Augustus Pablo- Original Rockers (1979)- Vinyl Rip (24 bit FLAC) and CD Rip (16 bit FLAC)

Here's a repost. I just found a pristine vinyl rip of Original Rockers a few days back, so we're adding it along with the lossless CD. Enjoy!




Augustus Pablo- Park Lane Special

Personnel:

Augustus Pablo: piano, organ, clavinet, melodica, arranger, producer
Carlton Barrett: drums
Aston Barrett: bass
Robbie Shakespeare: bass
Chinna Smith: guitar
Dirty Harry: tenor saxophone
Don D. Junior: trombone
Bobby Ellis: trumpet


Studios:

Recording: Channel One (Kingston, JA) & Dynamic Sounds (Kingston, JA)
Mixing: King Tubby's (Kingston, JA)
Mixing Engineer: King Tubby, Phillip Smart and Prince Jammy


Tracklisting:

01. Rockers Dub (3:01)
02. Up Warrika Hill (3:45)
03. Cassava Piece (2:34)
04: Tubby's Dub Song (3:21)
05: Jah Dread (3:06)
06. Brace A Boy (2:48)
07. Thunder Clap (2:34)
08. Park Lane Special (2:50)
09. New Style (2:38)
10. AP Special (2:52)




CD Rip Technical Information:

Artist: Augustus Pablo
Album: Original Rockers
Year: 1979

Audio Codec(s): FLAC
Encoding: Lossless
Rip: split tracks
Avg. bitrate: 827 kb/s
Sample rate: 44100 Hz
Bits per sample: 16
Channels: 2
File size: 174 MB
Length: 0:29:25


CD Rip Megaupload Link




Vinyl Rip Technical Information:

Artist: Augustus Pablo
Album: Original Rockers
Year: 1979

Audio Codec(s): FLAC
Encoding: Lossless
Rip: Vinyl
Avg. bitrate: 2940 kb/s
Sample rate: 96000 Hz
Bits per sample: 24
Channels: 2
File size: 620 MB
Length: 00:29:29


Vinyl Rip Megaupload Link

Burning Spear- Garvey's Ghost (1976)- CD Rip (FLAC)

Here's Garvey's Ghost.




From Blurt:

Given the popularity Marcus Garvey in both Jamaica and England (and, to a lesser extent, America), and it seemed for a while that Burning Spear might challenge Bob Marley & the Wailers as the champions of reggae. Rodney was angered by Island's remix of the album's tracks, however, which changed the speed of many songs to appeal to white audiences... a situation not assuaged by the subsequent "dub mix" of Marcus Garvey that was released by Island as Garvey's Ghost in 1976.

Garvey's Ghost downplayed Rodney's intelligent lyricism and haunting vocals in favor of instrumental mixes of the original songs that placed the emphasis on The Black Disciples' amazing musical skills. With just scattershot vocals rising above the fray, the music is free to dart and jump throughout the mix, and while ten songs of mostly-instrumental dub may seem like overkill to the casual fan, it's worth the investment in time and attention to catch the subtle nuances and the immense talent poured into the performances on Garvey's Ghost.




Technical Information:

Artist: Burning Spear
Album: Garvey's Ghost
Year: 1976

Audio Codec(s): FLAC
Encoding: Lossless
Rip: split tracks
Avg. bitrate: 721 kb/s
Sample rate: 44100 Hz
Bits per sample: 16
Channels: 2
File size: 197 MB
Length: 0:38:17


Tracklisting:

01. The Ghost (3:54)
02. I & I Survive (3:53)
03. Black Wa Da Da (3:52)
04. John Burns Skank (3:48)
05. Brain Food (3:11)
06. Further East of Jack (4:26)
07. 2000 Years (3:47)
08. Dread River (3:13)
09. Workshop (4:32)
10. Reggaelation (3:41)





Garvey's Ghost Megaupload Link

Burning Spear- Marcus Garvey (1975)- CD Rip (FLAC)

Marcus Garvey's words come to pass,
Marcus Garvey's words come to pass...

Another one of those albums I lived and breathed in my yout'...I mean youth. It's easy to forget that Burning Spear were a trinity, and not just Winston Rodney, given the lack of photo's of the group on the net, which is sad. But what is not sad is that, for my money, this is Burning Spear's best album. But it's in need of Garvey's Ghost as a companion piece, which is coming up next. Enjoy more Burning Spear!




