While we're not big on career retrospective best of's, especially artists like Marley, whose been collected over & over, this is actually a respectable set, and the vinyl's pretty darn hard to get ahold of anymore. Includes tons of classics, like "Get Up Stand Up", "Exodus", ... read moreCD
Bob Marley & The Wailers —
In The Beginning ... LP Trojan, 1983. Very Good+ ...
Just Sold Out!
LP, Vinyl record album
(In the textured cover, which has some light wear.)
Bob Marley & The Wailers —
Shakedown ... LP ALA, 1960s. Sealed ...
$14.99
Early Leslie Kong produced sides of groovy rocksteady, voiced by a young Bob Marley, dug up and re-released after he became an international reggae phenomenon. While this clearly an attempt to cash in on his success, it's still some really great early stuff, and nice to have on vinyl, too! 10 ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Bob Marley & The Wailers —
Soul Rebels ... LP Trojan, 1970. New Copy (reissue)...
$9.99
A nice collection of early Bob Marley & The Wailers singles – all produced by Lee Perry! The music's a great meeting of two important reggae talents – quite different than both in later years, especially Marley – as the music has a great rawness that would get glossed over in ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Sweet grooves from the legendary Jackie Mittoo – easily one of the greatest keyboardists on the Jamaican scene! The set has Jackie tripping a groove on a variety of keyboards – mostly his trademark Hammond, but a few other instruments as well – all set to rhythms that are often ... read moreCD
2 numbers of Denroy Morgan's I'll Do Anything For You LP, the a-side a rootsy reggae number without much of the club appeal that put the title track over large, but with more of the 80s groove vibe creeping in on the midtempo R&B number on the flip. 12-inch, Vinyl record
A great one from legendary vocalist Junior Murvin – and it's a great meeting between Junjo Lawes and Murvin, a singer who's well known for his classic late 70s Black Ark material with Scratch Perry – even if there's relatively few proper solo albums to his name! His high, sweet vocals ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Mystic Revealers —
Crucial Cuts ... LP VP, Late 80s/1990s/2000s/2010s. New Copy ...
$12.99
Key Mystic Revealers from the 80s onward – and the title speaks truth – they're vital and crucial! The soulful vocals carry the tunes beautifully – with lead singer Anthony Wilmot burning brightly over solid tunes and rhythms laid down by legends and younger Jamaican players ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Contemporary dub project from Tom Chasteen, co-founder of LA's venerable Dub Club – working here with all star band as Natural Numbers – with utmost love and respect for classic Jamaican dub! The rhythms are laid down by a great group of players that includes Ras Benji on drums and ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Frankie Paul —
Tidal Wave ... LP Greensleeves, 1985. New Copy (reissue)...
$13.99
Classic mid 80s dancehall from singer Frankie Paul and producer George Phang – with a vive that's rooted in soul, thanks in no small part to Frankie's sweetly emotional vocal approach – but it's done with lean, modern sound that's held up well over the years! The songs cut deep and ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
A nice selection of Upsetters tracks, and other Perry productions, from 1969-1973. Though he had yet to make the mothership connection through the Black Ark, his vision is fully formed on all these funky numbers, and it's clear where much of his inspiration was coming from with "Freak Out ... read moreCD
A stunner! High Plains Drifter collects material from the mighty Lee Perry during the crucially creative and fertile period between 1968 & 1973 – in which he founded the Upsetter imprint and had some chart success. It was such a productive period, resulting in hundreds of singles and a ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Booming dubs from Lee Perry and his Upsetters – masters and dub plates from the Black Ark archives – prime unreleased material put together by Pressure Sounds! Roaring Lion has 16 tracks, 11 of which are from one mastertape full of top shelf dubs, and the other 5 are heretofore ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Lee Perry & The Upsetters —
Super Ape ... CD Mango (Japan), 1976. New Copy ...
Just Sold Out!
The King Kong of dub albums, and we're not just saying that because of the freaky deaky cover image of a super ape with a belly full of roast fish, cornbread and makka stepping on a croaking lizard with a tree in one hand and a "tree" in the other! Classic Lee Perry and an essential dub ... read moreCD
The King Kong of dub records, and we're not just saying that because of the freaky deaky cover image of a super ape with a belly full of roast fish, cornbread and makka stepping on a croaking lizard with a tree in one hand and a "tree" in the other! Classic Lee Perry and as essential of ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
One of Scratch's classic early sides – revolutionary at the time, still great today – and done with a spare sound that displays the roots of his unique approach! These early tracks don't have the murky smoked-out grooves of his later years, but they're filled with solid songwriting and ... read moreCD
The mothership has landed! While attempting to make a definitive compilation of all of Scratch's productions would take well more than 3 CDs, this set does a fine job of touching on important highlights and unearthing a few hidden gems, from the fertile Black Ark period. 55 tracks in all, with a ... read moreCD
21 tracks in all, including "Check Him Out (take 1)" by the Bleechers, "Uncle Charlie" by the Mellotones, "Sunshine Rock" by the Upsetters, "Who To Tell" by David Isaacs, "Caught You Red Handed" by Eric Donaldson & the West Indians, 'X Ray ... read moreCD
First US release by this Jamaican rocksteady duo, recorded in Jamaica with Byron Lee at the helm. As you'd expect from Byron Lee, there's some moves towards a crossover sound here, with a few nods towards 70s funky bits, with the tracks "Baby, I'm Sorry", "Keep On Doing It", ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Cover has a promo stamp, small sticker, and a bit of pen on front.)
