Jackie Mittoo – Reggae Magic!

A founding member of the Skatalites and an extraordinarily prolific songwriter, Mittoo deserves his place as one of the most influental legends of reggae. “Reggae Music” is an instrumental album featuring his excellent keyboard playing and slick rhythms. It’s as cool as a hot summers day. Jackie’s soulful organ sounds may at times sound somewhat cheesy but it’s still managing to kick.  The style is unique – warm, melodic and addictive – and I play this album and think of flares, afro’s, starsky and hutch and Georgie Best. Nicely kitsch. Very 70’s and very  good.     7.5/10 

Dennis Brown – Visions 

Visions is probably the finest Dennis Brown album on the market. Released in 1978, it find Brown at his most prolific and creative. The vocals are bang on the mark throughout and there isn’t a bad song anywhere in sight. The heartbreaking “Oh Mother” is just wonderful with Brown using the most natural instrument he has – that voice of his (it’s hard to believe that he was barely out of his teens when he sang these songs with such maturity and assurance). He offers wise words on the mellow “Stay At Home” (“Dont let your mama down, dont be a runaround”)and offers an inspiring cover of The Heptones “Love Me Always”. The production from Joe Gibbs is fantastic and Brown is proud, political and thought provoking on songs like “Malcolm X”, “Repatriation” and “Deliverance Will Come”. 9/10

The Specials – The Specials

Released almost 30 years ago, The Specials debut album still has that ’shiver up the spine’ magic now like it did on its original release. Their influence on popular music today cannot be understated. Can you imagine a Damon Albarn or The Streets without a Terry Hall? Probably not. The lo-fi raw energetic sound burns a spirit right through the entire album (Elvis Costello produced). Standards like “A Message To You Rudy” are given a kick and the message (both visually and aurally) of racial harmony and non-violence at a time of National Front disturbances was a important and inspiring one. Written at a time when Thatcher’s terrible years were to cast a shadow on the working class, this record comes straight from the city for the city. The lyrics throughout are fantastic and Hall’s vocals are deadpan. None more does he hit the spot on the outstanding “Doesn’t Make It Alright” – “Just because you’re a black boy..
Just because you’re a white..
It doesn’t mean you’ve got to hate him..
It doesn’t mean you’ve got to fight..” he sings with no excuses being accepted for racial intolerance and violence. A debut album that marries the spirit of punk and the sounds of reggae and ska. It was and still is one of the most important records in British history.  10/10

Aztec Camera – High Land, Hard Rain

It’s easy to forget that Roddy Frame was just 19 when he wrote this fantastic debut record. I don’t want you to put you off by saying poetic pop, but the whole thing certainly does move around with both super energy and excellent lyrics. The poppy and upbeat “Oblivious” still has its nice strummy charm and “Down The Dip” strips bare to acoustic guitar and vocals with Roddy showing passion that makes a mockery of some of the awful trite sentimental trash that filled the charts at that time. Depth, emotion but most of all packed full with great tunes (The Boy Wonders, Walk Out to winter, the bugle sounds again, oblivious, pillar to post..) – this should find a place in your heart and your home. 9/10