FAO Canikickit

[guerrillaradio]

Yeah so I'm just getting into Peter Tosh...what other reggae should I listen to?? I need to take a break sometimes from angry men shouting while their mates hit guitars.

BTW this is a thread as opposed to PM cos I think this could be for general consumption.

[Sabocat]

Peter is the man. I also like Bunny Wailer and Bob Marley off course. Scratch Perry is great, even a little Jimmy Cliff.

[Louis Pio]

Steel Pulse is great is great as far as I remember

[Danton]

The Slickers were interesting, each member died in seperate gun related incidents..
Get one of the Dynamite series of cd's or a Trojan box set..

[Hate Is Art]

you should listen to the blue's instead of reggae damnit, dig up some ray charles or the blues brothers soundtrack!

[canikickit]

If I remember correctly, there isn't a single proper blues track on the Blues Brothers Soundtrack. At least the one I have, there is on the original score though.

Anyway...
Reggae is very broad, it really depends on what you are after.
I recommend the Blood and Fire discography:

http://www.bloodandfire.co.uk

They are a great company who obviously like reggae and want to put out a good product, and respect their customers. On their message board they staff of Blood and Fire listen and respond to feedback about their releases. I can't say enough good things about them.

The message board is amazing, with some incredibly informed people there and some witty bastards too. I was fortunate enough to win a CD there the other day.

I think you could pick up one of their samplers like Dubwise and Otherwise for quite cheap (£5) and that would point you in the right direction.

King Tubby and Augustus Pablo - their work togther is possibly their best, but they have worked independantly of each other to great effect.

Also Lee Perry's productions are probably my favourite of all time. Anything he did from 1969 - 1979 is excellent.

Check out some of my songs of the weeks for more recommendations (some of the MP3s might still be there too).

[guerrillaradio]

Originally posted by [email protected] 14 2004, 10:15 PM
Reggae is very broad, it really depends on what you are after.
I realised this after making that post. What got me thinking about reggae was the tracks Bad Brains did in between their raucous hardcore punk tracks, like "I and I Survive" and "The Meek". But hey, I will check out Blood and Fire.

[Urban Rubble]

GR, I think you will really like reggae once you get into. I was always heavily into punk rock (still am) but once I got deep into reggae I realized how nice it is to have something smooth and melodic to listen to when I get sick of being screamed at.

I think some of the stuff Cani reccomends (all the dub stuff) might be a bit heavy for a newcomer. I would reccomend the Mighty Diamonds, the Ethiopians, Culture (old stuff), anything Lee Scratch Perry produced, Max Romeo and Jacob Miller.

It just seems like you have to already appreciate roots reggae to get into dub.

Hey Danton, what was the SLickers biggest song ? Where they the ones that sang "You can't win" ? You know the one: "What's the uu-oo-oo-oo-use, fighting gainst the law but you can't win, you can't win" later in the song they say "Stop the lootin, runnin and fighting and shootin". Was that the Slickers ?

I had the Trojan Rude Boy box set with some Slickers stuff but it got stolen.

[canikickit]

The Slickers' biggest song was probably Johnny Too Bad.

oooh yeah, here I come, here I come, here I come,
walking up the road, with a pistol in your belt,
Johnny you're too bad (whoa-oh-oh)
walking down the road, with a ratchet in your waist,
Johnny you're too bad

You're just robbin' and a stabbin' and you're lootin' and a shootin'
No, you're too bad (too bad)
You're just robbin' and a stabbin' and you're lootin' and you're shootin'
No, you're too bad (too bad)

One of these days when you hear a voice say "come",
where you gonna run to?
One of these days when you hear a voice say "come",
where you gonna run to?

you gonna run to the rock, a rescue
There'll be no rock
you gonna run to the rock, a rescue
There'll be no rock
you gonna run to the rock, a rescue
There'll be no rock


Or something like that. Great tune. I think it's the one you mean.

Mr. Radio, another album worth checking out is Burning Spear's "Marcus Garvey". It is available together with its dub accompaniment, "Garvey's Ghost". The dubs on that album are very sublime, not much more than instrumentals in most cases.

[guerrillaradio]

Thanks guys...I'm investigating Lee Scratch Perry as we speak.

What put me off Bob Marley (aside from the fact every aspiring drug dealer in my town claims to love him) was the shiznit with him allegedly beating his wife. What's the scoop on this??

[canikickit]

Raping his wiffe, you mean?
I wouldn't be surprised if that were true. I believe Rita.

What puts me off Bob is the fact that most of his music is made for an international audience and not a Jamaican audience. Not that that is a bad thing in and of itself, but I like Jamaican music for Jamaican people. I don't know why I do though.

what Lee Perry are you investigating?

[El Brujo]

Ska: Skatalites, Specials, Mephiskapheles, Skarface, Los Fabulosos Cadillacs, Espias Secretos, Los Autenticos Decadentes, Madness, Kortatu, Dr. Calypso, Judge Dredd

Reggae: Symarip, Desmond Dekker, The Rudies, GG Allstars, Lord Tanamo, Jamaica 69, La Sonora Brixton, The Viceroys, Max Romero, Tony Tribe, Lord Creator, The Pioneers, Al Brown, King Horror

[guerrillaradio]

Thanks to the lovely Soulseek I am downloading "The Lee Perry 7 Inches".

I actually heard Marley beat his wife too.

[canikickit]

Cool. Tell me all the songs you like.

Actually, I'm on soulseek now. Can you search for specific users or something?

