Sly

Stylistically, reggae incorporates some of the musical elements of rhythm and blues, jazz, mento (a celebratory, rural folk form that served its largely rural audience as dance music and an alternative to the hymns and adapted chanteys of local church singing), calypso, African music, as well as other genres. One of the most easily recognizable elements is offbeat rhythms; staccato chords played by a guitar or piano (or both) on the offbeats of the measure. The tempo of reggae is usually slower than ska but faster than rocksteady. The concept of "call and response" can be found throughout reggae music.

The Best Sixties Album contains the defining tracks of the decade and features some of the biggest hits from artists including Scott McKenzie, The Byrds, The Moody Blues, Del Shannon, Andy Williams, Sly & The Family Stone, Aretha Franklin, Johnny Cash, Tammy Wynette and many more.

Running The Voodoo Down’ looks at a time when African-American music was exploring myriad new directions against a backdrop of incredible and explosive social change and features the likes of FUNKADELIC, JAMES BROWN, MILES DAVIS, LIGHTNING ROD & JIMI HENDRIX, KEITH JARRETT, BUDDY MILES, THE METERS, THE CHAMBERS BROTHERS, SWAMP DOGG, JAMES ‘BLOOD’ ULMER and SLY & THE FAMILY STONE. Whilst not a lot of this music was commercially successful at the time, its importance and its influence on subsequent generations of artists – both black and white – has continued to grow over the years. To quote Harlow’s extensive liner notes:“This is the sound of Musical Revolution. Social Revolution was in the air and musicians jumped with the times. Working around the funky ground built by Mr Brown, The Big Four – Miles, Clinton, Jimi and Sly – set about recreating a new psychrockfunksouljazz explosion. As they played a new generation of explorers was set in motion and as sure as fireballs off the sun they splintered in many directions.

The Best Soul Album contains the definitive Artists & Songs of Soul. The Best hits from Sly & The Family Stone, Billy Ocean, McFadden & Whitehead, Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes, Labelle, Nina Simone, Aretha Franklin, The O’Jays and many more.

Over the past few decades, Jamaican dub has proved to be one of the most influential of Jamaican music forms, inspiring a range of modern genres, from jungle to dubstep. This collection brings together some of the finest dub tracks from its heyday, mixed by its many of its most influential creators, including such luminaries as King Tubby, Lee Perry, King Jammy, Errol Thompson, Sylvan Morris and Scientist. As with the other releases in the new ‘This Is Trojan’ range, the stylish, distinctively designed package also includes a fully illustrated and annotated 16-page booklet, tracing the development of this ever-popular style.

Dean Rudland compiles a selection of 70s Funk for Back Beats. Nina Simone, Jimmy Castor, Shuggie Otis, Sly & The Family Stone and many more feature. Amazon Review by Donald E. Gilliland: If you can get past the stupid album title and the tacky cover photo, you will find the music on this compilation to be very good, over 65 minutes of fine funky soul tunes from 1968 to 1974. The closest thing to a hit on this collection is perhaps "Sing A Simple Song" by Sly & the Family Stone, but even without a bunch of hits the material on here is very high in quality, which one would expect from a volume in this dependable "Backbeats" series of collection. Even amongst the recognizable names such as Nina Simone, Esther Phillips, M.F.S.B., Shuggie Otis, and Al Kooper we are treated to some very tasty funk-infused material. I also love "Watts Breakaway" by Johnny Otis, "It's Just Begun" by Jimmy Castor (which sounds like it could be an early Earth, Wind & Fire track!),"It's Alright" by the legendary Bobby Rush, and "Afro Strut" by the Nite-Liters. Even more obscure artists such as Shay Holiday, Casey Jones, Jesse Gresham, and Kim Melvin turn out some cool songs. And I can't forget the drum work-out by Bernard Purdie on "Soul Drums". Feel the beat indeed! I have enjoyed almost all of the volumes in the "Breakbeats" series, and this is one of the better ones. Too bad about that horrible cover and the album title! But ignore all that and just listen to the music; there's plenty of truly great songs on here, ones that will surely please fans of early 1970s soul and funk.

Nightclubbing is the fifth studio album by Jamaican singer Grace Jones, released on 11 May 1981 by Island Records. Recorded at Compass Point Studios with producers Alex Sadkin and Island Records' president Chris Blackwell, as well as a team of session musicians rooted by rhythm section Sly & Robbie, the album marked her second foray into a new wave style that blends a variety of genres, including reggae, art pop, dub, synth-pop and funk. The album comprises a mixture of cover versions from artists including Bill Withers, Iggy Pop and Astor Piazzolla, and original songs, three of which were co-written by Jones. The album received positive reviews upon its release, including being voted best album of the year by writers of the UK's best-selling music magazine NME, and continues to be praised by critics, with reviewers commending the singer's unique sound and organic fusion of genres. The album entered in the top 10 in five countries, and became Jones' highest-ranking record on the US Billboard mainstream albums and R&B charts. Six singles were released from the album, including the hits "Pull Up to the Bumper" and "I've Seen That Face Before (Libertango)".

The sophomore release from the third and most successful incarnation of Black Uhuru (singers Don Carlos, Erroll "Jay" Wilson, and Rudolph "Garth" Dennis had come before), Red spotlights the singing talents of then rising star Michael Rose, American-born Sandra "Puma" Jones, and original member Derrick "Duckie" Simpson. Backed by the tight and dancehall-era defining Sly & Robbie band, the trio reels off eight high-quality reggae cuts here, including classics like "Youth of Eglington" and "Sponji Reggae." Filled with Rose's astute lyrics, the album provides an engaging blend of steppers rhythms and social commentary.