The Reggae/Ska Discussion Thread

slipss

Ok so inspired by Karl Hungus's complaint that musical discussion threads are taking a back seat to "list" and "name this song" (of which I probably start a good portion) threads, aswell as the heavily supported Reggae/Ska forum request thread I've decided to start this one.

When people ask me to name my favourite kinds of music Reggae is usually in the top three. However I have recently started to notice that I have a very limited knowlege of the genre. I own most of Bob Marleys work, english and jamacian, aswell as all UB40s releases but it seems to stop there, as far as Ska goes I've loved the Skatalites since I was about 10 and have a lot of their music downloaded but again thats about it.

Anyways I would love to hear the opinions of others on what they think of Reggae and Ska. Are there any good modern Reggae acts out there now that you would rekomend(sc), or any older stuff that wouldn't be as well known that you feel was particularly good. Please post samples and links if possible. Also there are alot of bands and artists around that incorporate a very clear Reggae feel into there music, particularly in Hip-Hop culture, The Fugees is the obvious one that springs to mind, are there any other bands in this vein that you thgink deserve a mention?

Also on a broader scale what are peoples general opinions of these music genres, if you like them, why so? and if you hate them I'd be interested in hearing your reasons for this also.

I'm hoping that all the people that keep suggesting a Reggae/Ska forum will post here as keeping this thread active and busy would seem to be the obvious way to go about getting it. Also everyone else that has an interest in and a knowlege of this kind of music please share what you know and hopefully you will discover some stuff thats new to you too.
Thanks. Slipss.

Bob Marley - Redemption Song
UB40 - Rat In Mi Kitchen
Skatalites - Guns of Navarone
The Fugees - Fu-gee-la

Executive Steve

personally i have been listening to LOTS of dancehall recently...

i love that grimy digital feel that reggae took on when it started to adopt the production techniques of techno and hip hop in the late eighties and early nineties...

not much of a roots man, but mainly because i don't really know my arse from my elbow and it's such a huge field...

still, EVERY electronic musician owes a gigantic debt to king tubby and the pioneering culture of "the studio as instrument" producing instrumental remixes of popular reggae tunes and playing them on soundsystems with mc's chatting on top of them...

hip hop, techno, drum and bass, dubstep etc.... all come in a direct link from that early jamaican way of making music...

check out the work by early berlin minimal techno heads basic channel - it's surprisingly close to dub reggae in terms of it's aesthetics and it's focus on huuuge but delicte basslines and ever-so-subtly tweaked percussion loops

Dudess

Love The Specials, The Beat and Madness. Must investigate some of the less obvious ones. Then that starts to cross over to the likes of Ian Dury and the Blockheads and Elvis Costello and the Attractions - also ace.

DerekD Goldfish

Those who like Reggae/Ska but are looking for something different could do a lot worse then check out some stuff by Sandoz. Sandoz is a solo project of former Cabaret Voltaire member Richard H Kirk. The band were a Influential Industrial act that turned into a tecno/house act in later years. Aldo most of Kirks solo work is IDM he has released 2 albums in the "Sandoz in Dub" series which are ambient interpretations of classic raggae and dub the albums are "Chant to Jah" and "Live in the Earth" both are available on the soul jazz label.

former P.I.L bass player Jah Wobble who has spent most of his post PIL carer working with different forms of ethnic and roots music (Including an album recorded with Ronnie Drew) released a great ambient dub album "Mu" in 2005.

qelex

Ive been listening to reggae a good while now(started out wit bob of course) and it is easily my favourite genre. I mainly like roots, ska, and some dancehall. Love some bassy dub aswell if im in da rite mood. Dont like a lot of lee perrys dubs tho--too out there!

Roots Suggestions:
Groundation
Burning Spear
Israel Vibration
Gladiators
The Congos
Morgan Heritage

smk135

if anyone is looking for some great reggae i was at a concert on wendesday on i think they re still playing tonight: Israel Vibration, at the Pod. brilliant music.

bongo85

Not too mad about dancehall meself (well, the new stuff.. the old stuff is great!)

Here are some of my recommendations:

Eek-A-Mouse
Barrington Levy
Half Pint
Yellowman
Toots & the Maytals
Skatalites
U-Roy
Dillinger
Big Youth
Jimmy Cliff
King Tubby
Max Romeo

Gonna try and find some audio samples when I get home

Also, check out the 7 Deadly Skins (think they play the Hub on a wednesday.. I could be wrong tho) and Herbal Jahz

bongo85

smk135 wrote:

if anyone is looking for some great reggae i was at a concert on wendesday on i think they re still playing tonight: Israel Vibration, at the Pod. brilliant music.

Was that in the TBMC last night???

qelex

Brilliant
Eek-a-mouse - Ganja Smuggling
(Has to be the live at sunsplash 19?? version)

Horace Andy - Skylarking
People not into reggae mitel know him from Massive Attack' s Mezzanine

I'll be seein mad professor and skatalites at electric picnic over the weekend

Mikill

The Specials
The Selecter
Toots & The Maytals
Desmond Dekker
Operation Ivy
Madness
Bad Manners
20 Dead Camels

melekalikimaka

Op Iv kick butt.

i had a ska/reggee forum request up a month or so ago...it just faded away even with my bumps...sniffle

bongo85

qelex wrote:

I'll be seein mad professor and skatalites at electric picnic over the weekend

:mad: Grrr! I'm not goin Skatalites should be brill!! Definitly not one to miss

fillmore jive

you could consider manu chao a ska artist. although his first album was more of a world affair, his second album and his live album are rooted in ska music. you should also go see him live as well, great craic.

qelex

bongo85 wrote:

:mad: Grrr! I'm not goin Skatalites should be brill!! Definitly not one to miss

I'll be there skanking away, cant wait.


