Prince Far I

This collection documents the late Prince Far I's (aka Michael Williams) final period with the Trojan label. These are frequently referred to as his best years, despite the fact that Psalms for I and Under Heavy Manners are graded as his finest albums. But it comes down to track-for-track, the dub 12" singles, and the sound system tracks that he cut with one of the greatest bands in the history of reggae, the Arabs – mainly made up of the Roots Radics band with cats like Flabba Holt, Style Scott, Chinna Smith, and Bingy Bunny. Prince Far I's Cry Tough Dub Encounter albums are well known for their visionary quality and stridently spaced out effects. Far I was his own producer from 1977 on, and he did a better job than anybody who had worked with him previously, whether it be Adrian Sherwood, Joe Gibbs, or Bunny Lee. With the exception of the first cut on this two-disc set, "Heavy Manners" produced by Joe Gibbs, the Prince was at the helm for everything else here. Of the 40 selections, four complete albums are represented, and a few singles.

• 1976 - Prince Far I - Under Heavy Manners - (10 tracks - 33:00 - 256 kbps)
• 1978 - Prince Far I - Cry Tuff Dub Encounter Chapter 1 - (10 tracks - 38:39 - 192 kbps)

• 1978 - Prince Far I - Long Life - (9 tracks - 32:37 - 160 kbps)
• 1979 - Prince_Far I - Cry Tuff Dub Encounter Chapter 2 (9 tracks - 29:44 - 256 kbps)

• 1980 - Prince Far I - Jamaican Heroes (9 tracks - 36:32 - 256 kbps)
• 1995 - Prince Far I & KIng Tubbys - In The House of Vocal & Dub (14 tracks - 52:05 - vbr)

• 1978-Prince Far I & The Arabs - Message From The King - (10 tracks - 35:06 - vbr - 54,8 MB)
• 1979-Prince Far I - Free From Sin - (9 tracks - 34:11 - vbr - 59,3 MB)
• 1981-Prince Far I & the Arabs - Cry Tuff Dub Encounter Chapter 4 - (8 tracks - 34:51 - 192 kbps - 47,9 MB)

• 1985-Prince Far I - Megabit 25, 1922-Dub - (16 tracks - 57:21 - 128 kbps - 51,8 MB)
• 1990-Prince Far I - Black Man Land - (16 tracks - 58:50 - vbr - 81,8 MB)
• 1991-Prince Far I - Dubwise (16 tracks - 56:39 - 160 & 128 kbps - 53,7 MB)

• 1994-Prince Far I - Cry Freedom Dub (14 tracks - 57:12 - 192 kbps - 78,5 MB)
• 1998-Prince Far I - Health and Strenght (10 tracks - 33:47 - 256 kbps - 61,1 MB)

Prince Rogers Nelson (June 7, 1958 – April 21, 2016) was an American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. Widely regarded as one of the greatest musicians of his generation, he was known for his flamboyant, androgynous persona and wide vocal range, which included a far-reaching falsetto and high-pitched screams. Prince produced his albums himself, pioneering the Minneapolis sound. His music incorporated a wide variety of styles, including funk, R&B, rock, new wave, soul, synth-pop, pop, jazz, and hip hop. He often played most or all instruments on his recordings.

This whopping 30-CD box set gathers together the best of Trojan's three-disc box set series. Included are the Ska, DJ, Dub, Instrumentals, Jamaican Superstars, Lovers, Producer Series, Rocksteady, Roots, and Tribute to Bob Marley volumes, each of which can be found under Trojan Box Set for their individual reviews. What's lacking here is a booklet with additional notes and information; the bulk seems to demand some extra coverage and care, yet all that's here are the original notes of each volume – only as much text as can fit on the back of the CD sleeves. From a music standpoint, however, this box is excellent; a truly diverse and comprehensive collection. Of the 500 songs, less than ten reappear on another volume, so you get a more-than-satisfying amount of music spanning the history of the Trojan label.