Prince Jammy's Computerized Dub – a quintessential set of beeping, bouncing Casio driven jams from the originator of the Jamaican digital tone! Steely and Cleavie were still under Jammy's tutelage and they are part of the driving force behind these nice mid 80s rhythms. 10 tracks in all, ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
While he never seemed to loom as large as U Roy or some other Dee Jays, we've always dug Prince Jazzbo's rough and tough style on the mic. Let him chat over some nice Studio One rhythms and we're set. 14 tracks in all, on this lesser know, but no less great Dee Jay side, including "Imperial ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Later white & black label pressing with a Brooklyn address on the back cover.)
The first of a pair of underrated efforts from Michael Prophet from the early 80s – solid, soulful material produced by Henry Junko Lawes and backed by the Roots Radics band! Warm, rumbling and melodic tunes backed by tight rhythms and resonately passionate vocals by Michael. It's a steady ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Bam!! – a one-two punch of snapping early 90s UK breakbeat history from Soul Jazz! This great compilation showcases the seminal breakbeat numbers from the stars of the Shut Up & Dance stable, the Ragga Twins delivering the hectic , hard hitting predecessor to jungle, drum & bass, UK ... read moreCD
Ranking Dread —
Girls Fiesta ... LP Hot Milk (UK), 1978. New Copy (reissue)...
$22.99
A girls fiesta that's swimming in dub – presented here by the legendary Ranking Dread – easily one of he most badass performers in reggae at the time! The record features some amazing production from Linval Thompson, who's really at the top of his game here – providing Dread with ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Ranking Dread —
Girls Fiesta ... CD Hot Milk (UK), 1978. New Copy ...
Just Sold Out!
A girls fiesta that's swimming in dub – presented here by the legendary Ranking Dread – easily one of he most badass performers in reggae at the time! The record features some amazing production from Linval Thompson, who's really at the top of his game here – providing Dread with ... read moreCD
Includes "Mr.Loverman", "wicked In Bed", "Raggamuffin", and "Bad & Wicked". 10 cuts in all, pretty much slack stylings all the way through, produced by Bobby Digital. CD
12 tracks in all, including "Housecall", "Telephone Love Deh Pon Mi Mind", "The Jam", "Girls Whine", "Get Up Stand Up & Rock", "Pay Down Pon It", "Ting-A-Ling" and "Roots & Culture". Less slackness on this ... read moreCD
A major outing from Rico Rodriguez – one of the great Trombonists of the pre-ska era, who continued to lead the way with his horn throughout all the periods Jamaican music would morph through, but maintained a sound rooted in jazz. The group is pretty large, sort of a Jamaican all stars, ... read moreCD
A sweet, classic dub companion to Rico's excellent Man From Wareika set. The original record was an instrumental affair to begin with, so this set reworks the mixes with the parts ducking in and out with a few tasteful dub effects added here and there to add a new dimension to the jazzed up reggae ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
A sweet dub companion to Rico's excellent Man From Wareika album. The original LP was an instrumental affair to begin with, so this set reworks the mixes with the parts ducking in and out with a few tasteful dub effects added here and there to add a new dimension to the jazzed up reggae numbers. ... read moreCD
Rare work from Jimmy Riley – a 70s singer who never fully got his due, but who rubbed shoulders with all the best on the Kingston scene, and made some mighty great music in the process! Jimmy's the father of Taurus Riley – the contemporary vocalist – but may well be a more ... read moreCD
Another great set from Pressure Sounds! They really got us open when they pulled together their first set by the Royals, Pick Up The Pieces, and this dub and Dee Jay outing makes a perfect companion set. Excellent dubs rendered by the heaviest of the heavy mixologists: Tubby, Jammy, Scientist, ... read moreCD
Classic level Scientist dubs from the end of the 70s/dawn of the 80s – cut at Channel 1 with backing by the Roots Radics Band – and Jah Life sitting on the production and arrangements! We don't know why anyone wouldn't want you to hear it, but The Dub Album They Didn't Want You To Hear ... read moreCD
Early 80s deejay set for Greensleeves from Captain Sinbad – backed by the Roots Radics crew – and while it's not one biggest or best remembered efforts of the period, it's a pretty great one! Sinbad, otherwise known as producer Carl Dyler cedes the production help here to Henry Junjo ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
A strong mid 80s record by a reunited Skatalites – the legendary first wave ska group with roots in the early 60s, and somehow managed to sound just as vital as ever here some 20 years later! This is truly wonderful set from the masters, despite the very late recording date. The trademark ... read moreCD
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 sublimely breezy. This Bill Laswell produced session finds the Rhythm Twins meeting up ... read moreCD
A double dip of great, if lesser well-known, reggae and rocksteady from the Tenors and a host of other great early harmony groups! While much of this material may not be as widely known as some of the other seminal Jamaican music of the late 60s, we fell like labeling it as obscure doesn't do it ... read moreCD
The second album from Third World – and the one that really helped break them out to the widespread success that they'd enjoy for years with their crisp, tight brand of modern reggae – fusing roots vibes with top notch production values and some rock and funk touches! Includes "186 ... read moreCD
Third World's first disc for Columbia, in their now familiar pop crossover style, which helped them become one of the hugest acts in Jamaican music. Includes "Rock The World", "Spiritual Revolution", "Who Gave You (Jah Rastafari)", "Dubb Music", "Shine ... read moreCD
(Out of print.)