From Blurt:

To the casual reggae fan, the sun rises and sets with Bob Marley. From his earliest work with the original Wailers (Peter Tosh and Bunny Wailer) during the late 1960s and early '70s, to the international stardom afforded his late '70s albums (which, to be honest, were really solo albums by Marley with an assorted, albeit talented backing crew), Rasta Bob is the name and face associated with reggae for many.

Truth is, the island of Jamaica has shared many musical wonders with music lovers through the years, from the soulful Heptones, Toots and the Maytals, and the charismatic Jimmy Cliff to lesser-known, but no less talented artists like Steel Pulse and Black Uhuru. In terms of importance and popularity on the small island nation, however, perhaps none of the above-named artists personifies the pride and hope of the Rastafarian ideal better than Winston Rodney, a/k/a Burning Spear.

During a chance late ‘60s meeting with the already-legendary Bob Marley in their shared hometown, Marley pointed the young, ambitious Rodney towards Kingston and producer "Sir Coxson" Dodd's Studio One. Rodney spent around five years with Dodd, recording better than two dozen songs, and honing his craft as a singer and songwriter. It was when Rodney hooked up with sound system operator Lawrence "Jack Ruby" Lindo during the mid-70s, however, that he became the Burning Spear.




Sound systems, for those of you not in the know, were an important part of Jamaican musical culture, and the impetus for the development of both ska and reggae music. Starting in the late 1950s, sound system operators would hold large street parties in the ghettos of Kingston, with music provided by huge, turntable-driven sound systems powered by portable generators. The operators would charge admission and sell food and drink as DJs played the hottest American R&B sides for the hundreds, sometimes thousands of partiers.

These events brought in a lot of cash for the operator, and a sort of "arms war" started as they built larger and louder sound systems to compete with other operators. Eventually, as the demand for new music grew faster than American labels could supply records, operators like Sir Coxson became producers and studio owners. Enlisting Jamaican musicians, a steady stream of new music was created, and the styles of ska and reggae developed as the island's artists tried to approximate American R&B music. Often times, the songs recorded by artists like the Wailers would be "exclusive" to the producing operator, who played it at parties and would release it on 45rpm single only if demand warranted it. Jamaican immigrant DJ Kool Herc would bring the sound system to America in the late-1970s, which led to the rise of hip-hop in NYC... but that's really a story for another time.

It was from this sound system culture that Jack Ruby emerged, the owner of Jack Ruby's Hi Fi and one of the most popular "roots reggae" DJs in the country. In Rodney and Burning Spear he found his cash cow, much as Dodd had with Marley in the 1960s. The first collaboration in the studio between Ruby and Burning Spear - now a trio that included Rodney, Delroy Hines, and Rupert Willington - resulted in the scorching single "Marcus Garvey." A mesmerizing track with Rodney's lyrics paying homage to the Black nationalist hero Garvey, the three men's deep enchanting vocals are backed by the seasoned studio outfit The Black Disciples, which included bassists Robbie Shakespeare and Aston "Family Man" Barrett, drummer Leroy Wallace, and guitarists Earl "Chinna" Smith and Valentine "Tony" Chin.




"Marcus Garvey" was originally used by Ruby as a sound system exclusive, but the song's popularity led to its eventual vinyl release, and it became a best-seller. Burning Spear followed up this initial success with the blistering commentary of "Slavery Days," a hypnotizing rhythm threaded, snakelike, beneath Rodney's outraged vocals and condemning lyrics. It, too, would become a big hit and Ruby put Burning Spear in the studio with The Black Disciples to record a full-length album, resulting in Marcus Garvey, a powerful collection of roots reggae with often politically-explosive lyrics.

When the album started selling by the truckload on the island, and sensing that he was holding commercial dynamite in his hands, Ruby took Marcus Garvey to England and Chris Blackwell, where it was released by Island Records in 1975. Fueled by Rodney's socially-conscious lyrics, Burning Spear's infectious vocal harmonies, and an inspired reggae soundtrack, the album blew up almost immediately. Aside from the two aforementioned singles, Marcus Garvey included some of the darkest, scariest, and most potent reggae music then put to wax, songs like "The Invasion," with its deep dub soundtrack and trancelike vocals; the horn-driven "Old Marcus Garvey," another tribute to the Jamaican legend; and the uptempo "Jordan River," with its Biblical references and rapid-fire (almost rapped) vocals.




