Okay. . .okay, there may be a few other singers we like to hold up as our favorite (like Jimmy Cliff), but for real, Horace Andy's at the top of the heap. Maybe it's because we're from Chicago and have a soft spot for sweet falsetto a la Eugene Record or Curtis Mayfield, though we'd never claim ... read moreCD
Horace Andy —
Get Wise ... CD Pressure Sounds (UK), 1975. New Copy ...
$14.9915.98
Prime 70s work from Horace Andy – recorded in this laidback, soul-drenched style that almost recalls the Kingston sound of a few years before! The setting is very earthy and up-close – a perfect placement for Andy's really unique vocals, which almost approximate some of the more ... read moreCD
The second record from British roots act Aswad, with the same sort of approach as their classic debut – a solid sophomore effort keeping the roots tradition alive at the twilight of the era! The group underwent a minor lineup change from their first album to this one, but at this point they'r ... read moreCD
A great little compilation from Aswad – issued the same year as their mighty, mighty New Chapter set! Showcase collects Aswad's early singles and documents their formative years very nicely. The sound of these 6 longish tracks has all the militancy that would fall away in their later pop ... read moreCD
Produced by the hotter-than-Mercury Neptunes, Dave Kelly, Irv Gotti, Taxi (Sly & Robbie) and others. 13 tracks in all, including "Feel It Boy" with Janet Jackson, "Fresh From Yard" with Lil Kim, "Street Life", "Pure Pretty Gal", "Bossman" with ... read moreCD
Big Youth was one of the first DJs to start self producing, and in the process came up with a number of albums that stood on their own, rather than simply representing versions of rhythms cut for other singers. This set, from 1976 is just that, and the CD reissue includes 6 bonus tracks – ... read moreCD
Fantastic album featuring stellar vocals (Gregory Isaacs and Dennis Brown on backup), a crack band, and plenty of cool spacey reverb production – especially on the snare and lead vocal. Not a dub album, but one that uses the early dub experiments to great ends. Titles include "The ... read moreCD
An amazing CD issue of Susan Cadogan's 1976 LP – plus nearly another album's worth of bonus tracks! The Hurts So Good album features the more romantic side of Lee Scratch Perry's producer vibe – a style that gets a little lost with younger collectors who clamor for the Scratch's freaky ... read moreCD
Prime late 70s work from the great Don Carlos – one of Jamaica's most soulful singers of the 70s, heard here in material from the second half of the decade – a time when he was working with producer Bunny Striker Lee, and really coming into his own! Rhythms have a slow-stepping, roots-b ... read moreCD
A mid 90s comeback effort from the mighty Jimmy Cliff – not that he ever reallly left us for long – but a comeback in that it's is first record in decades for Island Records, home to his most legendary records of the late 60s and 70s! It's got a handful of covers and new versions of ... read moreCD
Two mighty albums by the famous Dub Organiser – back to back on a single CD! CB 200 is a straight up classic – one of his first LPs to break large on the international scene, and certainly one of the first Dee Jay records to do so! Channel One Hoo Kim production features the Ragnam ... read moreCD
Harry J All Stars —
Liquidator ... CD Trojan (UK), 1969. New Copy ...
Just Sold Out!
An excellent set of rocksteady instrumentals by writer/producer Harry J and his Allstars – very much in a similar vein to classic Jackie Mittoo material, with a cool bubbling sound that's totally great! Recorded in 1969, steeped strongly in some of the finest reggae instrumental sounds of ... read moreCD
A scorching bit of organ-heavy Jamaican instrumentals by The Hippy Boys – and a still somewhat mysterious effort after all these years, but a highly regarded one – filled out nicely with bunch of great bonus tracks! The group began making waves in the Jamaican live scene at the end of ... read moreCD
Inner Circle —
Reggae Thing ... CD Capitol/Universal (Japan), 1976. New Copy ...
$13.99
Soulful reggae from Jacob Miller and Inner Circle – on a set that's still in touch with their rougher, rootsier material – but done here with a nice polished approach that works really well with the soul-steeped songcraft! Wonderful sounds from the heart of the 70s by this legendary ... read moreCD
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 ... read moreCD
King Tubby & Friends —
Dub Gone Crazy ... CD Blood & Fire (UK), Mid 70s. Used ...