I seriously recommend that everyone get a groundation album. I have played them to death a this stage, when i first got them i couldnt put them away. My fav next to bob

Jello

I'm into The Specials, Madness, Desmond Dekker, The Beat, Skatalites, etc but I'd be more into ska punk - bands such as Choking Victim, Operation Ivy, Against All Authority, Streetlight Manifesto, Morning Glory, Reel Big Fish, Leftover crack, Capdown, Link 80 and loads more.

Good to see these kinda threads!

and don't forget Madness play the Point on December 12!

bongo85

Has anyone heard the Dub Side of the Moon??? It's a reggae version of Dark Side of the Moon (duh) and it's feckin class! I highly recommend it Obviously not as good as the real thing, but if yer into yer reggae, you'll definitly love it!!

The people who made it (Easy Star All Stars) have now brought out a reggae version of Radiohead's OK Computer. It's gonna be called Radiodread :cool:

I can't wait to get me hands on this

Heres the tracklisting:

1. Airbag (featuring Horace Andy)
2. Paranoid Android (featuring Kirsty Rock)
3. Subterranean Homesick Alien (featuring Junior Jazz)
4. Exit Music (For A Film) (featuring Sugar Minott)
5. Let Down (featuring Toots & The Maytals)
6. Karma Police (featuring Citizen Cope)
7. Fitter Happier (featuring Menny More)
8. Electioneering (featuring Morgan Heritage)
9. Climbing Up The Walls (featuring Tamar-kali)
10. No Surprises (featuring The Meditations)
11. Lucky (featuring Frankie Paul)
12. The Tourist (featuring Israel Vibration - Skelly Vibe)
13. Exit Music (For A Dub)
14. An Airbag Saved My Dub

smk135

bongo85 wrote:

Was that in the TBMC last night???

emm... don't know whats the TBCM?
it was in the Pod, on Harcourt street not far from D2. did ya see them? (the two main singers hav had an ilness since birth and were on crutches but still dancin away!!)

bongo85

Temple Bar Music Centre :rolleyes:

Naah I didn't see them.. what they called again?? And will they be playing again??

melekalikimaka

i see ska punk being mentioned...personally i love it...but what forum would it fall under...? rbf/goldfinger i would think would be punk...maybe dhc/ska-p in ska/reggae?

A Dub in Glasgo

I have been trying to get MP3 tracks of all of my old Reggae favourites that I had on vinyl. I just love some of the Gregory Isaacs stuff. I downloaded a great extended version of Cool Down the Pace and Nightnurse, awesome stuff

Other faves include

Black Uhuru especially this one
Mighty Diamonds especially Pass the Kouchie [what a fantastic rhythm on that track]
Big Youth especially A Luta Continua

Edit obviously have a lot of Bob Marley & UB40 as well as some Horace Andy

Setun

Tootsand the Maytals, Lee "Scratch" Perry, Bad Manners, The Specials, The Beat, The Skatalites, Madness, Desmond Dekker, all great. Check out some of Courtney Pine's UB40-esque <uh-oh> music from the 80's if you want to be forever put off Redemption Song.

noby

Good thread.

The extended Nightnurse is on the re-issue of the album. I picked it up cheap a couple of years ago. Great album.

Other than that I'd be more into ska/2 tone than reggae. I do have the obligatory Legends, of course, but would prefer early wailers stuff.

The Trojan Box sets are a great introduction (and probably as much as you need) to each genre. Some of my favourites are the Ska, Rocksteady and Skinhead Reggae ones.

I'm sure the Maytals were mentioned already, but worth mentioning again.

RasTa

Big Burning Spear fan and also the greatest live reggae act ever, The Toots and the Maytals. I like Dancehall and Roots mainly, if you are looking to get into reggae other then Bob Marley etc, just fire up Itunes and listen to the Reggae radio stations.

Ras Micheal and the sons of negus are also worth checking out

fuse

Yeah I'm another dancehall fan, I like checking out all the reggae flavours, dub, roots, rocksteady. Really don't like the modern, r'n'b, dirty reggae along the lines of Damien Marley & Sean Paul.

I went into reggae exploring mode last year, picking out artists to check out, like Black Uhuru, Mad Professor, Steel Pulse, Wailling Souls, Jackie Mitto, Burning Spear.
Waded through lots of stuff I didn't like (not include the ones I mentioned).
Then realised compilations were a good bet.

Check out any Studio 1 compilations or Trojan Reggae Box Sets as noby said, they explore all styles of reggae (reggae women, funk covers, soul, rocksteady, dancehall, dub etc.) and basically give you the best of 'em, if you like a song enough then go check out the artists albums.

As for ska, there's a deadly show on Monday night's on Near FM called Ska Patrol. Found it at random one evenin, presented by some really enthusiastic old school ska head. Some great new & old tunes on it and interviews etc.

fuse

bongo85 wrote:

Has anyone heard the Dub Side of the Moon???

The people who made it (Easy Star All Stars) have now brought out a reggae version of Radiohead's OK Computer. It's gonna be called Radiodread :cool:

Got both these albums a few weeks ago and really enjoying.
The intro to their version of Money (pink floyd) is genius!

The Radiohead one is surprisingly good. I gave it to a die-hard radiohead fan, they hated it at first, but got back to me a week later saying they really liked it.

Very well produced, i just love the "chank" of the reggae guitar strumming they use!