Technical Information:

Artist: Burning Spear
Album: Marcus Garvey
Year: 1975

Audio Codec(s): FLAC
Encoding: Lossless
Rip: split tracks
Avg. bitrate: 766
Sample rate: 44100 Hz
Bits per sample: 16
Channels: 2
File size: 183 MB
Length: 0:33:31


Tracklisting:

01. Marcus Garvey (3:26)
02. Slavery Days (3:33)
03. The Invasion (3:19)
04. Live Good (3:13)
05. Give Me (3:09)
06. Old Marcus Garvey (4:02)
07. Tradition (3:31)
08. Jordan River (2:58)
09. Red, Gold & Green (3:12)
10. Resting Place (3:09)





Marcus Garvey Megaupload Link

The Abyssinians- Satta Massagana (1976)- Deluxe Edition- EAC CD Rip (FLAC)

I hope someone out there in InterwebLand is enjoying this Rastafari jag as much as I'm enjoying posting these pieces of history.

The Abyssinians had (along with The Mighty Diamonds), some of the most beautiful harmonies this side of Pet Sounds, so if you've never heard them, please check The Abyssinians out. Arise is sure to follow sometime in the near future. Enjoy, my brethren.




The Abyssinians- Abendigo

Technical Information:

Artist: The Abyssinians
Album: Satta Massagana (Deluxe Edition)
Year: 1976/2007

Audio Codec(s): FLAC
Encoding: Lossless
Rip: EAC split tracks
Avg. bitrate: 814 kb/s
Sample rate: 44100 Hz
Bits per sample: 16
Channels: 2
File size: 367 MB
Length: 1:03:09


Personnel:

Bernard Collins: vocals
Donald Manning: vocals
Lynford Manning: vocals
Mikey "Boo" Richards: drums
Leroy "Horsemouth" Wallace: drums
Sly Dunbar: drums
Val Douglas: bass
Robbie Shakespeare: bass
Mikey Chung: guitar
Earl "Chinna" Smith: guitar
Geoffrey Chung: keyboards
Clive Hunt: keyboards, horns, flute
Tyrone Downie: keyboards
Jerome Francique: horns
Llewellyn Chang: horns

Bruce Davidson: engineer
The Abyssinians and Clive Hunt: producer




Tracklisting:

01. Declaration of Rights (3:30)
02. The Good Lord (3:27)
03. Forward Unto Zion (3:48)
04. Know Jah Today (2:58)
05. Abendigo (3:37)
06. Y Mas Gan (3:45)
07. Black Man's Strain (2:48)
08. Satta Massagana (3:32)
09. I and I (3:36)
10. African Race (2:57)

Bonus Tracks:

11. Leggo Beast (3:12)
12. Paculiar Number (4:02)
13. Reason Time (2:57)
14. There Is No End (3:25)
15. Jerusalem (2:19)
16. Leggo Beast Dub (3:01)
17. Abendigo (Extended Mix) (5:58)
18. Poor Jason Whyte (Extended Mix) (4:18)





Satta Massagana Megaupload Link

Eek-A-Mouse- Wa-Do-Dem (1982)- EAC CD Rip (FLAC)

Thought some Eek-A-Mouse might be in order. Enjoy!




Wa-Do-Dem

Technical Information:

Artist: Eek-A-Mouse
Album: Wa-Do-Dem
Year: 1982

Audio Codec(s): FLAC
Encoding: Lossless
Rip: EAC split tracks
Avg. bitrate: 804 kb/s
Sample rate: 44100 Hz
Bits per sample: 16
Channels: 2
File size: 241 MB
Length: 0:41:56


Tracklisting:

01. Ganja Smuggling (3:51)
02. Long Time Ago (3:25)
03. Operation Eradication (5:25)
04. There's a Girl in My Life (3:28)
05. Slowly But Surely (3:23)
06. Wa-Do-Dem (6:44)
07. Lonesome Journey (2:39)
08. I Will Never Leave My Love (3:25)
09. Noah's Ark (6:02)
10. Too Young to Understand (3:33)





Wa-Do-Dem Megaupload Link

Lee "Scratch" Perry and The Upsetters- Ape-Ology (1976-1978)- EAC CD Rip (APE/FLAC)

I'm going to run with this Dub jag until someone physically stops me.

"But leclisse...you're posting wayyyyyyyyyy too many albums by... well... you know... those types. This, coupled with all of the techical difficulties we've been having lately...well...I just don't think it's good for the site."

Fuck the White Devil!

Here's some Lee "Scratch" Perry!