$9.99
The compilation that put Blood & Fire on the map and may well have started the 90s dub revival! 14 heavy tracks, produced by Bunny Lee, played by the Aggrovators at Tubby's and dubbed into atmospheric soundscapes by Tubby and his disciples Prince Jammy, Prince Phillip & Scientist. An ... read moreCD
Mindblowing sounds from the great Bunny Lee – and exactly the kind of collection that makes us love the Pressure Sounds label so much! The track selection is wonderful – and most numbers are balanced in a unique space between reggae and rocksteady, and often have some crucial ... read moreCD
A never-issued record from Jah Life – and one that stands with the best dub efforts from the time! The set features wicked rhythms from the Roots Radics band, recorded at Channel One – then mixed into sublime echoey territory by Scientist, with a style that's every bit as his own great ... read moreCD
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
A never-issued live performance from Bob Marley – and a much-needed addition to his classic 70s catalog! The set captures Marley in his prime – working before an enthusiastic venue, but with a sound that's as sharp as any of his studio recordings – from the rhythms right on up to ... read moreCD
A smoking live set from '75, recorded not too long after the I-three's replaced Peter Tosh & Bunny Wailer. Totally burning versions of "Trenchtown Rock", "Burnin & Lootin", "Them Belly Full", "Lively Up Yourself", "No Woman, No Cry", "I ... read moreCD
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
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
(Out of print.)
Lee Perry & The Upsetters —
Super Ape ... CD Mango (Japan), 1976. New Copy ...
$13.99
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
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
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
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 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
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
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
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
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
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 moreCD
Some of the greatest grooves from late 60s Jamaica – a special set of early rocksteady numbers with an especially soulful vibe! Most numbers here are from groups or single singers getting some great backup from either other vocalists or some heavy echo in the production – which creates ... read moreCD
Don Letts has always been a mover and shaker on the London scene, building connections between the punk movement and helping a lot of Jamaican artists get signed to British labels, so it's only fitting that he should be tapped as selector for a collection of tracks from the deep, deep Trojan vaults. ... read moreCD
Heavy dub from the vaults of Virgin Records – a 40 track collection that focuses on the best bassy grooves of the label's Frontline series! The work here is wonderful – maybe more firmly rooted in the Kingston scene than similar sounds on Island Records at the time – and very ... read moreCD
Excellent selection of DJs riding some of the best rhythms cut at Tubby's in the 70s. Includes Big Joe's "In the Ghetto", I Roy "War & Frition", Tappa Zukie "Jah Is I Guiding Star", Dr. Alimantado "Mash It Up", Jah Stitch "Bury the Barber" and ... read moreCD
Very dubby dubs from the legendary Justice Records – tracks that are deeper, darker, and moodier than most mainstream iterations of the format at the time – that best take on music from dirt, served up with more than enough echo to send the instrumentation and vocals into some very ... read moreCD
A further delve into the King Jammy archives from VP – featuring a heavy selection of mid 80s digital revolution – with roots-era inspired gems with a crisp, period production aesthetic! All tracks produced and arranged by Lloyd "King Jammy" James – with numbers by ... read moreCD
One of the later volumes of On U's Pay It All Back series. Titles include "Happy Shopper" by Audio Active, "Digital Justice (dub)" by Mark Stewart, "Roots Commandment" by Dub Syndicate, "Can I Be Free" by Bim Sherman, "I Drop Your Name" by Little ... read moreCD
A great collection of underground dub tracks from late 70s Jamaica – the kind of limited-run dub plates that would circulate between some of the bigger sound systems on the scene, and offer up radically trippy versions of better-known tunes! The set is heavy on echo and slow-stepping rhythms ... read moreCD
The first great wave of dancehall from Studio One – which also marks the late wave of Jamaican innovation before the label's move to New York in the 80s! The music here is often build upon structures forged in earlier Studio One recordings – but updated with a dubbier late 70s vibe, ... read moreCD
Unhh!! Studio One plus funk, what more need we say?! Coxsone Dodd and company get down with the get down, and in this case, that's some pretty good company, with Sound Dimension, Cedric Brooks, Jackie Mittoo, Pablove Black, Alton Ellis, Vin Gordon and a whole mess of the baddest cats in Jamaica ... read moreCD
Great early work from the legendary Studio One – and some important sounds that really show the link between Jamaican reggae and American soul! The grooves at this point draw heavily from the US soul and R&B that had been hitting Jamaican shores via radio broadcasts from up north – ... read moreCD
Various —
Studio One Soul ... CD Soul Jazz/Studio One (UK), Late 60s/Early 70s. Used ...
$12.99
Fantastic! This set features reggae and rocksteady versions of American soul and funk tracks from the late 60s and early 70s – quite fitting, considering how much of Jamaican reggae began as an attempt to copy American hits for the local market. The set may well be the best-ever in the ... read moreCD
Horace Andy —
Feel Good All Over – Anthology 1970-1976 ... CD 
