VARIOUS ARTISTS
Strictly Drum and Bass - The Roots of Sly and Robbie
[Trojan Records, www.trojanrecords.com]
VARIOUS ARTISTS
The Historic Roots of Ska
[Primo / Proper, www.properdistribution.com]
Concentrating on Sly & Robbie's early recordings, "Strictly Drum and Bass"
is a collection that rewards the listener with pure gold. Spanning the
decade between 1969 and 1979, Sly and Robbie turned out hit after golden
hit. This is music that a whole generation was brought up on. I can
certainly remember some of these tunes spewing out from ghetto blasters [in
the day and age of MP3 players - those objects of desire became rather
obsolete] around the city. Even if my musical tastes were slightly twisted
at the time, I can clearly remember "The Message", "Night Doctor" and
"Blinded By Love". If a few minutes into the disc, you get nostalgic and
start to feel that you're listening to a greatest hits package, then that's
part of the whole picture. Truth is, just about every single one of the
tracks included was a hit [smaller scale or larger] at one point or another.
 The Upsetters' great dub-wise rhythm of "Night Doctor" is a fine example
of such a hit. The beaches of the Caribbean are fresh in front of my eyes
as I listen to this track over and over. Likewise with Al Brown & Skin
Flesh & Bones rockin' and raw rendition of "Here I am Baby" and Cornell
Campbell's sweet and tender take of "Wherever I Lay My Hat". The barrel is
so full of gems, it's really overflowing with the goodness of great vibes
and sweet beats. Not forgetting that dub is not left entirely out of the
picture, The Revolutionaries come through with a wicked mid-tempo, sweat
drenched version of "Freedom Dub" and Trinity with their "Pope Paul Dead and
Gone".
Spanning a wide array of years, the 2 CD compilation "The Historic Roots of
Ska" is an audio document of the beginning of ska. Some people have called
ska an off-shoot of reggae, while others have adamantly stated it's a
separate musical category of its own. Whatever side of the fence you sit
on, you'll be forced to agree, the music selected here is essential to music
lovers far and wide. Ranging from the slow rhythms of "The Tide is High" by
John Holt to instrumental, jazz-oriented Tommy McCook & The Skatallites
"Magic", through to Toots & The Maytals joyous "John James", there's
something in this collection for any serious fan of this often overlooked
genre. Quite a lot of tracks featured are from The Skatalites and from
Toots and rightly so. After all, without these two acts, the genre wouldn't
be what it is today. Essential music for even the rainiest of summer days.
- Tom Sekowski
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RECENZJE
+ Tatsuya Yoshida/ Piotr Zabrodzki - Karakany
+ Pharaoh Overload - Live in Suomi Finland
+ Andromelos - Andromelos
+ Fresh Maggots - Fresh Maggots
+ Unfolding - Freak Out Party: How to Blow Your Mind
+ Susan Christie - Paint a Lady
+ Jan Jelinek - Kosmischer Pitch
+ Carl Craig - The Album Formerly known As ...
+ Funkstörung - Appendix
+ Skinny Puppy - Mythmaker
+ Boogy Bytes Vol.3 - Mixer By Modeselektor
+ Adult. - Why Bother?
+ Stewart Walker - Concentricity
+ Sleep Well - Chapter III
+ Anthony Rother - Moderntronic
+ 5YR: Five Years Of Regularity - Mixed By Jaumetic
+ Dr. J present 1 Love - Neophilia
+ LCD Soundsystem - Sound Of Silver
+ International Deejay Gigolos 10 - Presented By DJ Hell
+ The Field - From Here We Go Sublime
+ Electronicat - Chez Toi
+ Dirty Doering - Saubermann
+ Matthew Dear - Deserter
+ Computer Incarnations For World Peace
- - - - - - - - -
+ HAL RAMMEL - Like Water Tightly Wound
+ MARTYN BATES - Your Jewled Footsteps
+ TERMINAL SOUND SYSTEM - Compressor
+ ROBERTO OPALIO - The Last Night of the Angel of Glass, Vol. I & II
+ THE STRANGLERS - Anthology
+ DAX PIERSON / ROBERT HORTON - Pablo Feldman Sun Riley
+ KOMMANDO RAUMSCHIFF ZITRONE - First Time Ever I Saw Your Face
+ ZU & NOBUKAZU TAKEMURA - Identifications with the Enemy, A Key to the Underworld
+ YELLOW 6 - Painted Sky
+ CHRIS WATSON / BJ NILSEN - Storm
+ FENNESZ - Endless Summer
+ NINE HORSES - Money For All
+ VARIOUS ARTISTS - HEAVYBreathing - The Sounds of Sex - Vol. 3 - Stop It! - HEAVYBreathing - The Sounds of Sex - Vol. 4 - Touch Me!
+ WADADA LEO SMITH - GÜNTER BABY SOMMER - Wisdom in Time
+ KATHY DIAMOND - Miss Diamond To You
+ FRED LONBERG-HOLM TRIO - Terminal Valentine
+ JASPER LEYLAND - Fieldstone
+ KILO - Kilo / POLE - Steingarten / TELESEEN - War / HECKER - Recordings for Rephlex
+ AURAH - Etherea Borealis
+ THE STYLE COUNCIL - Live at the Full House Rock Show DVD / BIG AUDIO DYNAMITE - Live E=MC2 DVD
+ DANIEL MENCHE - Animality
+ ANDREA CENTAZZO MITTELEUROPA ORCHESTRA - The Complete Recordings 1980 - 1981 - The Complete Recordings 1982 - 1983
+ DAVID TOOP - Sound Body
+ ASTRO & SUZUKI JUNZO - Cosmic Blues Experience / SUZUKI JUNZO - November.10.2001
+ DOCTOR BOB - Dark Times
+ THE BAMBOOS - Rawville
>> VARIOUS ARTISTS - Strictly Drum and Bass - The Roots of Sly and Robbie / VARIOUS ARTISTS - The Historic Roots of Ska
+ FRED ANDERSON & HAMID DRAKE - From the River to the Ocean
+ TG MAUSS - Gravity Will Keep Us All Together
+ POEM ROCKET - Invasion!
+ JENNIFER GENTLE - A New Astronomy
+ MIRA CALIX - Eyes Set Against the Sun / !!! - Myth Takes / LONDON SINFONIETTA - Warp Works & Twentieth Century Masters
+ ISRAEL QUELLET - Oppressum
+ EINSTUERZENDE NEUBAUTEN - Palast Der Republik DVD
+ VARIOUS ARTISTS - Maiden Voyage / VARIOUS ARTISTS - Protest - Feet / ASSORTED PERFORMERS - Ghos Busters III / VARIOUS ARTISTS - The Best of Polish Jazz 2005
+ SOFTWAR - Softwar
+ THE ETERNALS - Heavy International
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WYWIADY / RELACJE
+ Writing rhythms is easy - rozmowa z Stewart'em Walker'em
+ Regularity is the secret - wywiad z Jaumetic'em [Regular label]
+ Szybsze bicie serca - rozmowa z Patrycją Hefczyńską aka DJ Patrisią [Husky]
+ My fire is burning - wywiad z Hell'em [Gigolo Records]
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