Transcendent Reggae with a Spiritual Base
580400
Comparisons to Bob Marley, list most musical comparisons, is not really fair... Luciano has his own voice and style...but there IS something to the substance of the songs and vitality of the singing and lyrics that DOES echo Bob Marley!  I am not religious, but the spiritual foundation of Luciano's work, like Marley before him, taps into a universal spiritual consciousness beyond any specific religious perspective.  Moreover, the overwhelming direction is uplifting and hopeful, despite the struggles and difficulties of being human.
Amazing stuff!  I am almost weary about getting another Luciano CD for fear of being disappointed...Of course I will!!! (and I will have to buy this again on CD - I lost my cassette of this album travelling on the train to Toronto during Christmas holidays just past).

In my opinion (albeit, as a White Canadian nearing middle-age) Only Ziggy Marley's "Spirit of Music" comes close to the excellence and universiality of Bob Marley & the Wailers' music.
Cheers.
2452966
Another great example of amazon's 3.99 album du jour introducing me to a new group.  Now that I've listened to the whole thing a couple of times, I can say that this album is a real treat. These catchy, mellow reggae tunes flow together seamlessly, with nice hooks and riffs to hold your attention. What I especially like about it is that I can have it playing on my headphones in the background while working on the computer, and it provides a pleasant listen without distracting me from what I'm doing; instead it enhances. They have created something special -  It' reminds me of UB40-lite, especially before they got overly political.  Perhaps you can call it Jack Johnson'y reggae? - especially the delightful bonus acoustic tracks.  I gave most of the tracks **** on itunes.
2876737
Very spiritual and peaceful music that feels more like worship than songs.
1499609
A perfect reggae album. This album drips sunshine, even if some of the subject matter is darker. Cannot recommend enough.
2832713
1978's 'Journey To Addis' was the album that secured Third World's place in the international pop lexicon, especially in the US, but it's '77's '96? In The Shade' that's the masterpiece.

Clearly created as an *album* that holds together as a unified piece (dare I call it a concept album?), it addresses the pains, the struggles, the spirit, the hopes, the resiliance and the beauty of the Black diaspora.  From the opening call to rely on faith in "Jah Glory" to the magnificent reading of Bunny Wailer's "Dream Land" to the chilling "Human Market Place" to the blistering title track to the triumphant "Rhythm Of Life," '96? In The Shade' pales only to some of Marley's later albums to show what reggae musicians could do with the album format (a medium they typically didn't - and don't - work in).

Hip-O Select's reissue adds three alternate mixes, the best of which is the the alternate, extended cut of the title track with Willy Stewart's thundering drum intro.
2377972
Very sweet, straight ahead Reggae. For fans of On-U Sound recordings in general, particularly the reggae releases, this is a must-have. Not as dense and experimental as African Head Charge; it is wonderful Roots Reggae voiced by Bonjo I, produced by A. Sherwood. "Children of Misery" is a beautiful song featuring a children's chorus and a really sweet trumpet solo. The rest of the tunes follow suit and grow on you after repeated listenings. It's interesting to NOT hear Sherwood's trademark weirdness a la Dub Syndicate, Tack>Head, etc. Very clean and down-to-earth production. Bonjo I's vocals are rough but emotional and effective. Upful, positive lyrics inna roots-chanting style. Stripped down arrangements, killer grooves, really nice songs. This album was a one-off showcase for Bonjo I before he and Sherwood decided to go off the deep end with African Head Charge, which is the stuff that really got me hooked to the whole On-U Sound experience.
1423417
I was very impressed with this CD - and from reading the liner notes, what is presented on this album is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Jamaicans who immigrated to Canada and recorded soul and funk music.  And it's not bad either!  I am not from Canada, and the heyday of these recordings is before my time anyway - but these tunes sound like they wouldn't feel out of place at all on any Black music station in the 1970s.