Disc 1 Technical Information:

Artist: Lee "Scratch" Perry and The Upsetters
Album: Ape-Ology (Disc 1)
Year: 1976-1978/2007

Audio Codec(s): APE/FLAC8
Encoding: Lossless
Rip: EAC APE + .cue/FLAC8 split tracks
Avg. Bitrate: 560 kb/s
Sample rate: 44100
Bits per sample: 16
Channels: 2
File size: 310 MB/324 MB
Length: 1:17:22


Tracklisting:

01. Dread Lion (feat. The Heptones) (4:33)
02. Zion Blood (feat. The Heptones) (3:57)
03. Three in One (feat. The Heptones) (3:39)
04. Curly Dub (4:12)
05. Patience Dub (feat. The Heptones) (4:33)
06. Super Ape (feat. The Heptones) (3:50)
07. Croaking Lizard (feat. Prince Jazzbo) (3:27)
08. Black Vest (4:41)
09. Underground Root (feat. The Full Experience) (2:57)
10. Dub Along (feat. The Full Experience) (3:11)
11. Soul Fire (3:54)
12. Throw Some Water In (3:46)
13. Evil Tongue (3:54)
14. Curly Locks (4:06)
15. Ghetto Sidewalk (4:19)
16. Favourite Dish (3:20)
17. Free Up the Weed (3:42)
18. Big Neck Police (3:38)
19. Yu Squeeze My Panhandle (3:54)
20. Roast Fish & Cornbread (3:49)


Disc 1 Megaupload Links:

APE (img + .cue)
FLAC (split tracks)




Disc 2 Technical Information:

Artist: Lee "Scratch" Perry and The Upsetters
Album: Ape-Ology (Disc 2)
Year: 1976-1978/2007

Audio Codec(s): APE/FLAC8
Encoding: Lossless
Rip: EAC APE + .cue/FLAC8 split tracks
Avg. Bitrate: 524 kb/s
Sample rate: 44100
Bits per sample: 16
Channels: 2
File size: 213 MB/224 MB
Length: 0:56:56


Tracklisting:

01. Dyon-Anasaw (3:39)
02. Return of the Super Ape (3:40)
03. Tell Me Something Good (3:29)
04. Bird in Hand (3:28)
05. Crab Years (3:37)
06. Jah Jah A Natty Dread (3:38)
07. Psyche & Trim (3:49)
08. The Lion (3:30)
09. Huzza A Hana (3:29)
10. High Ranking Sammy (3:30)
11. From Creation (2:34)
12. Creation Dub 1 (2:47)
13. Creation Dub 2 (2:39)
14. Creation Dub 3 (3:05)
15. Roast Fish and Cornbread (Ja Single Mix) (3:37)
16. Corn Fish Dub (Ja Single Mix) (3:38)
17. OK Corral (Feat. U Roy) (2:47)


Disc 2 Megaupload Links:

APE (img + .cue)
FLAC (split tracks)

Augustus Pablo- King Tubbys Meets Rockers Uptown (1976)- EAC CD Rip (FLAC)

After posting the Scientist album a few days back, I've decided to go back to my pot-smoking Rasta roots and post more dub. So here's some back-to-back Augustus Pablo, with more Rasta to surely follow in its wake. Enjoy!




Augustus Pablo- King Tubby Meets Rockers Uptown

From El Rocker's:

If you had to pick just one album to represent dub "King Tubby Meets The Rockers Uptown" is the disc. The title really says it all: the collaboration between the premier engineer and the top roots producer of the mid-’70s resulted in definitive King Tubby interpretations of some of Pablo’s deepest rhythms. It also demonstrated conclusively that a studio engineer could be considered as creative as the singers, musicians and visionary producer who made the music. A dub is essentially a remix In the hands of an engineer as good as King Tubby (1941 – 1989) it became an artform, and an incredibly popular one.

For this ground-breaking disc, Pablo assembled a brilliant cast: the Upsetters/Wailers drum and bass duo of Aston "Family Man" Barrett and brother Carlton, guitarist Earl "Chinna" Smith, horns-men Richard "Dirty Harry" Hall, Bobby Ellis, Vin Gordon and bassist Robbie Shakespeare. All sessions were recorded by the engineer Errol "ET" Thompson at Randy’s Studio on North Parade. Pablo then took the tapes to King Tubby for mixing. He initially released instrumental, deejay and vocal cuts as 7-inch 45s on his Hot Stuff, Rockers and Pablo International labels, between 1972 and 75, but as the vogue for dub albums exploded in 1976, Pablo compiled twelve of his b-side dubs to make this set.




