The Reggae Singles Anthology ［CD+DVD(PAL)］

構成数 : 2枚
合計収録時間 : 00:00:00
Granted, there was a lot of competition in England during the early 1980s, and granted also that Bristol, the band's turf, was pretty far removed from the central reggae scenes in London and Birmingham. But still, on the strength of this outstanding compilation, it's hard to understand why Black Roots didn't become a major international reggae act. They hit the peak of their powers at the same time that Steel Pulse and Aswad were making a big splash, but despite some high-profile opening slots with major touring bands, Black Roots' impact was primarily regional. The Bristol Archive label continues its project of bringing classic recordings of the period back to light with this excellent collection of the band's singles, EP tracks, and remixes, including some later songs recorded in collaboration with England's preeminent modern roots producer, the Mad Professor. Highlights are hard to identify here, because the quality of playing, singing, and writing are all consistently quite high, but a few tracks do stand out: "The Father" brilliantly combines an earworm melody with a gorgeous descending bassline to lovely effect; "Chanting for Freedom" is filled with rich harmonies that will make your hair stand on end (and is offered in an excellent showcase version, with the dub version appended), and they do a very nice version of the old Jacob Miller hit "Susie Wong." The only disappointments are minor: an underwhelming two-chord vamp titled "Juvenile Delinquent," and a rather tired update of a vintage roots-era rhythm titled "The Frontline." Otherwise, this is a brilliant compilation from a criminally underappreciated band. ~ Rick Anderson
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