The Melodians

The most beautiful reggae songs by Ken Boothe, Althea & Donna, The Harry J All Stars, The Pioneers and many more on one compilation!

This two-disc set does a wonderful job of presenting the nearly 50-year recording history of Art, Charles, Aaron, and Cyril Neville – the Neville Brothers – without sacrificing the pacing that makes for a good and varied listening experience. Opening with "Mardi Gras Mambo" from 1954 by Art's first group, the Hawketts, then picking up on a couple of Aaron's early singles, the Allen Toussaint-produced "Over You" and Aaron's unofficial theme song, "Tell It Like It Is," before moving on to the bayou funk of the Meters for "Cissy Strut" and "Look-Ka Py Py," Gold gets things exactly right. All four brothers actually didn't appear on record together until 1976's marvelous The Wild Tchoupitoulas album, which is represented here by "Brother John" and "Meet de Boys on the Battlefront." They officially became known as the Neville Brothers a year later, and their hybrid mix of funk, soul, gospel, rock, country, and New Orleans street music is both inspired and fun, with tracks like "Fire on the Bayou" and "Hey Pocky Way" quickly becoming Louisiana classics. Other highlights on this fine collection include a scorching live take of "Voodoo" from 1994's Live on Planet Earth release, an impassioned version of the Melodians' Jamaican hymn "Rivers of Babylon," and the 21st century psychedelic funk of "Walkin' in the Shadow of Life" from the 2004 album of the same title. Until a box set comes along, this two-disc compilation stands as the best overall introduction to the long history of the Neville Brothers, who show no signs of slowing down anytime soon.

The first comprehensive anthology of one of Jamaican music’s greatest record labels, the 4CD set comprises 115 tracks, including numerous major ska, rock steady and reggae hits, as well as tracks new to CD. This sumptuous package also include a page booklet featuring a detailed bio of Treasure Isle producer Duke Reid, embellished with lots of rare and fascinating imagery.

This 1972 film broke reggae into U.S. pop culture with Jimmy Cliff's Many Rivers to Cross ; the Maytals' Pressure Drop , and the rest of its stellar soundtrack. 30 years later Island and Hip-O teamed to create this 2-CD edition, the definitive master of the original plus 18 cuts of crucial 1968-72 reggae: Guava Jelly Johnny Nash; Sweet Sensation Melodians, and many more of Cliff's classics. Great new liners, too! Jamaican filmmaker Perry Henzell made reggae an integral player in his gritty 1973 saga of a renegade Kingston singer who becomes a modern Robin Hood, casting one of the style's earliest stars, Jimmy Cliff, in the lead, and filling this soundtrack–here presented in a remastered version–with classics from Toots & the Maytals ("Pressure Drop," "Sweet and Dandy"), Desmond Dekker ("Shanty Town"), the Melodians ("Rivers of Babylon"), and the Slickers ("Johnny Too Bad"). Cliff himself gets pole position, however, getting in the first ("You Can Get It If You Really Want") and last ("The Harder They Come") words in this first-rate reggae primer, which also features Cliff's enduring "Many Rivers to Cross." –Sam Sutherland

Expanded version of the best-selling TV advertised album from 1973, comprising 55 of the biggest reggae hits of the late Sixties and early Seventies. The double disc collection includes numerous chart-busting hits and dancefloor-fillers, performed by some of the greatest Jamaican performers of the era, including such legendary artists as Desmond Dekker, the Maytals, Dave & Ansel Collins, the Pioneers, John Holt, Greyhound and Bob & Marcia.
Guaranteed to bring a touch of warm Jamaican sunshine to even the coldest of days, “The Best Of Reggae” is sure to brighten up any occasion, 365 days of the year!

1969 explodierte die britische Working-Class Jugend Subkultur und etablierte die frühe Rude Boy-Skinhead Bewegung. Der Sound der Szene war die aufregende brandneue Musik aus Jamaika, die ihren weltweiten Siegeszug antrat. "Do The Reggae (Skinhead Reggae in the Spirit of '69)" enthält 58 originale Rude Boy-Klassiker dieser Zeit auf zwei CDs und gibt zusammen mit der kürzlich veröffentlichten "Monkey Business" Compilation den perfekten Überblick über die Reggae-Hits dieser Zeit. U.a. dabei The Ethiopians, Derrick Morgan, The Upsetters, The Melodians, The Techniques, The Tennors u.v.m.