The centrepiece of the album is "King Tubby Meets The Rockers Uptown", a killer dub version of Jacob Miller’s vocal "Baby I Love You So" which almost single-handedly defined dub for a non-Jamaican audience when it was released as a single by Island Records (UK) in 1975; it also appeared on the company’s massive-selling "This Is Reggae Music" sampler.

Using his custom sliders, Tubby eases Miller’s voice in and out of the mix, adding stabs of guitar and melodica. Carlton Barrett’s explosive snare fills further serve to punctuate the elastic rhythm, which was first cut for producer Herman Chin Loy’s 1973 album Aquarius Dub. Similarly, "Frozen Dub" propelled the Heptones on a recut of their Studio One classic "Love Won’t Come Easy". Hopefully someone, some day, will undertake to present this crucial set in all its glory, with alternate mixes.




Technical Information:

Artist: Augustus Pablo
Album: King Tubbys Meets Rockers Uptown (Deluxe Edition)
Year: 1976/2004

Audio Codec(s): FLAC
Encoding: Lossless
Rip: EAC split tracks
Avg. bitrate: 846 kb/s
Sample rate: 44100 Hz
Bits per sample: 16
Channels: 2
File size: 295 MB
Length: 0:48:54




Personnel:

Augustus Pablo: melodica, piano, clavinet, organ, producer
Robbie Shakespear: bass guitar
Aston Barrett: bass guitar
Leroy Sibbles: bass
Carlton Barrett: drums
Earl "Chinna" Smith: guitar
Richard "Dirty Harry" Hall: saxophone
Bobby Ellis: trumpet
Vincent "Don D Junior" Gordon: trombone

mixed by King Tubby and Errol Thompson at King Tubby's Studio




Tracklisting:

01. Keep On Dubbing (3:11)
02. Stop Them Jah (2:52)
03. Young Generation Dub (2:35)
04. Each One Dub (2:55)
05. 555 Dub St. (2:44)
06. Brace's Tower Dub (2:53)
07. King Tubby Meets Rockers Uptown (2:34)
08. Brace's Tower Dub No.2 (2:58)
09. Corner Crew Dub (3:07)
10. Skanking Dub (2:44)
11. Frozen Dub (2:54)
12. Satta Dub (4:22)
13. Black Gunn (Bonus Track) (3:19)
14. Ruthland Close (Bonus Track) (2:38)
15. 1-2-3 Version (Bonus Track) (3:02)
16. Silent Satta (Bonus Track) (4:06)





King Tubbys Meets Rockers Uptown Megaupload Link

Linton Kwesi Johnson- UBC SUB Ballroom, Vancouver, BC- 04/28/1984- Cassette Rip (FLAC)

L.K.J. live shows are really rare, and in this excellent 1984 performance, the poet sizzles. He's also backed by Dennis Bovell's Dub band, so that's icing on the cake. Enjoy!




Notes from the original uploader:

Prepare to skank the night away, have your spirit uplifted and your mind stimlutated. LKJ's message is as timely now as ever. This is one of the most intense performances I've seen by anybody, anywhere. LKJ electrified the entire room when he burst onto the stage from the wings and tore into "Want Fi Goh Rave," and the intensity built from there. This recording sounds great to my ears, even though it's the offspring of the lowly but dependable D-6. Blackbeard's bass resonates nicely, and the Dub Band is ultra-tight.

Couple of technical things: There are several abrupt cuts in between songs. A little bit was lost in "Come Wi Goh Dung Deh" during a tape flip. There's another small cut in the Instrumental Outro.

This show requires two discs. Sorry I didn't name the tracks accordingly, but I hadn't listened to it in quite a while and I was surprised when it turned out to be two discs rather than one. Also, I did not create separate tracks for LKJ's rather lengthy intros to each song. Apologies if that's a problem. I'm not sure about some of the titles of the Dub Band tunes.Any assistance would be greatly appreciated! Oh, and there's a scan of the handbill and a ticket stub for those who like to make artwork.

Set the subwoofer level to max and crank up the volume!