Despite the "Reggae" reference in the album title, this is mainly a soul/funk collection.  The two tracks that technically are reggae;  "African Wake" by Johnnie Osbourne and "Memories" by Noel Ellis (a rare chance to hear the son of the great Alton Ellis) are excellent.  Eddie Spencer and Jo-Jo and the Fugatives (names pretty much unknown today) both contribute two foot-stomping tunes a piece.  The Cougars are also presented twice, where I especially like their cover of the Motown classic, "I Wish It Would Rain."  In addition to the real funky stuff, you have some mellow tunes such as "Love is the Answer" by RAM and "I Believe In Music" by Bob and Wisdom (to today's crowd, both songs may sound hopelessly green - but put yourself in that time and place please!).  But my favorite track in the collection is "Mr. Fortune" by The Hitch-Hikers f/The Mighty Pope;  which is an excellent speciman of underground Black soul music.

The CD is very listenable and it's good to see that someone has choosen to shine some light on the music created by Jamaican immigrants in 1960s-1970s Canada.  G-d knows, people were not really demanding anyone for it.  It may be a little too much of an odd niche however;  and may find it's way into the hands of unappreciative listeners on the basis of it's title.  But hopefully, if anything, it will turn them on to the diversity present in Jamaican music.
2611691
Spear mushroomed into a youth mass movement that epitomized roots with one Winston Rodney, the musical mystic from Jamaica trancing his followers into wonderful rhythm and spirituality,however one defines it's meaning...and many meanings can exist..This CD is bass heavy but fine, these 2 wonderful albums on 1 CD is a treasure...Spear and all the members of his ongoing band play well while the band always changed around the arrangements to his bedrock of early songs that somehow never dies despite the recycling going on for 35 years.

Those colors and full original artwork is missed but the notes and packaging will do.
2335730
This 2 cd set brings you a wide cross section of Reggae Artists and the hits that made them popular among their fans. Desmond Dekker starts it off with the Isrealites a hit way back when. Third World and Black Uhru are on this collection as well as Jimmy Cliff..
For a sampler of Reggae Music this is the place to start.

John Walsh
1340302
Classic reggae music and Rastafarianism seem joined at birth. In her book The Last Rasta Helene Lee argued ska and reggae developed when Count Ossie introduced the Skatalites to nyabinghi drumming which he derived from burro hand drumming. I found her argument persuasive and the compiler of this new Soul Jazz CD S. Baker follows her logic in his linear notes.

This CD has two wonderful aspects. One is the large selection of fairly rare examples of nyabinghi drumming in reggae music. This music is a particular favorite of mine, though I must admit I can only take Count Ossie's lectures in small doses. The second is the linear notes which though not very original are quite pithily written and contain an intelligent and sympathetic overview of Rastafarianism. The notes are very indebted to Lee's book; I found Lee's book informative but disliked her European style of biography. The style of biography she used injects her personality into the narrative too much for my taste and couched controversial statements in conditional clauses. This is my round about way of suggesting that unless you have a real fetish for this material these linear notes may serve you as well as Lee's book.

The songs are in general fairly rare and quite nice. The collection even included a mento song Ethiopia from 1955! This CD set was a rarity for me, a project where I enjoyed the music and the notes. Quite wonderful more than educational this is pleasurable learning.
248756
This premiere native-influenced title from David and Steve Gordon is a classic gem of the genre. A variety of native drum sounds from around the world are combined with  Native American flute, Incan Panpipes, Guitars and Synthesizers along with an amazing array of nature sounds and animal calls. The Gordon brothers artfully blend this ecclectic mixture into an incredible sonic landscape that is certain to delight and inspire. Each listen to Sacred Earth Drums takes the listener on a deeper journey, exposing new and delicate dimesnsions of the lush and vibrant  world of the Gordon's musical imagination. Superb !
2864168
This album makes a difference to the face of roots reggae today.  Rarely will you hear a reggae artist display confidently such a vocal range and have such a soulful ring to his voice.  Thankfully too the songs bear an inspiring message riding on well produced reggae-riddims.  This is a rarity for a first effort from any artiste.

Standout tracks include: nearly all

My personal "rewind over-and-over" track is 17.

