The American debut of The English Beat – aka the UK group The Beat, who'd been making some big waves with import 45s on the 2Tone label, the burst forth on our US market with a slight shift in name, due to another group hogging their original moniker on our side of the Atlantic! That bit of backstory hardly need matter, though – as the group wear their English loud and proud here, setting off a huge ska revival as they blend Jamaican roots with London attitude in the post-punk years – stacking up a set of classics that continue to groove many turntables all these many years later. Titles include "Mirror In The Bathroom", "Hands Off She's Mine", "Twist & Crawl", "Big Shot", "Best Friend", and "Jackpot". (Rock, Reggae) LP, Vinyl record album

Bob Andy's come a long way here from his earlier work with Marcia Griffiths – taking on some new righteous rasta energy, as you might guess from the title – and singing in an even headier style than before – in a way that makes this record as important to the roots generation as his earlier sides were to early reggae! The set was recorded at Treasure Isle, with bad-stepping rhythms from Sly & Robbie, and a nice current of dub on the production – all of which really sets the stage for Bob's richly soulful vocals on tunes that include "Troubled Woman", "Lots Of Love & I", "Unchain Me", "Stepping Free", "Revelation", "The Ghetto Stays In My Mind", and "You Lied". LP, Vinyl record album