Technical Information:

Artist: Linton Kwesi Johnson
Location: UBC SUB Ballroom, Vancouver BC, Canada
Date: April 28, 1984

Audio Codec(s): FLAC
Encoding: Lossless
Rip: Cassette rip, split tracks
Avg. bitrate: 923 kb/s
Sample rate: 44100 Hz
Bits per sample: 16
Channels: 2
File size: 683 MB
Length: 1:43:34


Setlist:

01. Introduction by George Barrett (0:55)
02. Instrumental (2:14)
03. Dub Master (5:46)
04. Come with Me (4:44)
05. Reggae High (4:18)
06. Brain Damage (3:47)
07. Want Fi Goh Rave (4:55)
08. It Noh Funny (3:44)
09. Dread Beat An' Blood (3:23)
10. Independant Intavenshan (4:07)
11. Reggae Fi Peach (3:30)
12. Inglan Is A Bitch (2:58)
13. Di Black Petty Booshwah (3:53)
14. Reality Poem (6:09)
15. Come Wi Goh Dung Deh (2:21)
16. Reggae Fi Dada (4:06)
17. Band Introductions (3:29)
18. Di Eagle An' Di Bear (4:59)
19. Di Great Insohreckshan (4:26)
20. Wat About Di Workin' Claas? (6:23)
21. All Wi Doin Is Defendin (4:43)
22. Sonny's Lettah (4:59)
23. Reggae Fi Radni (4:27)
24. Making History (3:29)
25. Fite Dem Back (2:50)
26. Instrumental Outro (2:59)





UBC SUB Ballroom Megaupload Link

Burning Spear- Man in the Hills (1976)- 1990 Reissue- EAC CD Rip (APE/FLAC)

Now let's delve a little deeper into some roots Rasta...
"...and if we should live up in the hills."





From Matt Cibula at popmatters.com:

Burning Spear was a group, one of the most intriguing and heavy of Jamaican ensembles, and they released one of the best-known reggae albums ever, 1975's Marcus Garvey. This righteous blast at Babylon, produced by the legendary Jack Ruby, gets mentioned on a lot of "best album" lists, but no one ever mentions anything else they have done since then. And that, as the re-release of these three albums proves, is a huge oversight. One disc combines 1976's Ruby-produced Man in the Hills with their first self-produced album, Dry and Heavy from 1977, and the other presents Social Living from 1980, along with two extended dub mixes. Taken together, these three records prove quite a few things, including the revelation that some of those "best reggae album" lists need to be reordered to include some more Burning Spear.

The biggest misconception about this group is to equate Winston Rodney with Burning Spear. He did, in fact, become Burning Spear, but not on Man in the Hills. Here, the ghostly harmonies of bandmates Rupert Willington and Delroy Hines are absolutely central to the heavy roots attack; this is clear on the opening title track, where their chant of "And if we should live up in the hills" makes everything sweet and creepy and lovely all at the same time. But Rodney's vocal work is always sad and hopeful at the same time, yearning and patient, mournful and smiling -- his voice is a superb instrument, and he knows it: he'll repeat a line over and over in weird ways, or allow a track to shamble to a start before tying it together with the first line of a song, and reggae just hadn't heard anything like him, and there certainly haven't been a lot of singers since who even wanted to try what he effortlessly accomplishes here.




Black self-reliance is clearly the theme of this album. The good in "It's Good" is "It is good when a man can think for himself"; the children in "Children" are learning to fish even though the current is so strong and the sea so rocky; the mother in "Mother" tells Rodney, "Son, be careful / Think before you move". And the people in "People Get Ready" are being addressed by Rodney, who is speaking simultaneously as himself and Marcus Garvey and Haile Selassie: "Come, people / I wouldn't leave my people behind / No I wouldn't leave them behind / I couldn't do that".

This is all intoned in Rodney's ageless pleading tenor, with Willington and Hines there to push the call-and-response vocal lines past what had ever been done in reggae before, with heavy African repetition on "Lion" and "It's Good," and a very James Brown and the Famous Flames vibe on "People Get Ready." But it is the woozy and wild psychedelic intricacy of the backing tracks that really sends these songs over the top. "No More War" pulls in Shaft guitar scratches and blues lines from Earl "Chinna" Smith and Tony Chin, making it all sound like the Stax Reggae Song that never was. The push and pull of "Door Peep" is so thick that one four-note trombone phrase (by the amazing Vincent "Trommie" Gordon) sound like the scowl of fate, and "Groovy" contains one hell of a sick funky rhythm track thanks to the ministrations of Leroy "Horsemouth" Wallace while the bass boomage of either Robbie Shakespeare or Aston "Family Man" Barrett. (David Katz's liner notes are, as always, great on the big picture and just so-so on the song by song details.)