Actually its easier to say which ones are not up to par...track 16.  Little too everydayish.  Boring after a while.

Sentimental Reasons track#8 was Chrisinti taking a gamble and doing something different.  I like it and it has grown even more on me.  It`s not everyone`s cup of tea, though.

I have owned for this album for 3 years, and over that time I have collected a wealth of Chrisinti singles.  Today I came to preview his second CD, and was decided to write this very late review of one of my favorite albums.  That being said, I am afraid that the samples from his second album and some of his singles don`t quite live up to the standard set here.  Anyway he is still a bright spot in reggae.
897294
"Wanted: Dread or Alive" is, by any standard, an absolute must for your Reggae music collection.  Start with the best ever drum and bass combo, Sly Dunbar and Robbie Shakespeare, add the legendary guitar rhythms of Mikey Chung. Then, add the powerful voice and lyrical messages of Peter Tosh. You get a great traditional Reggae masterpiece.
3284806
awesomeness uplifting powerful loving conscious vibes such a positive impact all these great talented reggae artists brought together on one album highly recommended <3
2674765
Gaudi's reggae-inspired interpretation of Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan's music is a  homage to the artist, as well as a bold foray in infusing qawwali music with a reggae sensibility. On the one hand, one has to admire Gaudi's audacity and respect his dedication - he said in an NPR "Fresh Air" interview that it took him about two years to get it right, and that he steeped himself in Nusrat's music to gain a deep knowledge of it.

On the other hand, the actual results, while well-put-together and presenting some interesting juxtapositions of Punjabi music and Reggae, fail ultimately to excite and inspire.

The best aspect of the album is the sense of continuity within each song. Most of the time, you think that the songs were actually recorded for this album, which is quite an achievement, considering that Gaudi's and Nusrat's contributions are in reality separated by almost three decades. Neither is it far-fetched that Nusrat, were it not for his untimely death in the late 1990s, might easily have contemplated lending his name and his time to such an collaboration. His earlier collaborations with Western artists, notably Michael Brooks, are well-known and loved. Another strength is that Gaudi has incorporated a number of different types of song-segments, which draw on different parts of the traditional Qawwali corpus - the alaap, the main verse, the chorus, and the exposition of the raga itself. This gives the album some variety.

There are two main reasons why I would not give this album more than 3 stars. The first is the fragmentary nature of the songs - the songs each give us glimpses of a raga or a particular arrangement but the repetitiveness within each song is ultimately frustrating as Gaudi fails to draw him out on each musical theme and exploring its full potentialities before going on to the next one. Gaudi's own contributions seem competent but not necessarily creatively brilliant - he was clearly constrained by his need to remain faithful to the master.

The second problem is more profound - unlike Nusrat's own East-West efforts, this one lacks, at least for me, the spark that takes it to the next level - that transcends both genres that are being combined to produce something unique. One gets the impression of a happy mixture rather than a true solution, a skillful graft rather than the creation of an entirely new animal.

The young English-Punjabi  artists like Nitin Sawhney and Bally Sagoo who have created more modern blends of Punjabi and Bollywood music with Hip-hop actually succeed better when it comes to  organic creation - while their artistry is hardly as sublime as Nusrat's, their work overall is more organic.

For die-hard Nusrat fans, this CD is of course a must-have. Despite its flaws, it is pleasant to listen to and makes for good living-room conversation.
1788513
This is an album of a Rastafarian drum group playing outside in - of all places - Keith Richards' garden in Jamaica. Yes, that Keith Richards from the Rolling Stones. Richards also produced and arranged the album, along with contributing some overdubbed backing guitar and vocals.
The music is peaceful and mellow, with an oftentimes sleepy feel. This is just good, relaxing, stripped down music, and worlds away from what one would expect from a Richards backed project or the commercialized Reggae usually associated with Jamaican music.
922752
Reflective and deeply spiritual are how i would describe this album.  The energy level ebbs and flows from the powerhouse ' Last Amen' to the somber 'Begger Who Gives Alms'.

This has all the essential elements of a good album, most of all theme of Godly worship that ties it all together.