OK, so it s been a hectic few weeks, what with an interminable amount of time spent on planes, writing ridiculous amounts of stuff for posh magazines, and generally getting run ragged all around the world. A couple of things that have kept me vaguely calm, though, have been Luciano s delightful new album, Child of a King [VP/U.S.
/CD] and Light in the Attic s reissue of Noel Ellis s self-titled 1979 debut on Toronto s Summer Records [U.S./CD].
Over a set of six spacious dubs, Alton s son sings up a storm, providing a delicate and shimmering counterpoint to the stripped-down drum and bass. It s a gorgeous record that s guaranteed to make your days go more smoothly, whenever you listen to it. Canadian, it rsquo;s now time to hand you over to this month rsquo;s guest correspondent, Montreal s best reggae critic, Erin MacLeod, on some When folks have asked me why I like dancehall so darned much, it doesn t really work to pass them an album or a soundsystem tape.
Prolific and inconsistent are understatements where reggae artists are concerned, so albums don t really present a complete picture. Friends I ve handed soundsystem recordings tend to wonder why someone keeps yelling at them and why the songs start and stop at will. Now, I m happy to say, I ve developed a better system that I m sure will make dancehall fans out of doubters and will also impress the boys who think I don t know what I m blathering on about.
Sure, YouTube is an excellent source for videos featuring talking cats, but it s also a virtual goldmine of previously inaccessible reggae material. There are music videos galore, but the really interesting and exciting stuff-- the clips that capture the excitement of a soundclash, the energy of a stageshow-- were, until now, only available on crummy VHS or poorly edited DVDs. Hardly the searchable encyclopedia of fun that is YouTube.
Those who wonder why Sizzla ranks so high would be well advised to check him, circa 1998, on Stone Love. show Mr. Kalonji alongside Buju Banton, Junior Murvin, and Jah Cure-- yes, the Jah Cure who you won t see at any venue for quite sometime, unless it s a prison.
Even though the fire is perhaps raging a little too hot these days-- and by this I mean that Sizzla tends to spit out songs in a way that one could only refer to as a gruff growl-- amongst a sea of Rasta flags, on a full stage at Rebel Salute, shows the man s ability to whip a crowd into a frenzy. Speaking of frenzied skill, the storied clash between from Jamaica s 1991 Sting concert series is simply wicked. Ninjaman kills the Don Dada, and it s a spectacular burial.
David Rodigan s equally incredible soundboy killers can be peeked as well. The man who, after over a quarter century of selecting, has become known as Father Rodigan , beat the equally renowned Father Downbeat this past year at The Most Decent Clash on Earth in Brooklyn. Only Rodigan could end a clash with.
..a .
If not yet convinced that Rodigan is amazing, witness the UK s Love Injection sound get destroyed by possibly . Endless videos from Swatch International s weekly Kingston road dance Passa Passa can be found, but the real gems come a from a little further back. Watching the Stereo Mars dance/political rally from 1986 gives you the opportunity to see the late, great at his height.
Check live pon the legendary Stonelove from a New York dance in 1990, and sweet as she kills it alongside the equally renowned Killmanjaro in 1990, live and direct from Toronto. Honestly, these bits and pieces are just a surface scratching. Here s hoping that the recent sale of YouTube to Google won t affect the growing library of niceness available to anyone with a broadband connection.
Thanks, Erin. When you re through watching those clips, you should check out Ward 21 s Bad Belly riddim as soon as you can hit the download button (or better yet a real record shop-- 7 s are cool things to own, after all). Solid versions by Vybz Kartel, Ward 21 themselves, Sizzla, and T.
O.K. all work this crunching, futuristic reimagination of 90s Jammy riddims hard, but it s a B-side that kills it.
Me Easy s Nuff Things bounces along cheerfully enough, but flip it over for the real goods. Red Fox s Get It is a truly pyrotechnic display of toasting, the deejay dominating one of the toughest beats of the year with a rasping, guttural flow. Finally, if you have a fancy for something utterly ridiculous, give Danger Zone s Wipeout riddim a go.
Yes, we re talking about that Wipeout-- the 1960s surf rock tune by the Safaris, sampled by the Fat Boys back in 1987. Honestly, it s the stupidest thing I ve heard in a long time, way dafter than even Fire Links Chaka Chaka or LOC s Crazy Frog . However, top-a-top selector Gabriel Myddleton from London s parties rightly points out that Buju Banton s and Ce Cile s voicings rock the houses.
And, hey, sometimes it s good to throw your hands up and act the fool, life s too short to take things so seriously.
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