Stunning. Crucial Studio One.
Heavy, heavy, heavy roots nightmare about centuries of African enslavement and colonial exploitation by the British, and their mutation post-independence into the new JA ruling class, like a home-grown zombie.
The dub is a total knockout, too.
Killer record.

An excellent introduction — a tip-top, well-paced selection ranging across styles and vintages, with some marvellous photographs of the great man at Kingston airport, Canada-bound.

The absolute bee’s knees in chilled, atmospheric, vibesing reggae.
From the elusive 1980 Studio One LP Showcase, like the terrific flip ‘Oboe’ (presumably a spliffed-up ‘Obeah’).
Beautifully limber, expansive production-work, dubwise from the off, featuring ace percussion, scrubby guitar by Eric Frater, and Mittoo zoning clean out.
Released on its Jack Jones for the first time, and sounding predictably deadly on 12”, though you’ll wish it ran for miles.
Total one-of-a-kind murder.

Scorcher. Ska at the threshold of rocksteady. Mittoo and Dizzy Moore do it to it.

Sugar’s debut LP, from 1978: inspired, crafted voicings of all-time classic S1 rhythms, banger after banger, insouciantly announcing the rebirth of the greatest reggae label of all time, with vibes and panache to the max.
Hotly recommended. Crucial Studio One.

‘Coxsone Boy’ showed Mr. Dodd how to lick over Studio One’s vast armament of foundational rhythms for the dancehall era to come (and claim them back from Channel One). He knew them all backwards from singing over them on his sound.
Killer selection.

Studio One activist Sugar Minott’s favourite LP of all time.
A stone-classic mixture of foundational rhythms, peerless rocksteady lovers, and songs with the political concerns of the roots reggae to come.
Killer after killer. An absolute must.

God’s own ska. Cornerstone of the Far East in reggae. (No Augustus Pablo without it.) We put a dubplate mix on Studio One Scorcher; first ever time out for the second take here.

Previously-unreleased takes of this ball of fire hurtling East with no survivors (from the second Ska Authentic). Pitiless, wondrous companion-piece to Last Call, from the same session.

Stuffed with staggering selections, comprising maybe our favourite compilation in this mind-boggling series. Deep, hypnotic, mystical music, often a bit wasted; featuring several extended 12” and 10” mixes, sparkling with electronic effects. Almighty sides like George Dudley’s Gates Of Zion and Lloyd Robinson and Devon Russell’s effervescently jazzy Push Push, sublimely channelling Curtis.
It’s a must.