JUNIOR MURVIN -  POLICE AND THIEVES

A song that has the power to make grown men cry, but perhaps the most accessible because of its connections. Features in the film 'Rockers' and covered by The Clash. Junior started out doing Curtis Mayfield covers under the name of Junior Soul, before trying his own songs in collaboration with a certain Mr. Lee Perry at his legendary Black Ark studio (later burned down by Perry in a fit of weed-induced pique) who also produced…..

THE CONGOS - THE HEART OF THE CONGOS     

Cedric Myton and Roy ‘Ashanti’ Johnston boarded the Black Ark in 1976 to record one of the most potent collections of Rastafari mysticism ever to be committed to vinyl. Check out ‘Row Fisherman, Row’ if you don’t believe me. Perry’s wayward genius elevated this set from the spiritual to the transcendental, but, like most JA producers, he had his fingers in many patties……

LEE PERRY IN HIS OWN RIGHT

Perry has made thousands of recordings, both under his own name and, like many reggae artistes, a variety of aliases. However, his solo output needs treating with caution. Reggae is a notoriously documentation-free environment, with such arcane notions as copyright barely getting a look-in (the usual trick is to credit a covered song as ‘adapted’ to avoid paying copyright fees), and conflicting accounts of who recorded what, where, with and for whom. Therefore the market is flooded with dubious quality recordings claiming to be by Perry, while his real connection is that he walked past the studio. Once.

For the uninitiated, the best way to approach Lee Perry/Scratch/The Upsetter is to check out ‘Super Ape’, a set from 1976, or track down a copy of ‘Arkology’, a box-set from 3 years back which, while exhaustive, contains my own Perry fave ‘Words’, by Perry and Anthony ‘Sangie’ Davis. Until you know you like the taste, best to avoid his late 80’s/90’s work, from what I call his ‘Permanent Red-Eye’ period.

COUNT OSSIE

If your tastes draw you more towards the millennial and militant world of Rastafari then Count Ossie is a must-have. Although people will argue, he was the first to introduce the techniques of Rasta drumming, based on African patterns, to reggae, with his work on the Folkes Brothers tune ‘Oh Carolina’ in the early 60s. He later formed a band in his own right – The Mystical Revelation Of Rastafari, and held regular sessions – ‘Grounations’ – in the hills. By far the hardest set released was the triple-LP ‘Grounation’, but perhaps a better introduction is his 1975 set ‘Tales Of Mozambique’.

STEEL PULSE

A blast from the past, Handsworth Revolution resurrects the spirit of the time; Rock Against Racism marches, Anti Nazi League protests all rounded up with a party of punks, dreads and like minded people in unison! Enough nostalgia, Steel Pulse's Handsworth Revolution has stood the test of time; smooth vocals over original dub bass representing the struggle of that era all contribute to an album which should be hailed as a reggae classic.

Birmingham's Steel Pulse provided us with the only truly great British reggae album of the last 30 years in 1978's Handsworth Revolution. Seven great reggae musicians from all over north Birmingham, ie ,Lozells, Handsworth and Handsworth Wood, got together to create an unforgettable sound that is true to the roots of Jamaican reggae.

Amazon reviews right Minister of Dub & Crishyams