The biggest names of the Roots movement in Reggae is largely absent here which is fine with me, because this makes way for lesser known bands and singers, although many still are widely known.

Roots is largely, crucial, basic, reverent and rocking music so when we have so many of these one-off songs it makes one wonder what a whole album by the band may have sounded like. So, on 3 sequenced disks, that’s a lot of statement to take in one sitting in such a manner. Usually, serious statements on a CD by one band might be sandwiched between some lighter messages like when you listen to Bob Marley’s Exodus, yeh, that song is intense but then there are lighter touches like “3 little birds” on there; but here, basically every song is rendering some sort of serious Rasta reggae statement, whether it be on Africa, Emperor Haile Sellassie or whatever and back before Black Uhuru brought in seven minute songs. Most all of these are just your single sized songs, 2 or 3 minutes usually.

Just one interesting note, the song on here, “African People” by the Jay Boys is just a reworking of the song “Cherokee Nation” made famous by I believe Mark Lindsey and Paul Revere and the Raiders but with of course different and more applicable words. Likewise Delroy Wilson’s “Adisabab” is indeed none other than a reworking of the classic “House of the rising sun. ” Apparently, the copyright rules are sorted out in regards to these songs.

Sometimes, I ponder if some songs line up strongly, but then again, this is the foundation music for much of what was to come later. Very enjoyable and it was hard to find other reviews of this CD because these box sets have a lot of music to listen to. Rather than singling a few songs out, it is good to hear them as they come. After all, one whole CD by some groups can easily last me a week.
Rating: 5 / 5