Swap a CD: 15 Recently Posted CDs

Bob Marley Collection Madacy - Bob Marley

Bob Marley — 2009-11-22T17:54:13-05:00

IV - The Aggrolites

The Aggrolites — 2009-11-22T14:02:33-05:00

The Aggrolites may be the best reggae/soul/funk band in the land, a hard hitting ensemble now trimmed down to a powerful quartet -- Roger Rivas on piano and organ, Brian Dixon on guitar, bass man Jeff Roffredo, and frontman Jesse Wagner, a singer with a powerful, soulful set of pipes. They're proudly retro and although their sound is pumped up with a tough post-punk energy, their bedrock grooves pay tribute to the early days, and bands, of Jamaica's music scene when hungry young dudes were mashing up American soul and local folkloric rhythms to produce a sizzling hybrid that went by the names of ska, bluebeat, soul, and, by the mid-'70s reggae. The Aggrolites have studied JA's book of rules and trimmed away all the fat, to forge a sound that tips its hat to the past while remaining fiercely contemporary. Like the bands they love, they combine killer melodies and socially conscious lyrics to produce songs that keep you moving and thinking. IV has 21 tunes and delivers more than an hour of solid music that bounces along from the Toots & the Maytals tribute "What a Complex" with a suitably raspy lead vocal from Wagner, slinky keyboard work from Rivas on clavinet, and soaring backing vocals, to the bubbly ska/R&B fusion of "Keep Moving On," and the Memphis-meets-bluebeat raveup of "Wild Time," a rowdy tune that shows the band at its uncontained best with a greasy Dixon guitar solo that tosses a bit of fat into the fire. Other standouts include the one-drop rocker "Feelin' Alright" laughs at the hard times with its positive vibration, "Tear That Falls" and "Precious and Few" are slow, simmering reggae love songs with gorgeous backing harmonies, and "The Sufferer" is another socially conscious lyric with an aggressive groove and an uplifting message. "It's Gonna Be OK" closes the album with a mellow lover's rock groove, buoyed by the chiming piano of Rivas, the band's mellow vocal harmonies, and Wagner's smooth, soulful crooning. ~ j. poet, All Music Guide

Reggae Bashment Mix Vol 1 - Various Artists

Various Artists — 2009-11-22T13:00:07-05:00

Reggae Bashment Mix, Vol. 1 features 19 contemporary reggae tracks continuously mixed for the listener's dancing pleasure. The lineup features many of the big names on the reggae scene like Anthony B, Bounty Killer, General B, and Half Pint. A good disc for a reggae fan who wants to re-create a night out at a reggae club. ~ Tim Sendra, All Music Guide

22 Tunes from Tokyo - Toy Dolls

Toy Dolls — 2009-11-22T01:45:53-05:00

Reggae Worship Vol 3 - Various Artists

Various Artists — 2009-11-21T23:15:46-05:00

Legend - Bob Marley & The Wailers

Bob Marley & The Wailers — 2009-11-21T20:04:43-05:00

The classic Marley album, the one that any fair-weather reggae fan owns, Legend contains 14 of his greatest songs, running the gamut from "I Shot the Sheriff" to the meditative "Redemption Song" and the irrepressible "Three Little Birds." Some may argue that the compilation shortchanges his groundbreaking early ska work or his status as a political commentator, but this isn't meant to be definitive, it's meant to be an introduction, sampling the very best of his work. And it does that remarkably well, offering all of his genre-defying greats and an illustration of his excellence, warmth, and humanity. In a way, it is perfect since it gives a doubter or casual fan anything they could want. Let's face it, the beauty and simplicity of Marley's music was as important as his message, and that's captured particularly well here. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide

