Simply Rockers: Jamaican Music From The Vaults (Various Artists) (2001) [D]

Simply Rockers: Jamaican Music From The Vaults (Various Artists) (2001)

 Covering the period from the mid-50s through to the early 70s, a golden era in reggae, Simply Rockers culls 15 of the best tracks from the Trojan vaults and in doing so traces the birth and development of the early reggae sound. There are some great 50s US R&B covers here, such as a young ' fantastic rendition of 's "Band of Gold". Coxsone and Reid's experiments, to find a danceable beat to replace these records with on their respective Trojan imprints, resulted in some great ska, also featured here. The classic "Train to Skaville" from literally chugs along, while "Carry Go Bring Come" by Justin Hinds and , one of the first records to talk about Rastafarian beliefs, with its wonderful trumpet-led melody, shows just how jazz and calypso influenced a lot of ska music. With the move to a slower, heavier beat we get "People Rocksteady" from the , a surprisingly good mix of the classic melody "Blue Moon" against a juddering rocksteady beat. Ending with the smooth, laidback sounds of The Revolutionaries' "79 Rock" Simply Rockers provides a great overview of how reggae music developed, bringing together some of the best songs from Trojan--one of the key reggae labels. --Caroline Butler

See photo for track listing.