Brain Drain

Soul upside down? In need of some brain food? Check out this special six pack to make them clouds disappear pronto. Clever - and slightly Gigeresque - artwork by Tinca. "You don't really need a brain, ducky..."

Steve Young - Brain Cloudy Blues
Burning Spear - Brain Food
Sly & The Family Stone - Can't Strain My Brain
Parliament - Presence Of A Brain
Soft Boys - Sandra's Having Her Brain Out
Tall Dwarfs - The Brain That Wouldn’t Die

Do You Remember

The days of slavery? And how they worked us so hard... Presenting yet another rootsy six pack from the island.

Burning Spear - Slavery Days
Joe Higgs - More Slavery
Skulls - Black Slavery Days
Culture - Too Long In Slavery
Jack Ruby & The Black Disciples - Slavery Days Dub
Skin Flesh & Bones - Slavery Dub

Garvey's Ghost

Marcus Mosiah Garvey, Jr. (1887–1940) was a Jamaican political leader, publisher, journalist, and entrepreneur. He founded the Black Star Line, a part of the Back-to-Africa movement, which promoted the return of the African diaspora to their ancestral lands. Hence, he was revered by rastas far and wide. And here's a heavy heavy roots six pack to prove it. "Marcus Garvey's words come to pass, can't get no food to eat, can't get no money to spend..."

Burning Spear - Marcus Garvey
Johnny Clarke - Poor Marcus
Culture - Garvey Rock
Revolutionaries - Garvey Dub
Jack Ruby & The Black Disciples - Marcus Garvey Dub
Burning Spear - Old Marcus Garvey

Knockout

"My face is so pretty you can´t see a scar, that makes me the king in the ring by far..." Some killer reggae from the days when boxing was still fun and the rivalry between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier held the world spellbound. Big title bouts like the Thrilla in Manilla captured the imagination on the island of Jamaica too apparently, as many a knockout reggae song paid tribute to the legendary heavyweights. Note that toasters Big Youth and Dennis Alcapone both use Burning Spear´s legendary riddim to salute Smokin´ Joe. "With the left from the right, and then the right to the left, baba keep on punching..."

Derrick Morgan - Black Superman (Muhammad Ali) MP3

I Roy - Don´t Get Weary Joe Frazier MP3

Dr. Alimantado - I Am The Greatest Says Muhammad Ali MP3

Burning Spear - Joe Frazier MP3

Tommy McCook - Tribute To Muhammad Ali MP3

Big Youth - Big Fight (aka Joe Frazier) MP3

Trinity - Muhammad Ali (Blackbeard Version) MP3

Dennis Alcapone - Joe Frazier Round Two MP3

The Same Song?

My fave music of summer has always been roots reggae. And as it´s gotten kinda hot here over the last couple of weeks - joder, que calor! - I find myself skanking the time away more and more often. Here´s a tenpack selection of boss sounds from the Island I´ve been enjoying lately.

Abyssinians - Satta Massagana MP3

Wailing Souls - Bredda Gravalicious MP3

Ras Ibuna - Diverse Doctrine MP3

Augustus Pablo - Stop Them Jah MP3

Jacob Miller - Tenement Yard MP3

Burning Spear - Door Peeper MP3

Little Roy - Don´t Cross The Nation MP3

Israel Vibration - The Same Song MP3

Mighty Diamonds - Right Time MP3

Leo Graham - Black Candle MP3