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Hot We Hot! (RAS, 1989)

A top-notch backing band that has played with the likes of Gregory Isaacs, Israel Vibration, Sugar Minott, Wailing Souls, Prince Far I (as The Arabs), and On-U Sound's Creation Rebel and Singers & Players, Roots Radics step into the spotlight on Hot We Hot!.  Unlike similarly talented studio band Soul Syndicate, they have managed to put out a steady stream of their own (non-dub) material.  Hot We Hot! finds Roots Radics -- headed by lead singers Dwight Pinkney (AKA "Brother Dee") and Eric Lamont (AKA "Bingy Bunny," who sadly died in 1994), along with Errol "Flabba Holt" Carter, Lincoln "Style" Scott, and Earl "no nickname" Fitzsimmons -- in an '80s reggae stylee somewhat similar to Chalice.   They would later drop some of the synth sound but still maintain the fluid mix of roots, dancehall, and lovers rock that they establish here.  However, this is certainly not some of the group's best work, so if this is the first time hearing Roots Radics, don't think that it's indicative of their later, better stuff.  As you would expect from a backing band, the music is the strong point on Hot We Hot!; apart from the two best tracks -- "Shuffle the Deck" and "Come Out of We Land" (both sung by Bingy Bunny) -- the melodies are rather plain and uninteresting.   In fact, why waste time talking about this album when we could move on to bigger and better things?  Next!

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Forward Ever, Backwards Never (Heartbeat, 1990)

Listening to this album, it's truly amazing that a studio band has this much songwriting talent.  Sure, they can play other people's material, but here they come up with some killer stuff on their own, creating a classic album.  Roots Radics put forth a genuinely captivating mix of roots and lovers rock that reinvigorates my passion for the genre.  The music is fun, bouncy, rocking, and danceable without crossing the line into anything fake or sugary.  Just about every track gets your blood flowing, especially the roots melody of "Private Enemy," the funky, swaying "One Many Away," and the passionate lovers cut "How Could I Live," a Dwight Pinkney-penned tune that Dennis Brown made into the hit "How Could I Leave."  Also very strong are "True Believer," "Dread in South Africa," and "New Sound in Town."  Listening to Forward Ever, Backwards Never, it's hard to understand how Roots Radics haven't received more attention as a main attraction rather than as a backing act. 

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Radically Radics (RAS, 1996)

Radically Radics marks a bit of a departure from Roots Radics' previous two albums in that it adopts a distinctly dancehall edge that, although it takes a sec to get accustomed to, ultimately proves fulfilling.  While Hot We Hot! had a similar sound, Radically Radics has the quality songwriting that made Forward Ever and World Peace Three so good, something that Hot We Hot! lacked.   Despite their dancehall leanings, however, they still manage to put forth their trademark blend of roots (on "Siddung Deh" and the righteous "Give Thanks and Praise") and lovers ("For You" and "Water More Than Flour"), along with dancehall ("Dancehall Massive," "Radically Radics," and the only instrumental track here, "Skettle").  In typical Roots Radics style, the dominant dancehall sound is a fun and positive party-inducing experience without the slackness and gun lyrics that permeate other dancehall songs.  The as-annoying-as-it-sounds "Reggae for Kids" not withstanding, though, the tunes on this album aren't corny attempts at positivity or family appeal; they're just fun party jams (for the most part).  Although there are few songs that jump out as hits, practically every track is good.  They are so darn catchy, they stick with you like herpes (bad analogy).  One tune guaranteed to make you move is the band's wonderful tribute to former member Bingy Bunny.  On "Medley of Hits," they re-create some of the classics on which he performed, from Gregory Isaacs' "Night Nurse" to Eek A Mouse's "Wa Do Dem" to Wailing Souls' "Firehouse Rock" and more.  A fitting tribute and another great album from Roots Radics.

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King Tubby's Rockers (Trojan, 1998)

 This collection is a celebration of the sparse early dancehall sound that the Roots Radics helped create in 1979.  The title is a bit of a misnomer, since most of the songs were mixed by Scientist, while the producers range from Linval Thompson to Barry Brown, Roy Cousins, Earl Morgan, and Scientist.  The main selling point is that King Tubby's Rockers features some hard-to-find material; indeed, many of the tunes were previously unavailable on CD.  The highlights come early on the album, with the fist track, the title track, being the best.  "Patrolling," "Jah Jah Give Us Love," and "A Friend in Need" round out the best of the set, which contains dubs of tunes originally sung by artists such as Barry Brown, Pat Kelly, Triston Palmer, Delroy Wilson, Sugar Minott, Cornell Campbell, Earl Cunningham, Earl Sixteen, Leroy Smart, Neville Brown, and The Gaylads.  Many of these same acts are featured on Trojan's Dancehall Stylee and Let's Go To the Blues compilations.  Fans of these two albums and of that pre-digital dancehall style in general should have no problem getting into King Tubby's Rockers.  As with those albums, though, I found this one to have too many tracks to sustain my interest, as the sound became a bit mundane.