REBEL MUSIC

[comtal]

Rebel Music is a great compilation covering the formative years of 1968 to 1976, as Jamaican popular music transformed from the more up-tempo rock steady to what is today broadly termed reggae. The first half of this double album comes out like gangbusters, with 4 classics: Bob Andy's "You Don't Know," Derrick Harriott's "The Loser" -- with its old-fangled piano sound -- Freddie McKay's R&B-melodied "High-School Dance," and Val Bennett's cover of Dave Brubek's jazz instrumental "Take Five," here entitled "The Russians Are Coming." Also outstanding on this half are The Heptones' "Hypocrite," Leroy Smart's "God Helps the Man," and Little Roy's "The Hardest Fighter." The second half is a bit weaker, but still solid nonetheless, featuring the slow, funky instrumental "Melody Maker" by Keith Hudson, "Concentration" by Dennis Brown, and a pair of tunes from Horace Andy: "You Are My Angel" and "Satan Side," with Earl Flute. The best track on this half -- and possibly on the entire album -- however, is Lloyd Parkes' gorgeous, haunting "Slaving," with its chorus of voices echoing the plight of the blue collar worker. The only part of Rebel Music I could do without are the 5 or 6 "toasting" songs by U Roy, Big Youth, and the like, but if you like that style more than I do, you'll like this collection even more. Even if you don't like toasting, though, it still won't ruin this marvelous album.


Track Listing
CD 1:
1. You Don't Know -- Bob Andy
2. The Loser -- Derrick Harriott
3. High-School Dance -- Freddie McKay
4. The Russians Are Coming -- Val Bennett
5. Tonight -- Keith and Tex
6. Ain't That Loving You (For More Reasons Than One) -- U Roy
7. Them a fe Get a Beatin' -- Peter Tosh
8. God Helps the Man -- Leroy Smart
9. Hypocrite -- The Heptones
10. S. 90 Skank -- Big Youth
11. Hardest Fighter -- Little Roy
12. 2 Wedden Skank -- Glen Brown
13. Anywhere But Nowhere -- K.C. White
14. Beat Down Babylon -- Junior Byles

CD2:
1. Concentration -- Dennis Brown
2. Screaming Target -- Big Youth
3. Slaving -- Lloyd Parkes
4. You Are My Angel -- Horace Andy
5. Melody Maker -- Keith Hudson
6. Money in My Pocket -- Dennis Brown
7. Maga Dog -- Peter Tosh
8. Cheater -- Dennis Brown
9. Blackman Time -- I Roy
10. Satan Side -- Horace Andy & Earl Flute
11. Give Praises -- Big Youth
12. Rock Away -- Gregory Isaacs
13. Saturday Night Special -- Michael Dyke
14. Cool Rasta -- The Heptones