Third World —
Third World ... LP Island, 1976. Very Good ...
Just Sold Out!
The first LP from a group that would go on to become one of the most well known Jamaican artists, largely due to their crisply produced crossover sound that appealed to fans of modern soul. The sound here's a shade rootsier than the album's that would garner them wider appeal, with 8 numbers in ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Linval Thompson —
Baby Father ... LP Greensleeves (UK), 1983. New Copy (reissue)...
$7.9911.98
Top shelf early 80s dancehall from the mighty Linval Thompson! Recorded at Channel One with the Roots Radics backing him, with an all around deeper soul resonance than a lot of what was coming out in the early 80s nascent digital revolution period – with warm, emotionally resonant vocals by ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
With a title like this, we can easily guess what Peter Tosh is smoking in his pipe on the cover! But that iconic 70s dorm room image aside, the album's a real classic in mainstream reggae – the first full length set from Peter Tosh after his earlier singles with The Wailers! The record's ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Like much of Tosh's work after leaving the Wailers, this album is a bit uneven, but still has a couple of nuggets of fiery roots rock. There's a crack band behind him on these self-produced tunes, with Sly & Robbie, Mikey Chung and Skully Sims. Includes "Nothing But Love", "The ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Legendary early 70s Upsetters instrumentals – a brilliant, soulful batch of Jamaican versions produced by Lee Scratch Perry – and unlike the Trojan release from around the same time, this one was released with Scratch's full involvement! Fantastic work that sounds great to this day, ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Post-Bob Marley work from The Wailers – a set recorded for the mostly-soul Tabu label, but one that still carries on the spirit of their legacy of the 70s! Production is surprisingly faithful – very much what you'd expect an evolved Wailers to sound like a decade after the passing of ... read moreCD
Righteous sounds from Willi Williams – a highly conscious set of roots reggae recorded at the end of the 70s – filled with powerful politics, but delivered in a laidback and very dubby style! Many of the rhythms come from Sly & Robbie – and have this stepping vibe that really ... read moreCD
A stunning tribute to the late, great Yabby You – a 3CD set bound up with a big booklet of notes and comments – and a set that includes lots of rare material as well! The package isn't just the hit productions that Yabby gave us back in the day, but also some unreleased tracks, obscure ... read moreCD
Excellent 2 CD set compiling the work of roots rock prophet Vivian Jackson, aka Yabby You. While the tracks all keep the minor key dark mood that much of the heavier roots cuts tend to have, there's still an uplifting quality to the set, and many memorable performances, not just by Yabby You, but ... read moreCD
(Out of print. Includes original slipcase and book.)
Rare tracks and a fair bit of unreleased dub plates too – a deep dig into the genius of Yabby You during the 70s! There's a dark, brooding intensity to these tracks right from the start – from the deep, bassy bottoms of the dubs – to the prophetic lyrics of the tunes, which often ... read moreCD
A gem of a joint headlining record by Yellowman & Fathead, Purpleman and Sister Nancy – with a varied vocal flavor, but a sweetly simmering cohesive vibe – thanks to top shelf production by Junjo Lawes! All tunes features backing by the Hi Times Band, recorded at Channel One with a ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Andy Smith applies his magical Documentary touch to the Greensleeves catalog and produces another winning mix in his Document series! Like the bouncing reggae mix he produced for Trojan, this set pulls together a winning set of island grooves, and given that he's delving into the Greensleeves ... read moreCD
The attack is sharp here, but the decay is what really moves us – that slow fade and spacey sound that makes classic dubs like this so great! The package pulls together lots of rare tracks from the Attack label of Bunny Lee – most with music by The Aggrovators, and a whole extra level ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
The attack is sharp here, but the decay is what really moves us – that slow fade and spacey sound that makes classic dubs like this so great! The package pulls together lots of rare tracks from the Attack label of Bunny Lee – most with music by The Aggrovators, and a whole extra level ... read moreCD
Bob Marley & The Wailers —
In The Beginning ... LP 
