British Reggae

DrWuDrWu 4,021 Posts
edited February 2008 in Strut Central
In the 80s there was a whole vanguard of British reggae acts that reached international notoriety, Aswad, Steel Pulse, LKJ etc. It's seems that the they have been supplanted by Subcontinental immigrants (MIA, Cornershop). What is going on with Anglo-Jamaican music right now?
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  • faux_rillzfaux_rillz 14,343 Posts
    In the 80s there was a whole vanguard of awful[/b] British reggae acts that reached international notoriety, Aswad, Steel Pulse, LKJ etc.

  • tomasltomasl 315 Posts
    In the 80s there was a whole vanguard of British reggae acts that reached international notoriety, Aswad, Steel Pulse, LKJ etc. It's seems that the they have been supplanted by Subcontinental immigrants (MIA, Cornershop). What is going on with Anglo-Jamaican music right now?

    Who were themselves supplanted by Alton Ellis, Jackie Edwards, Laurel Aitken...I'd wager the first JA release outside Jamaica was from the UK and probably not too long after they started recording in their own studios.

  • OkemOkem 4,617 Posts
    I'd agree with Faux about the Aswad ect. As for nowadays, the Grime scene still has links with Jamaica, although they're not as obvious, as Brit reggae, or Ragga Jungle.
    And now that British West Indians have a really strong music scene of their own creation, there's no so much need to just ape their Jamaican bredrin.

    The Germans have a really strong home grown reggae/ragga scene.

  • DocMcCoyDocMcCoy "Go and laugh in your own country!" 5,917 Posts
    In the 80s there was a whole vanguard of awful[/b] British reggae acts that reached international notoriety, Aswad, Steel Pulse, LKJ etc.

    Two hatteur points off for failure to utilise the "Yeah, that just happened" graemlin.

    I would suggest that, although I respect your opinion inasmuch as you display good taste in reggae, and at the very least you know what you like, this remark betrays a significant degree of unfamiliarity with the range of those acts' catalogues. I don't celebrate them in their entirety, I should add, but each of them have done at least three killer albums.

    Steel Pulse - Handsworth Revolution/Tribute To The Martyrs/True Democracy
    LKJ - Dread Beat An' Blood/Forces Of Victory/Bass Culture
    Aswad - Not Satisfied/Live And Direct/Rebel Souls (a bit crossover, this one, but as good as crossover got in the 80s)

    If all you know is their late-period stuff, then fair enough, because they all fell off as the years went on. Aswad, however, remain one of the best live acts I've ever seen, and in their late 70s/early 80s heyday, Steel Pulse were no mugs either.

  • faux_rillzfaux_rillz 14,343 Posts
    In the 80s there was a whole vanguard of awful[/b] British reggae acts that reached international notoriety, Aswad, Steel Pulse, LKJ etc.

    Two hatteur points off for failure to utilise the "Yeah, that just happened" graemlin.

    I would suggest that, although I respect your opinion inasmuch as you display good taste in reggae, and at the very least you know what you like, this remark betrays a significant degree of unfamiliarity with the range of those acts' catalogues. I don't celebrate them in their entirety, I should add, but each of them have done at least three killer albums.

    Steel Pulse - Handsworth Revolution/Tribute To The Martyrs/True Democracy
    LKJ - Dread Beat An' Blood/Forces Of Victory/Bass Culture
    Aswad - Not Satisfied/Live And Direct/Rebel Souls (a bit crossover, this, but as good as crossover got in the 80s)

    If all you know is their late-period stuff, then fair enough, because they all fell off as the years went on. Aswad, however, remain one of the best live acts I've ever seen, and in their late 70s/early 80s heyday, Steel Pulse were no mugs either.

    I am familiar with pretty much all of the releases you poasted and don't care for any of them. I used to own the initial 12" release of "Nyah Love," which I did kind of like.

    I'm not categorically dismissing all UK reggae, btw--I like, say, some of the later material released by Fashion--but can't get with much of any of the artists that "achieved internatinal notoriety".

  • HarveyCanalHarveyCanal "a distraction from my main thesis." 13,234 Posts
    In the 80s there was a whole vanguard of awful[/b] British reggae acts that reached international notoriety, Aswad, Steel Pulse, LKJ etc.

