A record from the mid 70s, but one that's got a very timeless vibe – as the grooves link together earlier rocksteady soul with more righteous roots reggae currents – all to provide a spectacular setting for the tenor of Cedric Im Brooks! As with some of Brooks' other 70s material, there's a very enigmatic vibe to the record – almost as if it dropped out of the skies without many ties to the scene around it – although we can say that the whole thing definitely has the nice edge you'd expect from handling by the legendary Studio One label! There's some great organ work on the album, unfortunately uncredited – and titles include "Glory To Sound", "Give Rasta Glory", "Walking Through", "Free Man", "Smiley", and "Why Can't I". LP, Vinyl record album

Really early work from the legendary Derrick Morgan, and a set that was one of the earliest full length sets in the Island Records catalog – the start of a legendary run of Jamaican music, with proof that Morgan was one of the originators who was there at the start! As you might guess from his look on the cover, Derrick is working in a ska-based mode on the set – but he's also drawing plenty from American soul for inspiration too – wonderful vocals that float in a dreamy way over the tight-stepping rhythms in the tunes! There's a few cuts that feature duets with Patsy Todd – and titles include "The Hop", "Look Before You Leap", "Last Chance", "Don't You Worry", "Blazing Fire", "Housewife's Choice", "Don't Be A Fool", and "It's True My Darling". CD features a massive amount of bonus tracks – 46 titles added to the original record, some from The Best Of Derrick Morgan, many of which are new to CD too. Titles include "Real Ring Ding", "Revenge", "Try Me", "Greedy Gal", "Don't Say", "Horse Dead Cow Fat", "Sunday Morning", "Gypsy Woman", "Be Still", "Corner Stone", "Sail On", "Tell It To Me", "Loving Baby", and lots lots more! CD

An essential reissue of an essential roots album! A mid 70s landmark of harmony roots, the Abyssinians' Satta Massagana, aka Forward To Zion, is hard to beat for hardcore, spiritual roots delivered over hypnotically pulsing rhythms, and Heartbeat ups the ante by digging deep for some excellent and essential dubs and extended mixes, plus several sweet bonus numbers. Sly and Robbie, plus Horsemouth and Boo Richards, Micky Chung, Chinna Smith, Clive Hunt and Geoffrey Chung are among their erstwhile co-conspirators on this self produced gem. 14 tracks in all, including "Declaration Of Rights", "The Good Lord", "Forward Unto Zion", "Know Jah Today", "Abendigo", "Y Mas Gan", "Black Man's Strain", "Satta Massagana", "I & I", "African Race", "Leggo beast", "Peculiar Number", "Reason Time" and "There Is No End". CD

Some choice Bunny Lee produced Aggrovators tracks, mixed mostly by King Tubby. 16 tracks in all, including "A Version Of Class", "Jah Jah Dub", "Creation Dub", "Forward Version", "Don't Try To Dub I", "A Thankful Version", "A Traditional Dub", "A Stalawatt Dub" and "Full A Manners". LP, Vinyl record album

A stunning double-length collection of work from dub producer Errol Brown – a massive 42 tracks in all, each of which definitely live up to the "tip top" promised in the title! The work here is from the years 1977 and 1978 – all originally issued on the High Note or Sky Note labels, at a time when Brown's talents in the studio were able to completely transform elements from contemporary tunes, and take them into all sorts of wonderful new directions with instrumentation help from The Revolutionaries! There's plenty of echo throughout, but most tunes also have a very straightforward vibe too – lean and forward-moving, without getting too bogged down in the production – just using the right elements to make everything sound super-cool throughout. The set features 25 tracks that have never been on CD amidst the total of 42 – and tracks include "Phase One Special", "Roots Man Dub", "Dancing Dub", "Wooga Man", "King Ruler", "Ital Dub", "Dub Walla", "Chapter 15", "Know Your Friend Version", "Strictly Roots"- "Lizard Version", and "Dub In Dreamland". CD