Pure Reggae - Various Artists

Various Artists — 2009-11-21T19:11:22-05:00

Pure Reggae doesn't seem as obvious a choice as Pure Moods or Pure Celtic, largely because it seems earthy, not mystical. Pure Reggae doesn't dispel that notion, especially since it contains such party anthems as Apache Indian's "Boom Shakalak" and Eddy Grant's "Electric Avenue," as well as bastardized mainstream reggae-pop like Big Mountain's "Baby I Love Your Way," plus Eric Clapton's cover of "I Shot the Sheriff." In fact, Pure Reggae covers a lot of ground, from Desmond Dekker's ska classic "Israelites" to dub and dancehall. It's a sampler, in other words, and it's a little scattershot at that. Nevertheless, it's fairly effective, considering that it really does contain many of the reggae tunes that are best-known by pop audiences: "Stir It Up," "Bad Boys," "Rivers of Babylon," "Many Rivers to Cross," "Montego Bay," "Kingston Town," "My Boy Lollipop," and "Exodus." That alone will make it quite attractive for many listeners. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide

On the Dance Floor - Gregory Isaacs

Gregory Isaacs — 2009-11-21T18:30:24-05:00

The excellent digital production fully captures his vocal quality. ~ Ron Wynn, All Music Guide

This Is Crucial Reggae Toots the Maytals - Toots & the Maytals

Toots & the Maytals — 2009-11-21T18:29:54-05:00

Truth to tell, there isn't anything particularly special about this Toots & the Maytals collection. This Is Crucial Reggae: Toots & the Maytals doesn't boast anything unusual in the way of packaging, track sequence, or audio restoration, and there isn't anything here that isn't available on a handful of other collections. But slap it into your stereo, push play, and you'll discover what is remarkable about this disc -- it features 12 stone classic slices of early reggae from one of the finest and most soulful acts the island of Jamaica has ever produced, Toots & the Maytals, and if that isn't reason enough for you to fork over for a midline-priced CD, then one might suggest that your priorities are a bit out of order. Anchored by the transcendent lead vocals of Toots Hibbert and the unrelenting groove of Leslie Kong's studio band, Crucial Reggae captures Toots & the Maytals at the peak of their powers, and with "Pressure Drop," "Funky Kingston," "Time Tough," "Sweet and Dandy," and "54-46 That's My Number" all in the running order, this is indeed as crucial as any listener could hope for. Anyone looking for a broad picture of Toots' remarkable career is advised to pick up either Island's Time Tough: The Anthology or Trojan's 54-46 Was My Number: Anthology, 1964-2000, but if you're looking for an affordable introduction to this pioneering reggae act, This Is Crucial Reggae: Toots & the Maytals will set you on the right path, though further exploration of their catalog is strongly advised. ~ Mark Deming, All Music Guide

Legalize It - Peter Tosh

Peter Tosh — 2009-11-21T14:00:11-05:00

After years of being overshadowed by Bob Marley, Peter Tosh left the Wailers to pursue a solo career. Released in 1976, Legalize It is a bold statement that Peter Tosh had arrived and was a creative force in his own right. Although he explores some issues of spirituality, this is Tosh's most lightweight album in the sense that it is his least political. This is not meant as a criticism -- in fact, Tosh's playfulness and joy ("Ketchy Shuby") only add to the album's charm. He does make political statements (the title track celebrates and promotes the use of marijuana), but they are done with a sense of humor and a melodic infectiousness that belie his sincere concern for the issues. Tosh incorporates many instruments and mixes slower ballads with upbeat grooving tunes. The album's highlight is "Why Must I Cry," a multi-layered song (co-written with Bob Marley) that conveys a sense of personal failure when fighting an uphill battle, whether it be against injustices of the world or within the confines of a relationship. Legalize It cemented Tosh's position as a giant in reggae, and the album is one of the best albums of the genre. ~ Vik Iyengar, All Music Guide

The Best of Bob Marley Boxsets 1998 - Bob Marley

Bob Marley — 2009-11-21T13:59:51-05:00

Another in a seemingly endless series of Bob Marley reissues that continually recycle the same pre-Island Records material, this two-disc package draws on the sides Marley & the Wailers recorded with producer Lee "Scratch" Perry between August 1970 and April 1971 at Randy's in Kingston. The music itself is fine, in fact it is downright wonderful, and many Marley fans feel that these are the best tracks he ever made, but they have been flooded onto the market so many times in so many different configurations that there is simply no compelling reason to pick them up in this guise over any other. ~ Steve Leggett, All Music Guide

