Another post from ART58Koen - the Hole's resident Reggae and Dub expert!
In the late 80s/early 90s CDs were still outrageously expensive (at least for my budget) and as a result, I bought (or was given by friends) much cheaper label samplers. This also turned out to be a great way to get exposed to lots of different music than I was used to.
As written once before, in a comment on Farq’s posts I think, the 2nd CD I purchased was the 1990 Island Reggae Refresher, a brilliant compilation of classic roots reggae tracks, which I still can listen to and enjoy from beginning to end.
Reggae Refreshers was a series of classic Island Records reggae CDs, Cassettes & LPs, available at a special price from 1990 onwards.
This sampler had a selection of tracks from (some, not all) of the first 26 CDs in this series, except for 2 tracks: Augustus Pablo - King Tubby Meets The Rockers Uptown and Dillinger – Cokane In My Brain (12 inch version!).
This CD resulted in me obtaining quite a few of those albums, great music, my only complaints were the total absence of information and/or bonus tracks…oh, the cover art of that Reggae Refresher sampler was dreadful, but the music made up for this.
In
1996 Reggae Refreshers 2 was released and many things had changed in
the music re-issue business, thanks to the Blood & Fire label. They
had started releasing new compilations with great cover art, excellent
liner notes, and more. So Island followed up and consequently this 2nd
refresher was much more interesting with obscure tracks (such as
Faybiene’s ‘Prophecy’ in a 9+ min 12 inch mix!), Steve Barrow doing the
liner notes, and Blood & Fire style cover art!
There was only 1 screw up… Track 4, The Heptones – Mr President is described in Barrow’s notes and shown on the back cover, however on the CD Track 4 is listed as Bunny Wailer - Hypocrite! It’s a great track (from Bunny Sings The Wailers!), nothing wrong with it, but still… Perhaps a licensing issue? None of the reviews I found mention this, weird!
To reserve both volumes of this splifftastic Reggae sampler, just scroll down to the comments below and answer ART58Koen's question du jour!
ART59Koen sez:
ReplyDeleteIn order to obtain these 2 freshly ripped (320 kbps) roots collections, let us know what was an album/cd sampler that got you hooked on a music genre!
Rockabilly Rules OK? Charly Records https://www.discogs.com/release/3493350-Various-Rockabilly-Rules-OK
ReplyDeleteThat one brings back some memories, I remember seeing Crazy Cavan & The Rhythm Rockers somewhere in Holland...
Deletecool - yeh - as a punk rocker of sorts to that point, I realised what I really liked wasn't snotty nosed politics - just fast 3 chord rock and roll - this was the punk rock of its day
DeleteMozart, The Complete String Quintets by the Grumiaux Trio. Got me hooked on Classical when I was a freshman in college. (By the way, we are talking about LPs not CDs, way back then).
ReplyDeleteSorry, forgot to sign for my Mozart comment. Gbrand.
ReplyDeleteAs far as samplers are concerned, a few years later I bought The Smithsonian Great American Songbook Series, which introduced me to the great song composers and performers of the teens to the forties. In particular, the many selections they had of Fred Astaire led me to a life long appreciation of not only his extraordinary dancing but his impeccable singing. One of the great vocalists of the American song.
ReplyDeleteGbrand
Sometimes those samplers really hit the right spot!
DeleteNot a various artist release, but in '62 or '63, I bought a used copy of John Lee Hooker's 'I'm John Lee Hooker', which is a compilation of Hook's Modern Records sides, from the early '50s. The primitivism of it all hit me like a ton of bricks. You could say, I was "hooked". I bought it in a record store in downtown Brooklyn, and when I was paying for it, the jerk behind the counter, mumbled to himself "N***er music". Hook led to Muddy...so on and so on.
ReplyDeleteI had some blues compilations lps, but I can't recall which ones, but they certainly did their job, led me to the Wolf, Muddy, Hooker, etc.
DeleteHank Williams 40 Greatest Hits I played till the grooves wore out
DeleteGood ole Hank...!
Deletemy first taste of hooker was because of the animals version of boom boom. i was really excited to find the hooker vj album at goldblatts. i had never heard him. i was very disappointed. my head wasn't ready. it took the impulse IT SERVE YOU RIGHT TO SUFFER album to make me understand. after that i bought and loved every note he spread over what seems like a couple hundred record labels.
DeleteSeveral, but one notable one was a compilation called "Okeh Western Swing". Another record library offering. It didn't blow me away, but led me to explore the genre and eventually discover the stunning Tiffany Transcriptions by Bob Wills.
ReplyDeleteMusical discoveries are great fun.
Deleterock machine turns you on opened up a whole world for me
ReplyDeleteI got a cd version of that one!
DeleteThat was the first sampler I was aware of. Most of the tracks hold up really well today.
DeleteThe Island Reggae Greats collections were very good, if you wanted to check out a single artist/group. They usually had a "special price" sticker on them, so they were a few dollars cheaper than regular priced CDs.
ReplyDeleteAlso, the Trojan Box Set series were good value for the money, and were a good starting point to hear various artists and groups that I was unaware of.
Yes, plus the back covers of those Reggae Greats lps had excellent liner notes, something that was sadly absent from the CD versions... The Trojan Boxes are still great value for the amount of music they offer.
DeleteIn the early 80's I bought an old copy of Charisma Records Disturbance (with the gimp mask cover) from 1973 featuring Genesis, Monty Python and Lindisfarne, these were the only names I recognised. After a few plays I realised I also liked The Nice, VDGG, Bo Hansson and Capability Brown. A great way to discover new music.