Glen Brown rhythms, King Tubby mixing, and a set of really wonderful dubs – all pulled from unreleased tapes from the vaults – and served up with a superb sound throughout! These aren't throwaway cuts – as the core elements are from the roots years of Brown's music – with instrumentation from Tommy McCook on tenor and flute, Vin Gordon on trombone, Ansell Collins and Earl Lindo on keyboards, Lloyd Willis and Jeffrey Chung on guitars, Aston Barrett and Robbie Shakespear on basses, and Glen Brown himself on melodica, percussion, guitar, and more keyboards! Tubby's touches are wonderful – really dubbing things out, yet keeping a soulful roots mode at the core – never insulting the righteous energy with too much trickery, but definitely amping things up a lot too. Titles include "The Collie Man", "Dub Happening", "Dubs Lives", "Prince On Dubs", "Hit Me Forward", "The Clean Dub", and "Trouble Not Dub". CD

Glen Brown rhythms, King Tubby mixing, and a set of really wonderful dubs – all pulled from unreleased tapes from the vaults – and served up with a superb sound throughout! These aren't throwaway cuts – as the core elements are from the roots years of Brown's music – with instrumentation from Tommy McCook on tenor and flute, Vin Gordon on trombone, Ansell Collins and Earl Lindo on keyboards, Lloyd Willis and Jeffrey Chung on guitars, Aston Barrett and Robbie Shakespear on basses, and Glen Brown himself on melodica, percussion, guitar, and more keyboards! Tubby's touches are wonderful – really dubbing things out, yet keeping a soulful roots mode at the core – never insulting the righteous energy with too much trickery, but definitely amping things up a lot too. Titles include "The Collie Man", "Dub Happening", "Dubs Lives", "Prince On Dubs", "Hit Me Forward", "The Clean Dub", and "Trouble Not Dub". LP, Vinyl record album

All the great early albums from Creation Rebel – plus their excellent comeback too! The set begins with Dub From Creation – not just the debut album from Creation Rebel, but also a set that marks the first studio work from the young Adrian Sherwood – part of the long On-U Sound legacy to come, and a wealth of other wonderful music! There's a spareness here that's great – maybe a bit less dark than later Sherwood projects, but no less stark – with melodica and keyboards weaving nicely amidst the dubby rhythms! Titles include "Basic Principals", "Dub Fusion", "Liberation", "Rising Star", "Vision Of Creation", and "Creation In A Iration". Next is Close Encounters Of The Third World – an early part of the On-U Sound legacy, even if the set wasn't issued on the label – a key effort by Creation Rebel that features recording work done both in London and Kingston, layered together in a beautifully dubby way! The sound here is definitely underground – full of message-oriented lyrics from Crucial Tony, who sings in a style that definitely earns him his name – with great melodica and organ flowing through the mix next to Lizard's bass – topped with added horn work from The Arabs in all the right spots! The production is superb – flat on the drums, wide on the sides, which makes for a really wonderful groove – on titles that include "Know Yourself", "Conspiring", "Creation Fever", "Natty Conscience Free", and "Joyful Noise". Rebel Vibrations features early production genius from Adrian Sherwood – and a record that sets the tone for all the On-U Sound genius to come! The set's a huge step forward from even the previous excellent Creation Rebel album – as the way the sounds are layered together is incredible – almost modes learned from post-punk production, but used to deliver a pure, righteous dub album – one that drops out all the vocals, and allows you to concentrate even more on the totally wicked instrumentation! The set features stunning drums from Style Scott, heady bass from Lizard, and all sorts of very cool keyboard work from Clifton Morrison – used in these ways that float about like a swarm of sounds, especially when mixed with the melodica of Doctor Pablo. The whole thing's amazing – and titles include "Diverse Doctor", "Hunger & Strife", "Jungle Affair", "Rebel Vibration", "Black Lion Dub", and "Mountain Melody". Starship Africa is a brilliant Creation Rebel effort for On-U Sound from the dawn of the 80s – landing in the futuristic dub spacecraft that is their Starship Africa – percussion heavy and spaced out ingenuity from Adrian Sherwood & co! Tripped, echoey atmospherics that's cast as a soundtrack to movie that doesn't exist, the music is forward thinking, boundary busting dubby grooves exists out of time and sounds great to this day. Includes "Starship Africa" (Sections 1-5) and "Space Movement" (Sections 1-4). On Psychotic Jonkanoo, Crucial Tony is back in the mix for this righteous early 80s album from Creation Rebel – a set that has Adrian Sherwood only furthering his production genius as he layers together stunning instrumental work from the group! The presence of the vocals has the instrumentation slightly back in the mix – but there's still a great run of rhythms throughout, all driven by the mighty heady basslines of Lizard Logan! There's less keyboards than before, but still some nice electronic bits all over the place – and titles include "The Dope", "African Space", "Threat To Creation", "Highest Degree", "Mother Don't Cry", and "Drum Talk". From 2023, Hostile Environment is the first album in many years from this legendary studio project from On-U Sound and Adrian Sherwood – and one that makes us feel as if the passage of decades hasn't happened at all! Sherwood's production is still wonderful – and, if anything, maybe less showy, or more soulful, or less moody – just something that seems to let the work of the group come through with energy that's wonderfully warm and organic, while still resonating with plenty of touches that will make longtime label fans proud! Vocals are shared between Charlie Eskimo Fox and Mr Magoo, and the set also features guest appearances from Prince Far I and Daddy Freddy – on titles that include "That's More Like It" "Jubilee Clock", "Swiftly", "Stonebridge Warrior", "Crown Hill Road", "The People's Sound", and "Whatever It Takes". CD

