![]() A sample grab of song titles leaves little room for misinterpretation: “Oppression”, “Armagideon”, “Babylon Fever”, “Better Must Come”, “Brimstone and Fire” (the latter appropriated to brilliant effect on “Revolution”, the last song on Bob Marley’s masterwork Natty Dread ).įor the most part, this is a low-fi, old school production, evoking the lack of pretense, funds, and fashion inherent in the best roots reggae. And lest anyone, understandably, confuse authentic roots reggae with the more radio-friendly “One Love” vibrations, this music bristles with indignation, and casts concerned eyes and ears on all manner of inequality and injustice. These singles, mostly recorded in the early ‘70s, abound with a testimony of lives dedicated to the precepts of Rasta. Where later-and lesser-reggae artists would dutifully namecheck the Conquering Lion of Judah, it often sounds perfunctory. This being “roots” reggae, the recurring lyrical theme is a celebration of Rastafari culture. Mostly, those of us who care should be deeply grateful that these performances are steadily being liberated from oblivion. Every new collection from Soul Jazz compels one to marvel at this variety and quality, while also-inevitably-lamenting the reality that such music has been hidden away for so long. It must continue to astonish any avid follower of this series just how inexhaustible the supply of righteous reggae truly is, and how often new gems are uncovered from the clandestine vaults at Studio One (or wherever these tapes have, until now, remained-buried in dust or otherwise discarded). 3 culls material from a roster of lesser known to virtually unheard of musicians-making this set at once more interesting and unquestionably more valuable. ![]() This latest is another generous installment, compiling eighteen tracks that very likely have never seen the light of day on other compilations-an issue that consistently mars many of the less inspired anthologies that have been recycled over the years. Soul Jazz strikes again, with volume three of its Studio One Roots series. Question: When are the good people at Soul Jazz Records going to run out of obscure yet incredible material for their ongoing collection of instant-classic compilations?Īnswer: Hopefully (and likely) not anytime soon.
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