A very cool set from the 70s – one that's part reggae, part sweet soul, and part funky jam – all served up with a nicely mixed up vibe that really makes the whole thing shine! The group hail from Barbados, and there's some great Caribbean funk on the record at times – especially on the instrumental moments, which have qualities that echo American funky 45s, but with a nice twist on the styles! The sweet soul vocals are great too – not heard often, but a nice feature when they appear – as is some of the more unusual organ and guitar expressions over reggae styled rhythms. A great record, with a strong sense of depth and variety – on titles that include "What A Life", "Don't Blame This Joint", "Sella", "Stop Leaning On The Shoulder Of Your Brother", "Let Me Get Stoned", "You're The Match", "I Just Can't Reach You", and a remake of "The World Is A Ghetto". LP, Vinyl record album

The crowning achievement of the legendary Keith Hudson – a landmark album of instrumental dub that started out in very small circulation, but soon grew to become one of the most important albums of the genre! The sound here is spare, stark, and simple – but in the best way possible – as Hudson takes the music right down to its core, yet seems to create even more powerful flow in the process – revising the 60s Jamaican love of American soul into a more cosmic mode for the next decade – but all with a raw approach that makes each element come across with a great deal of focus. Titles include "Black Heart", "Pick A Dub", "Don't Move", "Blood Brother", "Michael Talbot Affair", "In The Rain", and "Satia". LP, Vinyl record album

An amazing record, and one of the most spiritual, righteous sets to ever come from Jamaica in the 70s – and that's saying a heck of a lot, given that scene at the time! The vibe here is really rootsy, and almost more spiritual jazz than reggae – with lots of spare percussion from Count Ossie and crew, under spoken passages by Brother Samuel Clayton and Ras Jose – all set to these spare but powerful arrangements from Cedric Im Brooks, who plays some great tenor and flute on the record too! Brooks' performance gives some jazzy currents to the music, and ties it to American underground work of the time – but the message in the vocals is very Jamaican overall, exactly what you'd expect from the "mystic revelation of Rastafari"! Titles include "Bongo Man", "Mabrat", "Four Hundred Years", "Groundation", "Oh Carolina", "Ethiopian Serenade", and "Way Back Home". LP, Vinyl record album

The last train to skaville, and a record that should be the first in line when you're digging for rare instrumental ska – as the collection offers up a mix of the mighty Hammond skills of Jackie Mittoo and the searing rhythms of the Soul Brothers – who also serve up great solos on tenor, trumpet, and trombone! This isn't the sleepy ska of the revival years – and is instead the kind of hard-burning music that was strongly inspired by American instrumental soul in the late 60s, and really made waves on both the scenes in London and Kingston! All cuts are from the original run of gems from Studio One – and titles include "Voodoo Moon", "Ska Shuffle", "Dr Ring Ding", "Got My Boogaloo", "Home Made", "Hot & Cold", "One Stop", "James Bond", and "Mr Flint". LP, Vinyl record album

An early classic from the Studio One/Coxone catalog – and a set that has a sound that's every bit as iconic as its cover – the kind of record that really helped set a new standard for soulful sounds from Jamaica! Alton Ellis is almost in early Marvin Gaye territory here – working with a style that's every bit as groovy on the upbeat tracks as it is personal and moving on the mellower ones – with the difference, of course, that the rhythms here are more in a rocksteady mode, and served up with some great studio help from the Soul Brothers and Soul Vendors! The whole album's great – and titles include "So Much Love", "I'm Just A Guy", "Get Ready", "Why", "Mad Mad Mad", and a beautiful version of The Bee Gee's "Massachusetts"! LP, Vinyl record album

Landmark work from The Wailers – the early trio version of the group, with a legendary lineup that includes Peter Tosh and Bob Marley! The style here is different than both Tosh and Marley's music to come, but the sound is already totally top-shelf – a wickedly soulful blend of American soul harmonies and Jamaican rhythms – very well-crafted, mostly with Bob in the lead, but often with the kind of vocal interplay that makes all three members of the group shine in the spotlight, including third member Neville Livingston! The set's an early Studio One treasure, and is proof that Clement Dodd was already on the right track – and musical backing is by The Soul Brothers and Skatalites. Titles include "Lonesome Feelings", "I Need You", "Put It On", "Rude Boy", "Love & Affection", "Simmer Down", "I'm Still Waiting", and "Ten Commandments Of Love". LP, Vinyl record album

Groundbreaking 70s work from Lee Scratch Perry – served up here with both work from The Upsetters, and a long list of "friends" – different singers who take the lead on some of the productions, which are then presented back to back with dub versions of the tracks that overflow with great contributions from a top-shelf lineup of musicians! Players on the cuts include Willie Lindo and Ernest Ranglin on guitars, Winston Wright on organ, Vin Gordon on trombone, and Richard Dirty Harry Hall on tenor – but the real talent here is clearly that of Perry, who's able to move between soulful vocal leads and some deeper, darker Black Ark sounds on the rhythms. Titles include "Mr Money Man" by Danny Hensworth, "Brother Noah" by The Shadows, "Traveling" by Debra Keese, "Ethiopian Land" by Peter & Paul Lewis, "Land Of Love" by Sons Of Light, "Peace & Love" by Shaumark & Robinson, "Freedom Street" by Eric Donaldson, "My Little Sandra" by Leo Graham, "Long Long Time" by Winston Heywood, "White Belly Rat" by Lee Perry, "A Wah Dat" by Junior Dread, and "Feelings" by Sharon Isaacs – and the set features dub versions of every cut by The Upsetters too! LP, Vinyl record album

A heady helping of rare singles from the farther reaches of the indie scene in early reggae – labels that include Duke, Grape, Splash, High Note, Explosion, and JJ – all tiny companies that are now part of the larger Trojan Records empire! The work here is nicely varied – as many styles as promised in the title, but with maybe the soulful edge of rocksteady at the core – a strong focus on the kind of late 60s singles that had more than enough depth to cross the Atlantic and get plenty of play on the London scene too! Titles include "Old Time (dub)" by GG All-stars, "Black Power" by Dave Barker, "Wondering" by The Hippy Boys, "Let My People Go" by The Rulers & The Carib Beats, "It's Too Late" by Chosen Few, "Going In Circles" by Charmers All Stars, "Love Brother" by Herman, "Rim Bim Bam" by The Ethiopians, "Fire Fire (take 3)" by Tony & His Group, "Night Of Love" by Ansel Collins, "Pony Ride" by Winston Groovy & Pat Rhoden, "Dee's Special" by Lynn Taitt & The Jets, and "Going In Circles" by Charmers All Stars. LP, Vinyl record album