Recommended Listening
Bringing a Little Sanity to Madness
For newcomers, it can be a daunting task determining where to start and later where to go when it comes to Madness’ extensive catalog of music. In all, the band has so far released 9 studio albums and 36 singles. On top of that there are live albums, 12-inch singles, and a plethora of compilations. This guide covers where a newcomer may want to start as well as where established fans my want to go as they delve deeper into the nutty sounds.
The Skatalites - A Guide for the Uninitiated
Formed in 1964, The Skatalites are directly responsible for developing many of the foundational elements of ska music as we know it. They are primarily an instrumental band which took the sounds of jazz, R&B, and mento and gave it a unique twist of their own. Either with the band or separately, the members of the Skatalites played on tons of recording sessions for all of the big producers of ska. The impact that they had on all Jamaican music following their introduction is profound.
Due to the sheer number of their releases, it can be understandably difficult for a newcomer to know where to begin. While you can’t really lose with any of them, there are indeed some that stand out over others. If you’re already a fan, you may find something here that you have missed. What follows are some of the top Skatalites picks...
Continue reading The Skatalites - A Guide for the Uninitiated...
Recommended Listening - The Trojans
This British band fronted by Gaz Mayhall (a well-known figure on the UK scene) is easily best known for its forray into the unique sound of Gaelic ska. While this may be a strange idea to grasp, they manage to make it work surprisingly well. This isn't their only approach, though. They do some more straightforward, soulful ska that is also quite fun.
The Trojans managed to release a ton of albums between 1987 and 1999. Many on Gaz's own Rockin' Records label. For the newcomer, I recommend their 1996 best-of compilation entitled Trojan Warriros: For Your Protection which was released in the US by Moon.
Suprisingly, the band is still active in the UK. There haven't been any releases since 1999, but it's good to see that they are around.
The Trojan's Official MySpace
Buy Music by The Trojans on iTunes
Buy Trojans CDs from Amazon
Recommended Listening - Rico
Rico (also referred to as Reco) is a legendary Jamaican trombone player who has been consistently involved with ska since its early days. Throughout the first wave in Jamaica, he kept busy performing on tons of singles for a variety a labels with many other well known figures in the business. When the work dried up there, he immigrated to the UK.
In the UK, he began by working with Prince Buster and Laurel Aitken before being picked up by Trojan and Pama Records. In the '70s he became involved with Island Records as a studio musician where recorded the classic Man From Wareika LP in 1976 which fuses reggae and jazz in his own, unique way. Supporting Bob Marley on a tour of Europe gained it much attention.
The Specials invited Rico to record their cover of "Rudy, A Message To You" since he had been on the original version. Its success led to him becoming a touring and recording member of the band and later of the Special AKA. He was also able to record two fantastic, but unfortunately obscure, albums for the 2 Tone label. That Man Is Forward and Jama Rico have become rare and collectible LPs with their later small-release CD re-issues actually being even harder to come by than the LPs.
After a brief return to Jamaica, Rico again took up residence in London where he continued to participate in a variety of projects. He is a figure who any ska fan should know and his music never disappoints.
Biography of Rico
Rico's Discography
Rico - Fan MySpace
Rico on iTunes
Buy Rico - Trombone Man Anthology 1961-1971 (Trojan Records) from Amazon
Recommended Listening - Pama International
Easily the hottest ska,reggae, and dub act in the UK right now, Pama International combines a major passion for the Jamaican classics with a fresh, modern approach. The core of the band consists of Sean Flowerdew, Finny, and Lynval Golding (The Specials). It is frequently supplimented by a variety of other ska and reggae legends such as of the Selecter, Madness, Steele Pulse, Lee Perry's band, and other Specials. They even have the honor of opening for the Specials' reunion shows.
You can't lose with any with any of their release, but what stands out from all of the rest is their Trojan Sessions album released by Trojan Records. They back killer tracks featuring such legends as Dave & Ansell Collins, Dennis Alcapone, Dawn Penn, Derrick Morgan, and Rico.
http://www.pamainternational.co.uk
http://www.myspace.com/pamainternational
Recommended Listening - NY Citizens
Like many bands of the early third-wave of ska in the US, the NY Citizens have gone largely forgotten. That is except in the fond memories of those who saw them over 20 years ago and for those fortunate enough to have stumbled across their recordings. They were part of the mid-80s scene in NYC, regularly playing with their contemporaries The Toasters. What makes them special is a sound that is not only unique, but also versatile.
Unfortunately I have not been able to find any samples online to offer.The band had 2 vinyl releases in the early Moon Ska days. First was a LP entitled On The Move in 1988 (also released under the name Pounding The Pavement in the UK by the Ska Records label) which was followed by a 12-inch EP Stranger Things in 1990. These vinyl releases are tough to find, but fortunately Moon later released an anthology CD in 1995 The Truth About The... which features some of the best picks from both along with some bonuses and is much easier to find. You can track it down very cheaply.
Recommended Listening - The Adjusters
Formed in Chicago in 1995, The Adjusters describe their their mission as such: "play ska, but play it with soul." Without a doubt they accomplished this, managing to strike the perfect balance between soul and ska. Their first two albums are absolute classics: The Politics of Style (1997, Jump Up) and Before The Revolution (1998, Moon Ska). Their third and final album however is hit or miss as it delves into an experimental fusion with trip-hop, drum and bass, and hip-hop. Otis Redding Will Save America (2003, Grover) is definitely not an essential work like their prior albums.
There is also a 2002 Stormwarning anthology released by Grover, which is really more of a "best of" selection from the band's first 2 albums, compilation tracks, and singles.
http://www.myspace.com/theadjusters
http://www.theadjusters.com
Recommended Listening - Jazzbo
Some of the best ska-jazz that you've never heard can be found from this Berlin 5-piece. All strictly unplugged. Jazzbo was formed in 1997 from members of Yebo, Engine 54, and Time Tough. In 1999 they released a single and their first album entitled X on the Monkey Business label. Subsequently, they released 2 albums on Liquidator in 2004 and 2006. They are still active.
Recommended Listening - Two and a Half White Guys
Yes the name may seem corny at first, but if you consider the context of Two and a Half White Guys being from Salt Lake City, Utah then it starts to make some sense. They are one of the many great bands from the Western United States that doesn't do much touring, although I was fortunate enough to see them about 6 or 7 years ago.Their sound is fairly unique and is a bit on the chill or mellow side, but carries a great groove. What always runs through my head when I listen to them is that this is what Soul Coughing would sound like if they morphed into a ska band. This is largely due to the fact the vocalist sound like Mike Doughty. That's what got my cousin hooked on them.
It's been 10 years and the band is still going strong with a new album set to be released in May. At the present time, they have 2 full-lengths (1 released by Megalith and both recommended), a live album, and an EP of early recordings.
http://www.myspace.com/twoandahalfwhiteguys
http://www.twoandahalfwhiteguys.com