Technical Information:

Artist: Burning Spear
Album: Man in the Hills
Year: 1976/1990

Audio Codec(s): APE/FLAC
Encoding: Lossless
Rip: EAC APE + .cue/FLAC split tracks
Avg. bitrate: 786 kb/s
Sample rate: 44100 Hz
Bits per sample: 16
Channels: 2
File size: 194 MB/199 MB
Length: 0:34:36


Personnel:

Winston Rodney: vocals, percussion
Earl "Chinna" Smith: guitar
Donald Kinsley: guitar
Bertram McLean: guitar
Herman Marquis: alto saxophone
Richard Hall: tenor saxophone
Bobby Ellis: trumpet
Robbie Barrett: bass
Leroy Wallace: drums


Tracklisting:

01. Man In The Hills (4:05)
02. It's Good (2:48)
03. No More War (3:23)
04. Black Soul (3:29)
05. Lion (3:15)
06. People Get Ready (3:26)
07. Children (3:48)
08. Mother (3:41)
09. Door Peep (2:43)
10. Groovy (3:57)





Man in the Hills Megaupload Links:

APE (img + .cue)
FLAC (split tracks)

Bob Marley and the Wailers- Natty Dread (1974)- 24/96 DVD-A & 24/48 DTS

Natty Dread is my favorite Bob Marley album post break with the Wailers, and here's the best digital representation of the album. This region free DVD is 24/96 MLP DVD-A, and it also contains the tracks down-sampled to 24/48 5.0 surround so you can play it on a regular DVD player. But screw all the technical mumbo-jumbo, because all that really matters is that this DVD has No Woman, No Cry on it. It's hard to imagine a more beautiful song than No Woman, No Cry.





From Arion Berger at rollingstone.com:

Reggae in this country tends to attract rabid, cultish, blanket admiration. The sanctification of the form doesn't always allow that much of the stuff can be, well, boring. But the wild range in reggae's quality is actually one of the strongest arguments in favor of the legendary Bob Marley — he wasn't passionate, moving and disciplined because he was a reggae artist but because he was Bob Marley. And 1974's Natty Dread proved for all time the possi-bilities of the genre. Peter Tosh and Bunny Livingstone (later Wailer) had just departed from Marley's band; Marley brought in a passel of new backing musicians and installed the I-Threes, a female vocal trio that included his wife, Rita, to play shimmering Greek chorus to his omniscient narrator. The record unspools like a pristine jam session, a huge range of instruments weaving in and out according to the emotional tenor of the moment — drum fills, cowbells and a thoughtful, sometimes ominous bass piling up the sonic richness.

Beyond the lilting charm of the ballad "No Woman, No Cry," which has become a reggae classic and cover staple, what Natty Dread evinces is Marley's remarkable musical control. "Lively Yourself Up" is cool and stripped down — every guitar note and percussive shake seems necessary. "Rebel Music (3 O'Clock Road Block)" folds in sidelines of harmonica and stalls for brief drum turns between the regulation loping, circular beat and the muselike affirmations of the I-Threes. "So Jah Seh," a taut profession of Rastafarian faith, does not resist the earthly pleasures of a big horn sound and thoughtful piano playing.

All of reggae's signature forces are in vibrant play. Its charismatic political rebelliousness is trickily conveyed on "Them Belly Full (But We Hungry)," in which Marley plays double agent, posing as the good-time partymaster while rallying the desperate troops with a vocal line that bends at the tips like the branches of a weeping willow. Like qawwali music and American blues, reggae folds in sensual with spiri-tual ecstasies. The blueslike "Bend Down Low" is grounded by a grouchy pop-up rhythm while Marley and the I-Threes sing ethereally, even merrily, with their eyes on the heavens. Natty Dread wrangled the seemingly unreconcilable impulses of reggae — its economy of line and expansiveness of spirit — into an intense evocation of a people's boundless capacities for faith, anger and love.




Technical Information:

Artist: Bob Marley and the Wailers
Album: Natty Dread
Year: 1974

Audio Codec(s): MLP, DTS, DD
Encoding: Lossless
Rip: 24/96 MLP split tracks and 24/48 DTS/DD split tracks
Avg. bitrate: 13824 kb/s
Sample rate: 96000 Hz
Bits per sample: 24
Channels: 6 + 2 Channel Stereo Downsample
File size: 3.31 GB
Length: 01:24:25


Tracklisting:

01. Lively Up Yourself (5:10)
02. No Woman, No Cry (3:45)
03. Them Belly Full (But We Hungry) (3:13)
04. Rebel Music (3 O' Clock Road Block) (6:46)
05. So Jah Seh (4:29)
06. Natty Dread (3:36)
07. Bend Down Low (3:22)
08. Talkin' Blues (4:07)
09. Revolution (4:23)
10. Am-A-Do (Bonus Track) (3:22)