    Hell no...you are VERY WRONG[/b] in that assessment.

  • faux_rillzfaux_rillz 14,343 Posts
    In the 80s there was a whole vanguard of awful[/b] British reggae acts that reached international notoriety, Aswad, Steel Pulse, LKJ etc.

    Hell no...you are VERY WRONG[/b] in that assessment.

    Dude, you have the musical taste of the consummate fratboy... I'd be disappointed if you weren't gettin' marleyed to some 'Pulse along with your Chili Peppers and Fishbone records.

  • DrWuDrWu 4,021 Posts
    In the 80s there was a whole vanguard of awful[/b] British reggae acts that reached international notoriety, Aswad, Steel Pulse, LKJ etc.

    I will ride for Aswad's New Chapter and New Chapter of Dub.

  • In the 80s there was a whole vanguard of awful[/b] British reggae acts that reached international notoriety, Aswad, Steel Pulse, LKJ etc.

    Hell no...you are VERY WRONG[/b] in that assessment.

    Dude, you have the musical taste of the consummate fratboy... I'd be disappointed if you weren't gettin' marleyed to some 'Pulse along with your Chili Peppers and Fishbone records.

    Where does German Industrial Coil fit in w/ the pathway to tastemaking?

  • HarveyCanalHarveyCanal "a distraction from my main thesis." 13,234 Posts
    In the 80s there was a whole vanguard of awful[/b] British reggae acts that reached international notoriety, Aswad, Steel Pulse, LKJ etc.

    Hell no...you are VERY WRONG[/b] in that assessment.

    Dude, you have the musical taste of the consummate fratboy... I'd be disappointed if you weren't gettin' marleyed to some 'Pulse along with your Chili Peppers and Fishbone records.

    Whatever...you go sit in your picky corner all by yourself, while grown folks go out and have some fun.

  • faux_rillzfaux_rillz 14,343 Posts
    In the 80s there was a whole vanguard of awful[/b] British reggae acts that reached international notoriety, Aswad, Steel Pulse, LKJ etc.

    Hell no...you are VERY WRONG[/b] in that assessment.

    Dude, you have the musical taste of the consummate fratboy... I'd be disappointed if you weren't gettin' marleyed to some 'Pulse along with your Chili Peppers and Fishbone records.

    Where does German Industrial Coil fit in w/ the pathway to tastemaking?

    Speak not on what you know not.

    Honestly, if I were to poast a link to some Love's Secret Domain-era Coil and hype it up as an unreleased Dilla beat tape, half you humps would fall for it.

  • faux_rillzfaux_rillz 14,343 Posts
    In the 80s there was a whole vanguard of awful[/b] British reggae acts that reached international notoriety, Aswad, Steel Pulse, LKJ etc.

    Hell no...you are VERY WRONG[/b] in that assessment.

    Dude, you have the musical taste of the consummate fratboy... I'd be disappointed if you weren't gettin' marleyed to some 'Pulse along with your Chili Peppers and Fishbone records.

    Whatever...you go sit in your picky corner all by yourself, while grown folks go out and have some fun get busy with a hackey-sack.

    No doubt--I was out of line. Just be sure to rock that oversize crocheted tam; you look like you might sunburn easily.



  • Speak not on what you know not.

    Honestly, if I were to poast a link to some Love's Secret Domain-era Coil and hype it up as an unreleased Dilla beat tape, half you humps would fall for it.

    Who says I don't (know)?

    I don't doubt the second statement.

  • DocMcCoyDocMcCoy "Go and laugh in your own country!" 5,917 Posts
    In the 80s there was a whole vanguard of awful[/b] British reggae acts that reached international notoriety, Aswad, Steel Pulse, LKJ etc.

    Two hatteur points off for failure to utilise the "Yeah, that just happened" graemlin.

    I would suggest that, although I respect your opinion inasmuch as you display good taste in reggae, and at the very least you know what you like, this remark betrays a significant degree of unfamiliarity with the range of those acts' catalogues. I don't celebrate them in their entirety, I should add, but each of them have done at least three killer albums.

