Pure Gold
Artist: Harry Belafonte

A straight-up budget reissue of a '70s golden hits package (minus the fake electronic stereo), this brings together all of Harry's early calypso hits. Highlights include "Matilda," "Man Smart (Woman Smarter)," "Jamaica Farewell," and the obligatory "Day-O (Banana Boat Song)." Belafonte was the first great popularizer of calypso music in America,... Read More

Columbia Colly
Artist: Jah Lion
Community Score: 10.00

Jah Lion (aka Jah Lloyd) was one of the deejays that Lee "Scratch" Perry used as a vocalist in the late '70s, and this is an excellent early effort of dub mixes that show the beginnings of Perry's surrealistic, idiosyncratic approach to remixing. The record is a tad on the obscure side and only reggae fanatics might recognize the vocal snippets,... Read More

Deeper Roots: The Best of the Meditations
Artist: The Meditations

There's no arguing with the quality of the 20 songs on this compilation, stuffed as it is with popular numbers from the Meditations' initial heights back in the late '70s. However, the album's claim as being a best-of suggests the group's biggest hits are included, and too many are missing to justify that claim. The trio has a complicated early... Read More

Live in Europe
Artist: Gasolin
Greatest Hits
Artist: The Meditations

The Meditations are a prime example of the sort of excellent roots harmony trios successful during the second have of the 1970s. Built around the interweaving lines of singers Ansel Cridland, Danny Clarke, and Winston Watson, their potential was made clear by the early singles the group cut for Dobby Dobson at Federal Records, beginning in 1975.... Read More

Reggae Got Soul
Artist: Toots & the Maytals
Community Score: 8.00

Among his landmark releases, this album wasn't quite as magnificent as Funky Kingston, but still contained plenty of explosive numbers and Otis Redding-influenced leads from Toots Hibbert. ~ Ron Wynn, All Music Guide Read More

Harder Than the Best
Artist: Burning Spear

After gaining exposure with producer Clement Dodd between 1969-1975, Burning Spear (aka Winston Rodney) and singing partners Rupert Willington and Delroy Hinds cut a handful of stunning albums for Island over the next three years. The first two releases, Garvey's Ghost and Man in the Hills, were produced by Jack Ruby and introduced Jamaicans and... Read More

Live
Artist: Burning Spear

After recording two exceptional albums under Clement Dodd at Studio One (Presenting and Rocking Time), Winston Rodney (aka Burning Spear) signed to Island Records. The albums that followed (Marcus Garvey and Man in the Hills) quickly established him as one of the finest, most impassioned practitioners of the flowering roots style. Live, this... Read More

Marcus Garvey
Artist: Burning Spear
Community Score: 10.00
Heart of the Congos
Artist: The Congos

Lee Perry is generally acknowledged as a production genius, but on occasion that genius can be destructive, and while there's no disputing his talent, sometimes the results can be less than aurally satisfying. This is especially true when it comes to albums, where Perry's efforts were often erratic. On Heart of the Congos he was brilliant, and... Read More

Chant Down Babylon: The Island Anthology
Artist: Burning Spear

Major label rivalry makes it unlikely that Burning Spear will ever receive a proper career retrospective set. Burning Spear signed to Island Records in 1976, debuting with the legendary Marcus Garvey album, accompanied by its dub companion Garvey's Ghost. Four new albums followed before Spear departing Island for the U.K. EMI label in 1980. A... Read More