Oh, go to the room, "early reggae" and announce yourself.My name is killerer

[Urban Rubble]

I hate to break it to you El Brujo, but Desmond Dekker is ska, so is Symarip and basically everything else you had under "reggae". I like Desomnd and all, but he was pure ska. He did it first and did it best. All that really seperates your ska and reggae are the fact that what you had under ska was just second wave ska and the reggae was first wave, mostly.

Cani, no, that isn't the song I was talking about. I do get the one you mentioned and the one I mentioned mixed up though.

Then who sings this song ?:

You don't want to see me
You don't want to know me
I can remember all that you told me

Johnny you're a gunman
Running all around
Kicking up a storm
I don't blame you
But I can't help you

Johnny you're a gunman
Johnny you're a gunman

[Danton]

Originally posted by Urban [email protected] 14 2004, 11:42 PM
Hey Danton, what was the SLickers biggest song ?
Cani is correct...Probably "Johnny too bad" From the mighty soundtrack to the movie "Harder they come" ... Due to their disparate, untimley murders they have a limited back catalogue..

[Danton]

Here's five gems from my reggae vaults, shhh!!

Dennis Brown - Wolves & Leopards
Freddie Mcgregor - Natural collie
The Upsetters - Return of the Django
Sister Nancy - Bam Bam
Horace Andy - Ain't no sunshine

Play them in that order..

[canikickit]

That's a crazy order to play them in. What happened to chronology?!

I prefer this:

Horace Andy - Ain't No Sunshine
Dr. Alimantado - Plead I Cause
Oil Crisis
She Wreng Ep
Best Dressed Chicken in Town
Augustus Pablo - Thunder Clapp
Ken Boothe - Ain't No Sunshine


Urban Rubble, if you posted that on the BLood and Fire board you'd get an answer. I don't have a clue though. There's lots of songs that mention Johnny as a gunman.

[Urban Rubble]

AHAH ! I figured it out. It was Jackie Edwards, Johnny Gunman.

Oh, and that song "You can't win" was the Slickers as well, it's a good one, try to download it.

[El Brujo]

Originally posted by Urban [email protected] 15 2004, 09:39 AM
I hate to break it to you El Brujo, but Desmond Dekker is ska, so is Symarip and basically everything else you had under "reggae". I like Desomnd and all, but he was pure ska. He did it first and did it best. All that really seperates your ska and reggae are the fact that what you had under ska was just second wave ska and the reggae was first wave, mostly.
You're right about Desmond (though I think he's more of a predecessor to ska then someone who can be labeled "ska." Kind of like the Sham 69 of ska, if you get my drift) but Symarip were most-definitely not ska. Listen to "Skinhead Girl" and tell me that dosen't have a reggae rhythm. Same with all other acts Ive mentioned (Max Romero, GG Allstars, Jamaica 69, etc. ), except Lord Tanamo and maybee, the Pioneers. In terms of ska, I tend to be more into the 2-tone stuff, that's why I mentioned mostly second-wave.

[El Brujo]

Ah yes, HEPCAT is amazing also. Pick up "Scientific" If you've never heard. Also, If your into Calypso, check out Soca Trini (also known as "Black Stalin" :D ).

[canikickit]

Desmond had both reggae and rocksteady tunes too.

[Urban Rubble]

You're right about Desmond (though I think he's more of a predecessor to ska then someone who can be labeled "ska." Kind of like the Sham 69 of ska, if you get my drift) but Symarip were most-definitely not ska. Listen to "Skinhead Girl" and tell me that dosen't have a reggae rhythm. Same with all other acts Ive mentioned (Max Romero, GG Allstars, Jamaica 69, etc. ), except Lord Tanamo and maybee, the Pioneers. In terms of ska, I tend to be more into the 2-tone stuff, that's why I mentioned mostly second-wave.

I don't know, I'd consider Symarip ska. But yeah, Max Romeo is definately known for his Roots stuff, but he was also one of the early ska guys. You know, songs like "Rude Boy confession" and stuff.

And cani, yeah, he did, but he is mostly known as the Ska pioneer.

[Danton]

Originally posted by [email protected] 15 2004, 06:11 PM
That's a crazy order to play them in. What happened to chronology?!


That selection and play order is about beat mixing, tempo increase and a sense of journey with an ending, it's not a library..

[canikickit]

Well, not so much chronological order, just to my ears, a Lee Perry production like Return of Django doesn't really fit in with a Niney production like Wolf and Leopards, or another of the more rootsy rhythms you had in there.

I also thought that that Bam Bam song was more digital than it actually is (listening to it now). I'd still go with a different version of the Stalag rhythm everytime however. Like Love is the Light or Jim Schreechy.

I find that Lee Perry's stuff mainly goes with his other stuff. To me, it's just too distinct and only belongs with the rest of it. There are some exceptions though.

I look at some of those Trojan compilations though and they have Lee Perry dubs next to Bunny Lee dubs. It doesn't work for me.

I quite like libraries too. :D

[mcleodstickle]

YEA ALAN! i knew it would happen, reggae then the ska, and soon you'll be wearing the clothes and skanking.... :cool:

:P

*feels statisfied*

[guerrillaradio]

Nah man, ska is wack. My friend's trying to get me into it and I'm resisting. Haha. :P

[Danton]

Originally posted by [email protected] 16 2004, 08:32 PM
Well, not so much chronological order, just to my ears,
Yeah? Well last time I played them in a dancehall, the peoples ears and feet seemed to enjoy it.. I guess it sounds different in your bedroom..

[Urban Rubble]

Hey Cani, have you ever heard Kardinal Offishal ? If you are at all into Hip Hop you should check him out. He's a Jamaican rapper, but he's in Toronto now. He has a cool rap over the staglag rythym, I think the song is called "Maxine" of something.

[mcleodstickle]

you cant resist for long!