| |
Sometimes, along comes a release that
is so good, it just takes your breath away - this collection of
seventies roots singles is one of that small select band, the elite
quality of the music matched only by the rarity of the original
recordings. If you are going to mark ten years of premier roots
reissues, and your fiftieth CD release, this is the way to do it.
Beautifully packaged and diligently annotated, this release brings
together sides recorded between 1972 and 1982 (though the majority
date from the mid/ late seventies) by Ras Ibuna, Ricky Storm (a.k.a.
I Kong), a very obscure solo Michael Rose item, Bongo Gene
Campbell,
a self produced Cornell Campbell, a twelve inch classic from a young
Barrington Levy, a Dillinger classic, and Uhuru (The Sound Of Freedom)
who comprise –naturally – Garth Dennis, Duckie
Simpson and Don Carlos. As if that was not enough, each side has its own
dub version, most of which are simply startling However, it has to
be admitted that Pressure Sounds saved the best ‘til last – ‘Eight
Against Rome Version’ by the Mercenaries is an absolutely stunning
piece of brain-shredding dub on the ‘Death In the Arena’ riddim.
If you don’t like this, you don’t like reggae – period.
Oh, and you want more good news? That ‘Volume One’ indicates
that this is just the start of a series of like-minded compilations…
-
Norman Darwen
|