Early production genius from Adrian Sherwood – and a record that sets the tone for all the On-U Sound genius to come! The set's a huge step forward from even the previous excellent Creation Rebel album – as the way the sounds are layered together is incredible – almost modes learned from post-punk production, but used to deliver a pure, righteous dub album – one that drops out all the vocals, and allows you to concentrate even more on the totally wicked instrumentation! The set features stunning drums from Style Scott, heady bass from Lizard, and all sorts of very cool keyboard work from Clifton Morrison – used in these ways that float about like a swarm of sounds, especially when mixed with the melodica of Doctor Pablo. The whole thing's amazing – and titles include "Diverse Doctor", "Hunger & Strife", "Jungle Affair", "Rebel Vibration", "Black Lion Dub", and "Mountain Melody". LP, Vinyl record album

A seminal set from Linton Kwesi Johnson – the kind of well-done early 80s set that had the UK scene showing the Jamaican one how to take some of its best elements and move forward – as the words and knowledge of Linton come into play with heady backings from Dennis Bovell and The Dub Band! Production is relatively straightforward – handled by the pair together, and using the best bassy elements of Bovell's music, while not getting in the way of the messages in Johnson's words – which are many, and very smartly focused at key targets of the time! Titles include "Making History", "Di Great Insohreckshan", "Wat About Di Workin Class","Reggae Fi Radni", "Reggae Fi Dada", "New Craas Massahkah", and "Di Eagle An Di Bear". CD

The first Bob Marley album on Island Records – and the start of a really legendary run that would not only transform reggae in the 70s, but the rest of popular music as well! Chris Blackwell's partially at the helm on production, but the album was mostly recorded in classic Kingston studios – Randy's, Dynamic, and Harry J's – and retains the same vibe as some of Marley's earlier work, but with more of the forward-thinking vision he brought to his time at Island. Bunny Livingston lays down some excellent percussion on the set – and rhythm is from the team of Aston and Carlton Barrett on bass and drums. Titles include the classic "Stir It Up" – plus "Slave Driver", "Kinky Reggae", "High Tide Or Low Tide", and "Concrete Jungle". Very cool 3CD edition – comes in a hardback book-styled cover, with new notes and rare photos. CD2 features a rare live set recorded in London at the Paris Theater in 1973. CD3 features more unreleased tracks – eight from the sessions, including Jamaican alternative and extended versions of "Slave Driver", "Stop That Train", "No More Trouble", "Stir It Up", "400 Years", and "High Tide Or Low Tide" – plus three more unreleased live tracks from 1973! CD

