I am a huge, huge fan of Jamaican music! From ska to rocksteady, from roots to dub, from dancehall to Nyahbinghi, I love it in all of its forms and variations. And though Bob Marley is one of my very favorite artists in any genre, the fact that "Legend" (his greatest hits) is the only Jamaican music that most people own makes me wonder if they've really given the genre a chance.

For this reason, I wanted to start a series of threads to discuss the essential purchases a new fan of Jamaican music should make. I'm going to designate this particular thread to the early period: ska and rocksteady. I'll make future threads for dub and reggae, etc., but I didn't want to overload you guys all at once.

NOTE: Each album title is a hyperlink, so that you can listen to sound samples (where available) if you're curious.

Ska and Rocksteady*

Derrick Morgan: Moon Hop: Best of the Early Years. (1960 - 1969). Morgan was one of the founding fathers of ska and a mega-star in his time. This is an excellent collection of his early recordings with legendary producers Duke Reid, Leslie Kong and Prince Buster.

Prince Buster: Fabulous - Greatest Hits. (1962 - 1969). Ska and Prince Buster are as synonymous as reggae and Bob Marley. Prince Buster came on the scene in the early '60s with a score of hits that rocked the ska world to its foundations. (There are several versions of this compilation. Look for the one with "Madness", "One Step Beyond", etc., as bonus tracks. That's the best.)

Desmond Dekker: Rude Boy Ska. (1963 - 1971). The music Dekker recorded with Leslie Kong between 1963 and 1971 represents some of the era's best ska and rocksteady. Dekker charted higher on the international charts than any other Jamaican artist during this time.

Justin Hinds and the Dominoes: Ska Uprising and Peace & Love. (1963 - 1975). Justin Hinds is one of my two favorite Jamaican artists. Between 1963 and 1972 he recorded hundreds of singles with Duke Reid and every one is heaven-sent. These two collections are, to me, as essential as air and sunshine. Thanks Trojan! Release more! (2 x OOP)

The Ethiopians: Train to Skaville: Anthology. (1966 - 1975). The Ethiopians came on the scene at the beginning of the rocksteady era and quickly became one of the best groups in Jamaica. From 1966 to 1975 they could do no wrong. A must.

The Pioneers: Long Shot Kick De Bucket: The Best of the Pioneers. (1967 - 1972). Simply a great rocksteady trio from the golden age. Just about every song is great, "Long Shot Kick De Bucket" being an out-and-out classic. Get it mon.

The Tennors: Rock Steady Classics. (1967 - 1973). A little-known rocksteady trio that unfairly never received due recognition during their time or after. Great stuff. Surprise your friends.

Various Artists: Deep Ska. (1962 - 1967). Strictly Duke Reid productions, "Deep Ska" is a great place to start if you're looking to explore the genre. Consistently awesome tracks.

* All of this information is from a guide to Jamaican music that I made earlier this year on Amazon.com.

P.S. You may be asking yourself, "What is a Jamaican music post doing in the rock forum?" Well, as of right now there aren't enough people on RadioMute interested in Jamaican, reggae or world music to warrant a designated forum. I was told to post all "reggae" posts in the "rock" forum. If you like Jamacian music, speak up. If we get enough people talking, the administrators may create a place for us.

man i love the ethiopians. never heard of the tennors or the dominoes tho, thanks for bringing em to my attention

big fan I see. that's cool, how did you get so into this stuff?
as long as you aren't one of those guys who goes around with a rasta hat and a fake accent.
stupid hippies....
...anyway so yeah, I'll check some of those out.

"How did you get so into this stuff?" - I really don't know, it just happened gradually over time. I got a few key albums back in college (about eight years ago) but I really didn't develop an obsession with Jamaican music until a couple years ago. First I would get into one artist, then I had to find out what similar artists sounded like, and my collection and knowledge blossomed. Standard story.

"as long as you aren't one of those guys who goes around with a rasta hat and a fake accent. stupid hippies..." - Oh my GOD! My face just turned ashen white. Except for the occasional band t-shirt, what I listen to has absolutely no bearing on what kind of clothes I wear, how I talk, etc. I'm an intelligent, independent person that could give a f*ck what others think about what I wear or listen to. I'm truly one of those people that can say "I listen to MOST kinds of music" and mean it. On this site you'll see me active in the electronic, alternative, punk, rock, funk, hip hop and even metal forums. So yeah, you don't have to be a Rastafarian poseur or a hippy to like Jamaican music. God forbid.

Anyways, glad you're checking stuff out!

What are some good dub albums (I have a few compilations of various artists) you can recommend me?

i'll just go ahead and say that any investigation of dub REQUIRES that you buy lee perry's "Revolution Dub."

I'm actually going to post a dub and reggae thread within the next few days. There will be PLENTY of Lee "Scratch" Perry stuff, but I've never heard that specific album. Thanks for the recommendation.

i know everyone listens to him but i cannot get enough of bob marley. he is deffinatly one of the must influential musicans ever. i like the songs that not a lot of people have heard before like smaller live tapes. But i am deffinatly going to have to check out some of the other bands you have mentioned

He's one of my favorites too. And you're right, he's definitely one of the most influential musicians ever. In fact, he's more than just a musician. He's a national hero in Jamaica, and he's considered a saint among many people in Caribbean and African nations. His music brought hope to many who had none. I'm in no way knocking the king; I'm just saying there's more out there.

And Marley's not just a reggae artist either. He's been there since the beginning, recording over 100 ska sides at the infamous Studio One in the 1960's. This here's a great compilation of his earliest music: One Love (At Studio One).

What about the Skatalites? Are They Any good?