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| Riddim Come Forward: 50,000 Volts of Trojan Records
(Trojan, 2006) Musical innovator and reggae fanboy DJ Spooky puts his unique spin on Trojan's never-ending catalogue with Riddim Come Forward, a double album filled to the brim with skanking good times. The selection on the first disc is an impressive array of renowned classics ("King Tubby Meets Rockers Uptown," "My Boy Lollipop," "Uptown Top Ranking," "A Love I Can Feel") and obscure oldies, chopped into one- or two-minute snippets blended into a continuous mix with an array of Spooky sound effects (including some modern musical samples that highlight how this early music influenced so many genres today). This format isn't for everyone; some might get frustrated hearing only snippets of the songs (Cornell Campbell's classic "Jah Jah Me No Born Ya," for instance, doesn't even include vocals). Perhaps the Trojan folk realized that Americans might not "get" the whole continuous mix thing, so they included a more traditionally formatted second disc. Even if the first CD isn't your favorite way to receive the music, though, overall this is still a useful set. Maybe the best way to look at it is not so much as an album as an audio reference book, a mega-sampler that exposes you a wealth of material from the legendary Trojan archives. With 70 songs, you're bound to find at least 10 or 20 that grab your attention and beg to be investigated. Who knows, you may find your new favorite artist. There's an interesting range of covers -- from Edwin Starr's "War" to The Beatles' "Get Back" to Charles Wright's "Express Yourself," and, of all songs, "Rawhide" -- as well as a few straightforward soul, pop, and rock tunes, like the grooving instrumental "Green Onions," the Marvin Gaye remake "Can I Get a Witness," Desmond Dekker's "I've Got the Blues," the funk of "Rocksteady Party," and a redux of "Mister Big Stuff" re-titled "Sister Big Stuff." There's even a bit of a British two-tone sound that you don't normally associate with Trojan with the Specials' eerie "Ghost Town" and Special Beat's punk-inclined scorcher "Mirror in the Bathroom." Fans of a more traditional reggae sound, though, will find plenty worthwhile on Riddim Come Forward, including one of Michael Rose's most impactful songs, "Born Free," and superb dubs like the pounding "Garvey Mead Dub" from Blackbeard All Stars and the grungy, instrumental sound of The Upsetters' "Dubbing in the Back Seat." Although the liner notes, written by Spooky, are extensive, you'll wish there was a thorough run-down of every individual song, track by fascinating track. |
| Track Listing CD 1: 1. Fast Forward into Dub -- Mad Professor 2. Babylon Wrong Dub -- Ashanti Waugh 3. My Boy Lollipop -- Millie Small 4. Woman of the Ghetto -- Phyllis Dillon 5. War -- Darker Shade of Black 6. Green Onions -- Byron Lee & The Dragonaires 7. Rawhide -- Survivors 8. Get Back -- Anonymously Yours 9. Rocksteady Party -- Glenn Miller 10. DJ's Choice -- Winston Williams 11. Deep River -- Aston "Family Man" Barrett 12. Whole Lotta Sugar Down Deh -- Jah Berry 13. Express Yourself -- Byron Lee & The Dragonaires 14. Rough Rider -- Prince Buster 15. Chapter 2 French Connection -- Upsetters 16. Drum Rock/Earth's Rightful Ruler -- Upsetters/U-Roy & Peter Tosh 17. Nice and Easy -- Susan Cadogan 18. Freak Out Skank -- Upsetters 19. Jah Jah Me No Born Ya -- Cornell Campbell 20. Ghost Town [Live] -- Specials 21. Rock With I -- U-Roy 22. Pop a Version -- Dennis Alcapone 23. Lockjaw -- Dave Barker & The Upsetters 24. Save Me -- Bob Andy & Marcia Griffiths 25. Sister Big Stuff -- Tomorrow's Children 26. Candy I'm So Doggone Mixed Up -- Chosen Few 27. I'm Going Down For the Last Time -- Chosen Few 28. Skinhead Moon Stomp -- Symarip 29. Materialist/Poor Man Style -- Horace Andy & The Observers 30. Mirror in the Bathroom [Live] -- Special Beat 31. Popcorn -- Upsetters 32. Rock Your Body -- Cimarons 33. James Bond -- Selecter 34. Rough Rider -- Special Beat 35. Out of Order -- Prince Jammy & The Aggrovators 36. Born Free -- Michael Rose & Jammy 37. No No No -- K.C. White 38. Wolf in Sheep's Clothing -- Big Youth 39. KG's Half Way Tree -- Augustus Pablo & The Simplicity People 40. King Tubby Meets Rockers Uptown -- Augustus Pablo 41. Lambs Bread Herb -- Tommy McCook 42. Garvey Mead -- Blackbeard All Stars 43. Awesome -- King Tubby & African Brothers 44. Dubbing in the Back Seat -- Upsetters 45. Tomato -- Marie Bryant CD 2: 1. Sit Dung Pon de Wall -- Mutabaruka 2. Melody Maker -- Keith Hudson 3. DJ's Choice -- Dennis Alcapone 4. Uptown Top Ranking -- Althea & Donna 5. Three Piece Suit and Thing -- Trinity 6. Tell Me You Love Me (All the Time) -- Phyllis Dillon 7. Cand I Get a Witness -- Owen Gray 8. I've Got the Blues -- Desmond Dekker & The Aces 9. Do It Right [Soul Version] -- The Three Tops 10. Tide Is High -- U-Roy 11. I Want a Love I Can Feel -- John Holt 12. Version Girl -- Boy Friday 13. Napoleon Solo -- Byron Lee & The Dragonaires 14. Ain't No Sunshine -- Horace Andy 15. Black Panta -- The Upsetters 16. Public Jestering -- Judge Winchester 17. Dub of the Traveller -- Scientist 18. Children at Play -- Marcia Griffiths 19. Marijuana -- Sly & Robbie 20. One Armed Boxer -- Lee "Scratch" Perry 21. Straight to the Capitalist Head -- King Tubby 22. Only One God -- Mad Professor & Jah Shaka 23. A Useful Version -- Prince Jammy 24. Black Rock Posse -- Ranking Ann 25. Deck of Cards -- Prince Far I 26. Dread on the Mountain Top -- Tappa Zukie 27. Bad Food -- Seke Molenga & Kalo Kawongolo |
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