Bob Marley – Babylon by Bus

The problem with Greatest Hit’s albums are that they give a false impression to folks, who are led to believe that they have have all they need from that artist. 

The worst of the offenders is that damn “Bob Marley: Legend” album. 

I almost laughed aloud when I was watching “I Am Legend” the other day ( and not just because the movie was ridiculous) when Will Smith goes into his diatribe about how great Bob Marley is, and how great his music is…and apparently the only CD he had was “Legend.”  Now, maybe the filmmakers were trying to tie it all in to the title of the movie, but give me a f’ing break why don’t ya?

Released in 1978, “Babylon by Bus” is the quintessential live Marley album.  Some will say that 1975’s “Bob Marley: Live” is the real deal, and they would be right as well…but this oneis my favorite.  It may not have been as inspired a show, but the band that is playing on ‘Babylon’ is much tighter and more mature…and it shows.  This album just makes you feel better…even if you are headed to work at 6:30 in the morning,,, and you’re hungover ’cause your friends challenged you to have a few more Patron shots to end the night, and then you one upped them by buying a round of Pyrat shots.  Take that, losers!

Recorded during the “Kaya” tour at the Pavillion de Paris, it really catches the artist and the band in prime form all the way through.  Sure you get hits like ‘Jamming,’ ‘Exodus’ and ‘Stir it Up’…but you also get oldies like ‘Punky Reggae Party’ and the monsterous ‘War/No More Trouble’ to really seal the deal.

The album was recently reissued and can be got for like, $10 now…which is a bargain for a 73 minute live show.

BONUS!!!  If you can find the original double vinyl copy, the windows on the bus are cut out to show the sleeve underneith.  So depending on how you feel, you can change the scene!  Try and do that with a CD cover!

Easy Star All-Stars – Dub Side of the Moon

Usually, the idea of a “genre tribute” to anything fills me with dread because of the many musical disasters in the last decade that had those words in their title.  Things like “An Orchestral Tribute to Led Zeppelin” or “A Country Tribute to Bob Dylan” are generally full of things that hurt my ears.  You’ll be lucky if your head doesn’t explode from hearing them.

So when the Easy Star All-Stars Came out with “Dub-Side” in 2003, I kind of groaned…steeling myself for the imminent disgust that I knew was coming.  But that disgust never came.  I found myself nodding, and saying “Wow!  This doesn’t suck!  In fact, this is pretty rad!”  (yes…I said ‘rad’)

It’s not too surprising that Pink Floyd’s seminal work translates so easily to the reggae format, but the All-Stars really make it work.  I like how the opening to ‘Money’ has replaced the cash machine noises with bong noises , and even the sick reggae drum and bass breakdown in their version of  ‘Time.’ 

And I’m not even a big fan of D ‘n B!

You can find the band touring a lot, I saw them perform this album a few years ago in Santa Monica (awesome!), and in 2006 they released a really good album of Radiohead covers aptly titled “Radiodread.”  Look for an album of original material coming later this year.

And thank you Easy Star All-Stars for not sucking!

SUPER BONUS!!! Money over Wizard of Oz!!!

Jackie Mittoo – The Keyboard King at Studio One

You like funky hammond organ? 

I know I do, and while most will acknowledge the likes of Booker T,  Jimmy Smith and Jimmy McGriff…few know about their Jamaican counterpart Jackie Mitoo.  This is another of those magical Soul Jazz reissues that I can’t get enough of, and since much of Mittoo’s early work is hard to come by and most has never been remastered, this album serves as a fitting tribute to a real musical giant.

Mitto grew up in Kingston, Jamaica and was a gifted piano protege.  By age 14 he was already playing sessions for the Studio One label.  The the late 60’s he formed The Skatalites, one of the most influential bands in Reggae history, and was leading the house band for Studio One as well as Treasure Isle and Top Deck.  If you own any reggae from that era, most likely it’s got Jackie’s sound all over it.  And what a sound it is.

It’s not just Reggae or Ska, Mittoo’s compositions have a much warmer jazz feel to them while also incorporating a lot of soul influence as well.  His recordings all have a smooth buttery feel to them that’s just awesome.  If you want a soundtrack to your summer, this is it.

Soul Jazz did an excellent job of picking out the brightest  points of Mittoo’s career here, from the long and stirring ‘Oboe’ to the smooth covers of ‘Summer Breeze’ and ‘Norwegian Wood’ (titled Darker Than Black on the album.) And while this isn’t really one of his original albums ( find ‘Macka Fat’ if you can) it stands on it’s own in terms of content and consistency.  Below, a little video for ‘Juice Box.’

Now how can you beat that?

Various Artists – 100% Dynamite

One of the biggest challenges I’ve faced as a DJ is learning about new musical genres…and by new I mean genre’s I know nothing about. 

Take reggae for example.  There was a time when I knew practically nothing about it with the exception of Bob Marley.  I had no friends who knew crazy amounts of reggae or anything…so I had little options.  What to do?

It’s here that the DJ’s biggest friend, the compilation , comes in.  A good compilation record will expose you to a wide variety of artists and styles, while a bad compilation will just give you a pile of shit.

Enter Soul Jazz Records…the undisputed kings of compilations.  Browse their catalog…go ahead…I dare you.  See anything interesting?  Buy it. 

Why?  Because with Soul Jazz you always get the bomb.  Be it reggae, New Orleans Funk, Soul, or Brazilian music they will not let you down. 

I picked up the 100% Dynamite, a collection of stellar funk ska and soul from Jamaica back around 1999 and I never put it down. They got The Marvel’s ‘Rock Steady,’  Willie Wiliiams hit ‘Armageddon Time’ and my favorite track… Johnny Osborne’s “We Need Love.’ (hear below) I became obsessed and had to buy everything they put out for years before I could calm down about these guys.  The Dynamite series is now up to 600% Dynamite and I highly reccommend all the volumes.

It’ll fill out your collection and your knowledge nicely.