A masterful, sublime cover of the Young Holt by the newly-formed Sound Dimension; backed with Roy Richards’ classic harmonica version of Summertime.

Stark, deranged, unmissable JA funk, mining Slippin’ Into Darkness, by War. Still totally knockout after nearly fifty years.
Plus Horace and Chinna on the flip, laying some calming homilies over a sobered-up version of the rhythm.

All-time-classic Stalag excursion.

Dynamite, previously unissued rocksteady version of the monumental Skatalites scorcher from a few years earlier.

With a deadly, riding-east tang to the moody rhythm, sublime singing, murderous bass… Scorcher.

Routinely passed over, King Edwards ska is for the gods, so a phase of Dub Store reissues is a mouth-watering prospect.
This opening salvo is low-slung, moody, trombone-led fire.

The leader usually goes by the diminutive Ron, reserving Ran and Rad for his Pantomine sides. He was an Alpha Boys alumnus, a Soul Brother after Don D’s departure, and an Upsetter for Blackboard Jungle.

Wayne and Larry Douglas’ flip is the A-side of the original Rio 45, from 1965: a stomper illumined with sweet lyrics about suffering, gratitude, and fidelity.

Luxuriant, mesmerizing Black Ark classics.

Instrumentals in ska, mento and other Caribbean styles recorded in 1966, at the threshold of rocksteady. The only one of his eight Federal albums to feature ska. Super-fine LP from Dub Store.

First time out for this plaintive roots, recorded at Tuff Gong in 1979, and featuring Wailer Al Anderson’s fine acoustic guitar playing.