I had 'em all. And I won't pretend my reggae shelf was much deeper either. Oh sure, I had much loved copies of Linton Kwesi Johnson's "Forces of Victory" and Dennis Bovell's "Brain Damage," both cherished finds discovered from a NY Times year-end best list in the late 70's (from the "other" Robert Palmer or John Rockwell, I would suppose). But these were documents of reggae morphing into dub and the other styles that followed.
Jamaican reggae was a music that changed the soundscape of popular music -- opened it up to non-American sounds -- and to suppose that Marley, Toots and Cliff did that themselves is a colossal misreading. So I recently went looking for the other reggae classics of that era, now called "roots reggae." And boy, what a treasure trove I found!
The Congos, Heart of the Congo
Recorded in 1977, this disc is full of songs that would have sounded right at home on "Harder." Think of the the Congos as "The Miracles" of roots reggae. No Smokey Robinson here; that was Marley's job, but you will find the consistency and adultness the Miracles as an ensemble. This is beautiful soul music steeped in the Caribbean, and iPod-ready for your next island sojourn or jerk chicken dinner.
Junior Murin, Police and Thieves
Like the lead for the Congos, Murin sings up there in the falsetto register. " 'Sup with that?" I thought, until I realized that this is a vocal style straight out of 60's R&B, which is what was playing on the radio in Kingston, too. This music is a little tougher than the Congos, and pulls on the threads of rock steady, the reggae precursor. Murin writes and sings about a world gone wrong, a Jamaica that is no island paradise, which would make sense by 1977 when Manley was struggling to keep the country together.
Black Uhuru, Red
I remember seeing Black Uhuru discs in the reggae bin in the early 80's and passing them by. What a dope. BU is reggae getting angrier, harder, global. There are several eras of BU music and "Red" from 1981 is about as late as you can get and still call it "roots." Rolling Stone rated this #23 in the top albums of the '80's. And I still didn't pay attention. I'm listening now, though.
The Wailers, Catch a Fire
Maybe this was your Marley album -- the Wailers' first Island release in 1973 after Johnny Nash split -- but I didn't catch this train until later. And looking back on it now, it's clear that it was a masterpiece, the place where Marley's sound takes vivid form. Listen, really listen to the rhythm guitar snaking through Concrete Jungle; if it sounds like it could have been straight out of Muscle Shoals, it's because it was.
The Might Diamonds, The Right Time
I saved the best for last. This gem from 1976 was the debut for these guys and was, I learn now, hugely popular in Jamaica. Small wonder. It moves along like an unstoppable train. But its obscurity continues nearly forty years later despite its critical acclaim. Pop Matters calls this one of "Five Reggae Albums You Cannot Live Without." Yet you'll find this nowhere on iTunes. Instead, round up a CD copy on Amazon and rip it right into your library.
I wish I could say I was the hip guy spinning this stuff in between cuts from the Clash and the Police at our Lost Boys parties in 1980. But I sure am glad I can drop them in now.
