I've been digging through many of the recent Studio One and Trojan reissues, listening to all kinds of reggae from the sixties through the seventies. I really dig the sounds, but as reggae eased into the eighties and beyond I don't like the sounds as much. Too clean, too antiseptic - no murk, no crashing spring reverbs! Culture, led by Joseph Hill for over 25 years now, worked in the past with legends like producer Sonia Pottinger and Joe Gibbs, and produced roots classics like Two Sevens Clash. This CD is good, solid reggae with a positive message, but I miss the feel of those older records! Recorded at The Mixing Lab, Kingston, by esteemed engineer/producer Lynford "Fatta" Marshall with assistance from Kenyatta Hill and Mickey Riley. Lynford and Kenyatta shared mixing duties, each doing half the record. (www.rounder.com/heartbeat)
Music Reviews | No. 36
Original Living Dub Vol. 1
by Larry Crane
Winston Rodney is Burning Spear, a roots reggae legend who's still touring. This CD, a dub version of Marcus' Children a.k.a. Social Living, was engineered by Sylvan Morris (king of Studio One and...