertango)", "Art Groupie", "Walking In The Rain", "Nightclubbing", and "Use Me".

Aggrovators tracks originally laid down in the 60s – from the vaults of Clocktower! Selected by Brad Osbourne and featuring instrumentation by Robbie Shakespeare, Sly & Santa Dunbar, Augustus Pablo, Aston Barrett, Tony Chin and more. Includes "Dread Dub", "Head Of Dub", "Forgive Me Dub", "My Angel Of Dub", "Sounds Of Dub", "Rock Steady Dub", "This Dub Is Ready", "Nice Dub", "Jennie's Dub", "Touch Of Dub", "Missing You Dub" and "Dub Of Pain".

Uber-classic dub from Augustus Pablo! Dubbing In A Africa was produced by Pablo and features a rhythm section of Bingy Bunny, Sly & Robbie and Gladdy. Here they deliver a nice, tight set of tunes which like many of Pablo's other classics, veer closer to rhythm workouts than deep space dub excursions – and we ain't complaining about that! Tremendous stuff from one the greats! Titles include "King Of Kings Dub", "Herbal Weed Dub", "Dub In Ethiopia", "Dubbing In A Africa", "Nigerian Love Dub", and "Mount Of Olives Dub".

Revolutionary rhythms and instrumentation by mighty Channel One house band The Revolutionaries – on this dub collection put together by Bobby Osbourne for Clocktower! The Revolutionaries roll call on this set includes Aston Barrett and Robbie Shakespeare on bass, Hoss Mouth (Leroy Wallace?) and Sly Dunbar on drums,Earl Smith on guitar, Ossie Hibbert on organ and Ansel Collin piano. 12 tracks on the vinyl version: "Rocking Dub", "Natty's Rude Dub", "Conquerors In Dub", "Egyptian In Dub", "Spliff Of Collie Dub", "Stealing In Love Dub", "A Cheater's Dub", "The Saviour's Dub", "Day Of Reckoning Dub", "Blouse and Skirts In Dub" and more.

One of the greatest in Scientist's early 80s run of essential dub records! In The Kingdom Of Dub find's Scientist working his dub alchemy on a dozen Roy Cousins productions laid down by Sly & Robbie, Santa & Flabba, Ranchie McLean,Pablo Black and Skully. It's an excellent set of deep space dubs – and all the more exciting, given the too rarely heard source rhythms! Includes "18 Drumalie Avenue Dub", "14 Grass Quit Glade Dub", "Chariot Dub", "Thunder & Lightning Dub", "Disciple Dub", "Burning Sun Dub", "Next Door Dub", "11 Guava Road Dub", "Jurusalem Dub" and more.

Treasures is right, and thank goodness they're not lost anymore! A fine reissue compilation of Bunny Lee rhythms, all touched with chattering echoplex drops and some thunderous reverb. The band is the Aggrovators, loaded with heavies like Carlton ann Aston Barrett, Sly & Robbie, Jackie Mittoo, Winston Wright and Tommy McCook. Almost all of these dubs are exclusive to this compilation, annotated to their original rhythms and the versions that these were voiced from. 14 tracks in all, including "Falling For Dub", "Dub On The Street Again", "Deceiving The Dub", Release The Dub", "Jumpers Dub" and "You Have Caught The Dub".