One of the most unique compilations we've ever heard – a set that gets at the really unique way that soul music came across on the British scene of the 60s – as American influences were mixed with local interpretations, which themselves drew plenty of influences from related scenes in the West Indies and South Africa at the time! The scope of expression here is hugely different than any American soul collections from the time – and while there's definitely a few Americans in the mix from time to time, they're mostly represented by recordings done in England, amidst a huge amount of artists who never get reissued on our side of the Atlantic! Usually, a set like this would be put together to show that Northern Soul created some upbeat music on the British scene – but with this gem of a collection, the scope is much wider, and really open to the influences that were running through black communities in England during these key post-colonial years. The package has a massive amount of music – 115 tracks in all, with a very cool book-styled package that's got superb notes and plenty of images – to support work by Lorraine Child, Peter Straker, Maxine Nightingale, Cy Grant, Cab Kaye, Dimples & Eddie, Ronnie Jones, Ernest Ranglin, Norma Lee, Jimmy Tomas, Jackie Edwards, Madeline Bell, Oliver Norman, The Fantastics, Root & Jenny Jackson, Ram John Holder, Simon K & The Meantimers, Caleb, The Foundations, The Soul Brothers, Blue Beaters, Seven Letters, Joe's All Stars, Sonny & The Daffodils, Tony Washington & The DCs, Davy Jones, Geoff Love, Ray Ellington, Emile Ford & The Big Six, Millie, Rico, Black Velvet, and many others! (Soul, Reggae) CD

A righteous classic from the legendary Bob Marley – and a set that really pushed the roots reggae sound strongly into the mainstream – almost making the mode the defining global understanding of Jamaican music, thanks to the power and presence of the album! All the Marley Tuff Gong modes are gelling perfectly here – bad-stepping rhythms from The Wailers, sweet backup from the I-Threes, and even some great guitar lines from Chinna Smith – all to complement Marley's tremendous vocal power in the lead – rising here with majesty on tracks that include the classic "Roots, Rock, Reggae", plus "Crazy Baldhead","Rat Race", "Night Shift", "Positive Vibration", 'Who The Cap Fit", "Cry To Me", "Johnny Was", and "Want More". LP, Vinyl record album

A wicked little record, and one that lives up to its Space Invaders theme right from the start – thanks to a host of sweet electronic touches from Scientist, over a set of killer head-nodding dubs from Roots Radics! The group themselves are in totally top form – massive bass from Flabba Holt and drums from Style and Santa – topped with wicked guitar licks, and some sweet organ lines from Winston Wright – but it's clearly Scientist who's the star of the show, for the way he cooks the elements together and comes up with a sound that more than does justice to the extra-cool cover! Familiar elements are nicely abstracted, and juxtaposed with clever shifts in the studio – all to create massive dubs that include "Beam Down", "Red Shift", "Time Warp", "Cloning Process", "Pulsar", "Laser Attack", "Dematerialize", "Fission", "Super Nova Explosion", and "Quasar". 2LP version features bonus vocal tracks – by Wayne Wade, Wailing Souls, Sammy Dread, Linval Thompson, and Johnny Osbourne! LP, Vinyl record album