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Dread in a Babylon (Frontline, 1975)

*GUEST REVIEW*
U-Roy is playing my city as part of this year's TripTych festival alongside Top Cat. I can't really afford a ticket, but I may just make some sacrifices to see the original DJ. Dread was released as part of the relatively well-received Front Line series in 1975. It's ten tracks of top-quartile toasting tracks recorded at Joe Gibbs' studio with the assistance of Errol Thompson and Prince Tony. The riddims are pretty well known, rootsy, and well-produced and seem to offer himself the perfect pulpit. He ducks in and out of the original vocals with a unique and cheeky delivery. This is an album unlikely to convert U-Roy doubters, but is pretty much essential for DJ fans.

- ragudave

Right Time Rockers (Soundsystem, 1998 [orig. released 1976])

*GUEST REVIEW*
DJing has influenced many forms of music including dancehall, ragga and hip hop. It is the art of chanting, singing or toasting over an existing track and part of the culture of recycling roots, dub and rock steady tunes and taking them to a new audience. Hugh Roy, or U-Roy as he is better known, as is one of the first DJs to successfully record his work. Some even call him the Godfather of DJing, and he was the first artist to hold the first four positions on the Jamaican charts. Right Time Rockers consists of tracks that were not intended for a wide audience. The tracks are Hookim Brother re-workings of Studio One Riddims, many used on The Mighty Diamonds' Right Time album. Initially the material was only to be used on sound systems in Jamaica. U Roy produced the tracks himself and the players include Tommy McCook and Sly and Robbie. U-Roy's vocals are of a consistent high standard on these tracks. Most tracks are dubs with toasts added, although The Mighty Diamonds are included on great tracks such as "Hal Vital."  The album has a misty, dubby feel that is less frantic that some of his other material and at a pace that would equal the average Prince Far I record. Twelve tracks of lovely DJing action from the master that lasts for 36 minutes.

- ragudave

Babylon Burning: The Mighty Sounds of U-Roy (Burning Bush, 2002)

Even if you think you’ve never heard U-Roy, chances are you have.  You've heard his voice sampled on other tunes, most notably Dawn Penn’s smash hit "No No No," which contains the familiar refrain from "Wake the Town": "Wake the town and tell the people / 'Bout the musical disc coming your way."  Or perhaps you've heard this gem from "Rule the Nation": "This station rule the nation with version."  Despite U-Roy's larger-than-life status, you may notice that I don’t review many of his albums and very few by "toasting" DJs in general on this site.  The reason is simple: I just don’t really like the sound.  I certainly appreciate the legacy that U-Roy and other early DJs have left – most notably their influence on both hip-hop and dancehall – but I don’t find the semi-rhythmic talking over someone else’s song to be particularly appealing.  On Babylon Burning, for instance, I’d rather hear the original versions of Alton Ellis's "Ain’t That Loving You" and "Girl I've Got a Date" (on "Wake the Town"), The Techniques' "Love Is Not a Gamble" ("Rule the Nation"), The Paragons' "Wear You to the Ball," Johnny Clarke's "Too Much War" and "Rock With Me Baby" (on "Rock With I"), and Dennis Brown's "You and Your Smiling Face" (on "Flashing My Whip"), etc. U-Roy’s vocals, as groundbreaking as they were, just obscure the originals in my mind.  That said, Babylon Burning will likely satisfy his fans.  It contains several of his most popular tunes, although one of my favorites of his (partly because he’s not very obtrusive, partly because I just like the original) -- his rendition of Ken Boothe's "Just Another Girl" -- is not included.  Aside from the tracks that utilize tunes I’m already familiar with (as mentioned previously), I enjoyed "Tom Drunk," which borrows from The Guess Who's "These Eyes," and the electric, largely instrumental "skanks" "Treasure Island Skank" and "King Tubby’s Skank."

Version Galore (Trojan, 2002)

*GUEST REVIEW*
This package collects 29 U-Roy tracks from 1970 and 71, which were produced by the legendary Duke Reid. As a bonus, you also get the original versions.  These originals date from the late sixties and are simply fine rock steady tracks from The Paragons, The Jamaicans, Alton Ellis, and The Techniques, amongst others.  U- Roy provides an extra layer on top of the rock steady tunes.  Basically, he has an interesting conversation with the original vocalist.  Despite his DJing tag, Roy is more of a singer with a sharp mind and great timing.  He had a lot of chart success in the '70s, and it's easy to see why.  He recycles recent hits, gives them a new personality, and reflects the sounds of the sound system.  Roy was one of the first DJs to successfully record material and predates hip hop, grime, dancehall, and ragga by a decade or two.  This material is fun and relatively light, unlike some of the material that fellow DJs such as Big Youth, PFI, and LKJ released. 

- ragudave