The first Bob Marley album on Island Records – and the start of a really legendary run that would not only transform reggae in the 70s, but the rest of popular music as well! Chris Blackwell's partially at the helm on production, but the album was mostly recorded in classic Kingston studios – Randy's, Dynamic, and Harry J's – and retains the same vibe as some of Marley's earlier work, but with more of the forward-thinking vision he brought to his time at Island. Bunny Livingston lays down some excellent percussion on the set – and rhythm is from the team of Aston and Carlton Barrett on bass and drums. Titles include the classic "Stir It Up" – plus "Slave Driver", "Kinky Reggae", "High Tide Or Low Tide", and "Concrete Jungle". Very cool 3LP/12" edition – comes in a box, with new notes and rare photos! LP2 features a rare live set recorded in London at the Paris Theater in 1973. LP3 features more unreleased tracks – eight from the sessions, including Jamaican alternative and extended versions of "Slave Driver", "Stop That Train", "No More Trouble", "Stir It Up", "400 Years", and "High Tide Or Low Tide" – and the bonus 12" single features three more unreleased live tracks from 1973! LP, Vinyl record album

A great batch of roots from one of the best singers of the mid 70s golden age of reggae, Jacob Miller, all tracks cut with Inner Circle. 12 tracks in all, inclduing "Shaky Girl", "Tenement Yard", 'Suzy Wong", "Sinners", "Healing Of The Nation", "80,000 Careless Ethiopians", "I've Got The Handle", "Tired Fe Lick Weed In A Bush", "Roman Soldiers Of Babylon", 'Standing Firm", "All Night Till Daylight" and "Forward Jah Jah Children". LP, Vinyl record album

You could go 'round and 'round with music historians arguing whether or not this album, or Java Java Java or Aquarius Dub was the first full length dub LP, but it makes no difference to us, this is one mighty set of Perryisms, wrought in the pre-Black Ark era. There's a dozen of the Upsetter's finest rhythms rendered in dub versions here, and though he's uncredited on the sleeve, we've read that King Tubby was responsible for the wonderful reverb and mixing console action taking these tracks to the next level. Essential! Includes "Blackboard Jungle Dub (version 1)", "Rubba, Rubba Words", "Cloak A Dagger (version 3)", "Dreamland Dub", "Fever Grass Dub", "Sinsemilla Kaya Dub", "Moving Forward", "Kasha Macka Dub" and "Setta Iration Dub". LP, Vinyl record album

Super-heavy reggae from the early days of Trojan Records – something that might come as a surprise if you just look at the image on the cover! That photo is from the cover of the first set on here – the Reggae Reggae collection, issued by Trojan in 1972, and a killer batch of work from producer Alvin GG Ranglin – who also handled all the material on the second collection, Pipeline – as both are presented here, along with a huge amount of bonus tracks, many of which appear on CD for the first time ever! There's a really wonderful overview of sounds and styles here – both vocal and instrumental tracks, and a few key numbers that really show the shifting sounds of reggae as the 70s were moving forward. Doctor Bird present both records in a much richer setting than the original vinyl – really focusing on Ranglin's work in the notes, and adding in 27 bonus tracks as well – for a whopping 51 titles in all. Includes work by Shorty Perry, Lloyd & Carey, GG All stars, Del Williams, The Maytones, Billy Dyce, Gary Ranglin, John Holt, U Roy, Dennis Brown, Bongo Herman, Max Romeo, Dennis Alcapone, The Untouchables, Cat Campbell, The Ethiopians, and others. CD