Personnel:

Bob Marley- Lead Vocals, Rhythm Guitar
Aston "Family Man" Barrett- Bass Guitar
Carlton Barrett- Drums, Percussion
Bernard "Touter" Harvey- Piano, Organ
Al Anderson- Lead Guitar

The I-Three's:
Rita Marley- Background Vocals
Judy Mowatt- Background Vocals
Marcia Griffiths- Background Vocals





Natty Dread Megaupload Link

Althea and Donna- Uptown Top Ranking (1978)- EAC CD Rip (FLAC)

Man, this is a next-to-impossible find. Uptown Top Ranking in lossless. Yes! One or two of you may have noticed that this album was posted awhile back in mp3, but L&S and I have been tirelessy working in the background cleaning up the redheaded step-child posts that only a mother could love, and this was one of them. But enough of the Lord's work. On to Althea and Donna...

Uptown Top Ranking, the song, was crazy big. It hit #1 on both the Jamaican and British pop charts in '78, and everyone loved it, in much the same way the Tom-Tom Club cross-pollenated musical genres a few years later with Genius of Love. Here's the mix: two inexperienced teenage girls from Kingston flirting to a heavy Rasta beat laid down by The Revolutionaries, and making a world-wide hit out of it. Sure, the album is flawed...but whatever. This was their only album, and it's Rasta history. Good enough for me.




From Jo-Ann Greene:

Theirs is a legendary story of how two Jamaican teenagers enamored with Trinity's hit "Three Piece Suit" wrote their reply,"Uptown Top Ranking," cut it for Joe Gibbs, then scored a number one hit in both Jamaica and Britain. That feat brought Althea Forrest and Donna Reid (along with the Revolutionaries as backup) a record contract with Front Line, which resulted in this, their first (and only) album.

Uptown Top Ranking was superbly produced by Karl Pitterson, and boasts the heavy rhythms of the Revolutionaries. The music is a wonder to behold, driven by the Riddim Twins' fat rhythms and accompanied by Scully's inspired percussion. The heavenly horn section of Tommy McCook, Vin Gordon, and Herman Marquis punctuates the tracks, while keyboardist Bernard Harvey burbles in the background and guitarist Earl "Chinna" Smith riffs away. All told, the group makes Uptown top ranking indeed, fabulous roots reggae that swings from deeply moody to brightly upbeat.




So, why was this album an abysmal failure? Simply put, because Althea & Donna were under the mistaken impression that they were now cultural artists instead of pop stars. And while the pair sings with heartfelt passion, their lyrics are rife with clichés and mind-numbing banalities; the immaturity of their writing is now laid bare. As is their singing. Although both girls had pretty enough voices, what they lacked was experience and training. This wasn't a problem on the single, a jubilant number whose brash lyrics laid waste to all other considerations. Across a full album, the flaws become obvious -- there's no real harmonies to speak of, and neither girl is able to come up with a suitably strong melody of their own.

Compared to other albums of the era, Uptown Top Ranking was anything but top ranking. Today, however, militant themes and thoughtful lyrics are no longer required, and thus Althea & Donna may be due for a comeback. Certainly the Revolutionaries' excellent work here deserves the recognition it never received at the time.




Technical Information:

Artist: Althea and Donna
Album: Uptown Top Ranking
Year: 1978

Audio Codec(s): FLAC
Encoding: lossless
Rip: EAC split tracks
Avg. bitrate: 884 kb/s
Sample rate: 44100 Hz
Bits per sample: 16
Channels: 2
File size: 224 MB
Length: 0:35:25


Personnel:

Althea Forrest: vocals
Donna Reid: vocals
Earl "Chinna" Smith: guitar
Herman Marquis: alto saxophone
Tommy McCook: tenor saxophone
Vin Gordon: trombone
Bernard Touter Harvey: keyboards
Sly Dunbar: drums
Robbie Shakespeare: bass


Tracklisting:

01. No More Fighting (3:38)
02. Jah Rastafari (3:46)
03. Make a Truce (4:00)
04. Oh Dread (2:39)
05. Uptown Top Ranking (3:49)
06. The West (3:51)
07. Jah Music (3:56)
08. If You Don't Love Jah (2:58)
09. Sorry (3:58)
10. They Wanna Just (2:50)





Uptown Top Ranking Megaupload Link