ReplyDeleteI can imagine that, only discovered Charisma much much later...
DeleteFor 2004 I bought a calendar "Classic Blues Artwork from the 1920s". It came with a free CD inside "Blues Images presents 1920s Blues Classics".
ReplyDeleteA note in the calendar stated:
"The songs on this CD were remastered from the finest known copies of each of the original 78rpm records. In some cases, there are only a couple copies in existence & they are in rough shape due to years of mishandling...We are in constant search for the very finest copies of all the classic Blues recordings from the 1920s & early 1930s."
Each month has a 12" by 12" reproduction of the original 78 cover artwork.
The artists on this gem are: Blind Blake (2 tracks), Ramblin' Thomas, Blind Lemon Jefferson (2 tracks), Charely Patton, Blind Willie McTell, Bumble Bee Slim, Son House, The Beale Street Sheiks, Ma Rainey, Tommy Johnson, Blind Joe Reynolds, & King Solomon Hill. The last three tracks are previously unreleased tracks.
I am not really a roots blues fan, per se, but this sampler set me on a journey through obscure 1920s Blues that is still ongoing. It has led to many great discoveries & purchases.
That sounds very cool indeed.
Deletehttps://workupload.com/file/Fjfg9kTL9Wu
DeleteBlues Images presents - 1920s Blues Classics
He’s in the Jailhouse Now - Blind Blake recorded 1927
No Job Blues - Ramblin’ Thomas recorded 1928
22-20 Blues - Skip James recorded 1931
Rising High Water Blues - Blind Lemon Jefferson recorded 1927
Down the Dirst Road Blues - Charley Patton 1929
Death Cell Blues - Blind Willie McTell recorded 1933
Rough Rugged Road - Bumble Bee Slim recorded 1931
Dry Spell Blues - Son House recorded 1930
Bad Feeling Blues - Blind Blake 1927
Beale Town Bound - The Beale Street Sheiks recorded 1927
Black Snake Dream - Blind Lemon Jefferson recorded 1926
Dead Drunk Blues - Ma Rainey recorded 1927
I Want Someone to Love Me - Tommy Johnson recorded 1929: first Paramont test pressing
Cold Woman Blues - Blind Joe Reynolds recorded 1929
Times Has Done Got Hard - King Solomon Hill recorded 1932
(the last three are from the only know existing copies of said recordings)
Remember that these are 90+ year old recordings.
“They got me charged with forgin’
& I can’t even write my name.” Blind Willie McTell from “Death Cell Blues”
That looks very impressive!
DeleteI'm not massively into old blues but thanks NØ, I think I need to hear this.
DeleteThird Man records recently released a two volume history of early Paramount blues and roots recordings - 1917 to 1927. Lavish doesn't begin to describe it. About 1 500 tracks in total - Vol 1 in a wooden case and Vol 2 in an aluminium one. $400 each volume.
DeleteWith it there were books and each volume had an artwork booklet with loads of photos, including adverts.
If you want the booklets - shout!
yes please, on the booklets!
DeleteTomorrow - been out all day and still out.
DeleteHere's the Art Book from Volume One - Volume two book is identical. So are all other instances of Vol Two that I can find.
DeleteStill worth having, though!
https://workupload.com/file/MafWmRES6rg
Thank you very much Steve.
DeleteSubmarine Tracks & Fool's Gold (Chiswick Chartbusters Volume One) was a very good sampler for me, lots of good material there.
ReplyDeleteI love a bit of Little Bob!
DeleteJust looked it up on Discogs, great selection!
Delete'Blood on the Cats' got me into psychobilly - check it out - https://www.discogs.com/release/1007498-Various-Blood-On-The-Cats
ReplyDeleteInteresting, that's a type of music I never really got into, probably got stuck after The Cramps ;-)
DeleteThanks for this links Art
DeleteThis one - I finally got into new wave and things punkish.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.discogs.com/master/222710-Various-That-Summer
I then bought EC's My Aim Is True and fell in love with Alison.
That's a great compilation, lots of favorites!
DeleteDischord's "Flex Your Head" and Rhino's "Faster & Louder Vol.1 & 2" are three key ones from my teenage years.
ReplyDeleteCool!!
DeleteGood response, thanks everyone!
ReplyDeleteReggae Refreshers (+ 6 bonus tracks, booklet & cover art, + bonus art) 258.8 MB
https://mega.nz/file/XYUBwAYQ#7W0RwqPKFrgPZUGAlipXvxAceeMDt5wMVexr_jIFJzc
Reggae Refreshers 2 (+ 3 bonus tracks, booklet & cover art, + bonus art) 217.3 MB
https://mega.nz/file/iYEURJpR#4x5nixeo5Ar5sHnJ3z0Uy0x7l6eDtxtt4L9ynMjGuNY
Thanks, Art!
DeleteThank you for the post, the links - and everyone else for the great responses!
ReplyDeleteI do love me some reggae - and got into some ragga and dancehall over the years... I think it's influence on most modern music is hugely under rated - particularly production... anyway interested to know what you make of this barking nugget that I absolutely love! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wSFAHRlRu-g
ReplyDeleteThanks, I'd never heard it before as I never really got into ragga.
ReplyDeleteI love the stripped down to basics approach, and the utterly mad use of a falling "pot cover" ffs!
Delete