    Steel Pulse - Handsworth Revolution/Tribute To The Martyrs/True Democracy
    LKJ - Dread Beat An' Blood/Forces Of Victory/Bass Culture
    Aswad - Not Satisfied/Live And Direct/Rebel Souls (a bit crossover, this, but as good as crossover got in the 80s)

    If all you know is their late-period stuff, then fair enough, because they all fell off as the years went on. Aswad, however, remain one of the best live acts I've ever seen, and in their late 70s/early 80s heyday, Steel Pulse were no mugs either.

    I am familiar with pretty much all of the releases you poasted and don't care for any of them. I used to own the initial 12" release of "Nyah Love," which I did kind of like.

    I'm not categorically dismissing all UK reggae, btw--I like, say, some of the later material released by Fashion--but can't get with much of any of the artists that "achieved internatinal notoriety".

    No love for Pato Banton, then?

  • OkemOkem 4,617 Posts

  • faux_rillzfaux_rillz 14,343 Posts
    In the 80s there was a whole vanguard of awful[/b] British reggae acts that reached international notoriety, Aswad, Steel Pulse, LKJ etc.

    Two hatteur points off for failure to utilise the "Yeah, that just happened" graemlin.

    I would suggest that, although I respect your opinion inasmuch as you display good taste in reggae, and at the very least you know what you like, this remark betrays a significant degree of unfamiliarity with the range of those acts' catalogues. I don't celebrate them in their entirety, I should add, but each of them have done at least three killer albums.

    Steel Pulse - Handsworth Revolution/Tribute To The Martyrs/True Democracy
    LKJ - Dread Beat An' Blood/Forces Of Victory/Bass Culture
    Aswad - Not Satisfied/Live And Direct/Rebel Souls (a bit crossover, this, but as good as crossover got in the 80s)

    If all you know is their late-period stuff, then fair enough, because they all fell off as the years went on. Aswad, however, remain one of the best live acts I've ever seen, and in their late 70s/early 80s heyday, Steel Pulse were no mugs either.

    I am familiar with pretty much all of the releases you poasted and don't care for any of them. I used to own the initial 12" release of "Nyah Love," which I did kind of like.

    I'm not categorically dismissing all UK reggae, btw--I like, say, some of the later material released by Fashion--but can't get with much of any of the artists that "achieved internatinal notoriety".

    No love for Pato Banton, then?

    I once bought a Pato Banton/Mad Professor LP as a misguided young diggeur...

  • DrWuDrWu 4,021 Posts
    It Frickin' sux to have to thread jack your own thread but I wasn't really hoping for a plebiscite on 80s reggae music but rather an update on what's the what in the Anglo-Jamaican community now. Anything interesting, good?

  • And what is up with PATO BANTON being the one guy that lame-asses always come up and request in the middle of an all-dancehall set?

    "What do you mean, you don't have any Pato Banton?"


    And how are you gonna truly hatt on Brittisch Reggae without mentioning the one Maxi Priest?


    I will, however, ride for Bitty McLean and some dude named Dee Sharpe, who did a nice cover of Keni Burke's "Risin' to the Top" in 1989.

    But since this is mainly a hatt thread, allow me to hatt on dudes who like reggae covers of soul songs a little too much. There's a whole subset of guys who really only cut for covers. To me, they don't really like reggae. Also, there are many, many horrible reggae covers.

  • No love for Pato Banton, then?

    Ha! It took me too long to make my post. I knew he'd come up.

  • faux_rillzfaux_rillz 14,343 Posts

    And how are you gonna truly hatt on Brittisch Reggae without mentioning the one Maxi Priest?

    I think he had some joints early in his career--I believe he started out with the Saxon sound system.

    I will, however, ride for Bitty McLean and some dude named Dee Sharpe, who did a nice cover of Keni Burke's "Risin' to the Top" in 1989.

    Cosign both of those.

    But since this is mainly a hatt thread, allow me to hatt on dudes who like reggae covers of soul songs a little too much. There's a whole subset of guys who really only cut for covers. To me, they don't really like reggae. Also, there are many, many horrible reggae covers.

    And what about dudes like our own Shied who sit around idly playing hackey-sack solitaire with Led Zeppelin's "D'Yer Mak'er" on repeat?