Exodus - Bob Marley & The Wailers

Bob Marley & The Wailers — 2009-11-21T13:59:51-05:00

Recorded in London following an attempt on his life, Exodus shows Bob Marley mellowing a bit. Despite some powerful political tracks, Marley adopts a less fiery, more reflective approach than his previous outings. Still, it's hard to find reggae as good as this. Exodus has all one would expect from a Bob Marley album: rumbling statements like "Exodus" and "The Heathen" as well as poetic love songs like "Turn Your Lights Down Low." Considering how good these tracks are, Exodus does not stop here. Marley also unleashed the huge international hits "Jamming," "Waiting in Vain," and "One Love/People Get Ready." These inspired tracks, perhaps more than any others, came to define Marley around the world. They are irresistible no matter how many times they are played. Never one to dodge innovation, "Exodus" hints that Marley was taking cues from the emerging dub scene. Exodus, even though it contains some of Marley's best work, has an underlying nostalgic feel to it, hinting that Marley was getting a little formulaic. ~ Matthew Hilburn, All Music Guide

Talkin Blues - Bob Marley & The Wailers

Bob Marley & The Wailers — 2009-11-21T13:59:51-05:00

Originally released in February 1991, this album combines material from several different sources to trace the development of Bob Marley & the Wailers between October 1973 and September 1975. The bulk of the disc comes from a 1973 radio concert performed before a handful of listeners at the Record Plant recording studio in San Francisco and broadcast by KSAN-FM. The outfit who played them was technically still the Wailers, since Peter Tosh was still with them (and sang lead on his own compositions, "You Can't Blame the Youth" and "Stop That Train"), although Bunny Livingston had declined to tour and been replaced by Joe Higgs. By 1974, when the group assembled to record their next album, Natty Dread, Tosh and Livingston had quit, and the band was reorganized as Bob Marley & the Wailers. In July 1975, the band played two shows at the Lyceum in London that would break them in the U.K., when recordings from the performances were issued as the album Live!. Finally, the musical tracks are interspersed with excerpts from an interview with Marley conducted in September 1975. While these spoken fragments provide a flavor of Marley's conversation, his heavy patois is very difficult for non-Jamaicans to understand. Still, these are valuable odds and ends for the Bob Marley fan. ~ William Ruhlmann, All Music Guide

Live - Bob Marley & the Wailers

Bob Marley & the Wailers — 2009-11-21T13:59:51-05:00

As the title implies, this is indeed Bob Marley & the Wailers captured in performance at the Lyceum Ballroom in London during the final U.K. leg of the Natty Dread tour. Passionate and symbiotic energies constantly cycle between the band and audience, the net result of which is one of the most memorable concert recordings of the pop music era. With the addition of lead guitarist Al Anderson during the recording sessions for their previous long-player, Natty Dread, the Wailers took increasing strides toward a seamless transition into the consciousness of the rock music audience. Anderson's bluesy guitar runs liberate "Burnin' and Lootin'" as well as "Trench Town Rock," the only new composition on Live!. Anderson bobs and weaves his supple-toned fretwork among the somewhat staid rhythms common to reggae. The mutual affinity that binds Marley with his audience is evident in the roars of approval that greet the opening notes of "Them Belly Full (But We Hungry)," "I Shot the Sheriff," and "Kinky Reggae." Likewise, "No Woman, No Cry" elicits a group singalong as the sheer volume of the audience challenges that of the amplified musicians. With this evidence, there is no denying that Bob Marley & the Wailers were becoming the unlikeliest of pop music icons. Additionally, Live! underscores the underrated talents of the Wailers as musicians. Older works, such as "Burnin' and Lootin'" and "I Shot the Sheriff" benefit greatly from Tyrone Downie's keyboard punctuation and the soulful backing vocals of the I-Threes. ~ Lindsay Planer, All Music Guide

Bob Marley and the Wailers Vol 3 Platinum - Bob Marley & the Wailers

Bob Marley & the Wailers — 2009-11-21T13:59:51-05:00