  • HarveyCanalHarveyCanal "a distraction from my main thesis." 13,234 Posts
    In the 80s there was a whole vanguard of awful[/b] British reggae acts that reached international notoriety, Aswad, Steel Pulse, LKJ etc.

    Hell no...you are VERY WRONG[/b] in that assessment.

    Dude, you have the musical taste of the consummate fratboy... I'd be disappointed if you weren't gettin' marleyed to some 'Pulse along with your Chili Peppers and Fishbone records.

    Whatever...you go sit in your picky corner all by yourself, while grown folks go out and have some fun get busy with a hackey-sack.

    No doubt--I was out of line. Just be sure to rock that oversize crocheted tam; you look like you might sunburn easily.

    Your schtick is tired and lame.

    It stinks of trying way too hard to deny classics just because you want to appear to be realer than real or some shit.

    Jamaicans don't typically hatt on the British the way that most Americans expect them to.

    Yet here you are running with the nonsense.

    And I don't give a damn what anyone on here says. I will always ride for this...


  • OkemOkem 4,617 Posts
    an update on what's the what in the Anglo-Jamaican community now. Anything interesting, good?




  • PATO BANTON!!!


    I can mess with the odd Steel Pulse tune and portions of early Aswad stuff, and while I recognize that many people love Dread Beat n Blood and LKJ in Dub is pretty chill..........

    I am not really down with any of that.

    Starbound "Changes" is a great British reggae LP... and there is some great rock steady-era stuff from the UK as well.

  • HarveyCanalHarveyCanal "a distraction from my main thesis." 13,234 Posts
    I'm just hoping faux is going to dig up a photo of JT the Bigga Figga and Mac Mall playing hackey-sack together.

  • faux_rillzfaux_rillz 14,343 Posts
    In the 80s there was a whole vanguard of awful[/b] British reggae acts that reached international notoriety, Aswad, Steel Pulse, LKJ etc.

    Hell no...you are VERY WRONG[/b] in that assessment.

    Dude, you have the musical taste of the consummate fratboy... I'd be disappointed if you weren't gettin' marleyed to some 'Pulse along with your Chili Peppers and Fishbone records.

    Whatever...you go sit in your picky corner all by yourself, while grown folks go out and have some fun get busy with a hackey-sack.

    No doubt--I was out of line. Just be sure to rock that oversize crocheted tam; you look like you might sunburn easily.

    Your schtick is tired and lame.

    It stinks of trying way too hard to deny classics just because you want to appear to be realer than real or some shit.

    Jamaicans don't typically hatt on the British the way that most Americans expect them to.

    Yet here you are running with the nonsense.

    And I don't give a damn what anyone on here says. I will always ride for this...


    It's not an act, my dude--I am realer than real.

    And this poast would be a typical example of one of your rhetorical red herrings. Where did any (American) say anything about Jamaicans hatting on the British? I am speaking solely for myself, and I believe I already made it clear that I am not categorically hatting on UK reggae.

  • Please - young regatta was not down with the Bay when those names rang out.

    He will dig up a picture of Bill Laswell and Y'all So Stupid playing hackeysack.

  • faux_rillzfaux_rillz 14,343 Posts
    PATO BANTON!!!


    I can mess with the odd Steel Pulse tune and portions of early Aswad stuff, and while I recognize that many people love Dread Beat n Blood and LKJ in Dub is pretty chill..........

    I am not really down with any of that.

    Starbound "Changes" is a great British reggae LP... and there is some great rock steady-era stuff from the UK as well.

    LKJ = music for people who have their tastes dicated to them by NPR

  • HarveyCanalHarveyCanal "a distraction from my main thesis." 13,234 Posts


    It's not an act, my dude

    Yeah, right.

  • HarveyCanalHarveyCanal "a distraction from my main thesis." 13,234 Posts


    LKJ = music for people who have their tastes dicated to them by NPR

    You are projecting, lawyerboy.

    And realer than real means that you have in fact been to Jamaica by now, correct?

  • OkemOkem 4,617 Posts
    LKJ = music for people who have their tastes dicated to them by NPR

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