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"...Let's Start Getting Happy Now…Yeah Yeah Yeah…"
There's a lot on here - so let's gets to the braces. UK released 29 September 2008 – "Skinhead Moonstomp: Deluxe Edition" by SYMARIP on Trojan 1776718 (Barcode 602517767188) is a 2CD DELUXE EDITION Reissue/Remaster and breaks down as follows:
CD1 (63:10 minutes):
The 20-page detailed booklet has an essay on the band, the album's history and the scene surrounding it by LAURENCE CANE-HONEYSETT co-author of the superb book "Young, Gifted & Black - The Story Of Trojan Records" (see separate review).
Front and rear cover are reproduced on the front and back pages in colour, there's pictures of those lovely and rare UK 7" labels that get collectors weak at the knees, unique foreign picture sleeves, industry adverts, a complete singles and album discography from 1969 to 1971 - and even interviews with the band's principal songwriters MONTY NEYSMITH and ROY ELLIS. Both discs reflect the original Trojan label design and there's a collage of photos of the band reproduced beneath the two see-through trays - all of it very nicely done. (It's also not a BOX SET as Amazon says - it's a DELUXE EDITION 2CD set in the now familiar plastic wrap for the series with a four-way foldout digipak beneath.)
The tapes have been mastered by TIM DEBNEY at Fluid Mastering and the sound quality is similar to the "Tighten Up" DELUXE EDITION in August of 2008 - a mixed bag of the fantastic and the cruddy. This is not audiophile territory - it's reggae music - recorded on a shoestring and all the more gritty and wonderful for it. Having heard this LP on battered vinyl for years, I found most tracks a revelation.
Musically, this is party time. The chugging brass and Ska groove of "Phoenix City" is utterly irresistible and you can just hear the roots of THE SPECIALS in "Try My Best". The extras are cleverly chosen too - not only are they very rare 1970 and 1971 UK 7"s (many making their CD debut) - they're anthems of the time for that scene. Almost all of the 45-singles have the same set up - a sung A-side with an instrumental on the B - both of which are killer. The cover version of the Joe Meek/Tornados 1962 classic "Telstar" on the back of "Feel Alright" is a typically cool example. At 46 tracks, I'll be dipping into this for years.
Summing up - coupled with the 2CD set of "Tighten Up Volume 1" from August of this year (see separate review), someone in Universal is making damn good choices! It's so good to see great Reggae and Ska get the DELUXE EDITION treatment it has always deserved. A highly recommended purchase and a voyage of musical discovery you'll not regret taking.
PS: the title of this review is the spoken intro to the classic floorfiller "Skinhead Moonstomp"
1. Skinhead Moonstomp [Side 1]
2. Phoenix City
3. Skinhead Girl
4. Try My Best
5. Skinhead Jamboree
6. Chicken Merry
7. These Boots Are Made For Walking [Side 2]
8. Must Catch A Train
9. Skin Flint
10. Stay With Him
11. Fung Shu
12. You're Mine
Tracks 1 to 12 are the album "Skinhead Moonstomp" by SYMARIP issued April 1970 in the UK on Trojan Records TBL-102
BONUS TRACKS on CD1:
13. The Fit [aka "Wish"] by SEVEN LETTERS, 1969 UK 45-Single on Doctor Bird DB 1208, B-side of "There Goes My Heart" (see also Track 22 for the A-side)
14. Please Stay
15. Special Beat by SEVEN LETTERS, 1969 UK 45-Single on Doctor Bird DB 1194, A & B-sides
16. Flour Dumpling
17. Equality by SEVEN LETTERS, 1969 UK 45-Single on Doctor Bird Records DB 1195, A & B-sides
18. Mama Me Want Girl
19. Sentry by SEVEN LETTERS, 1969 UK 45-Single on JJ Records DB 1206, A & B-sides
20. Soul Crash
21. Throw Me Things by SEVEN LETTERS, 1969 UK 45-Single on JJ Records DB-1207, A & B-sides
22. There Goes My Heart by SEVEN LETTERS, 1969 UK 45-Single on Doctor Bird DB 1208, A-side (see also Track 13 for the B-side "Wish" aka "The Fit")
23. Bam Bam Baji by SEVEN LETTERS, 1969 UK 45-single on Doctor Bird Records DB-1209, A-side (for B-side "Hold Him Joe" - see Track 1 on CD2)
CD2 (69:16 minutes):
1. Hold Him Joe (UK 45-single on Doctor Bird Records DB-1209, B-side to "Bam Bam Baji" - for A-side - see Track 23 on CD1)
2. Tomorrow At Sundown (1969 UK 7" single on Doctor Bird DB-1306, B-side to the album track "Fung Shu" - Track 11, Disc 1)
3. Parson's Corner [aka Vindication]
4. Redeem (Tracks 3 and 4 are the February 1970 A&B-sides of a UK 7" single on Treasure Isle TI-7054)
5. La Bella Jig
6. Holiday By The Sea (Tracks 5 and 6 are the March 1970 A&B-sides of a UK 7" single on Treasure Isle TI-7055)
7. I'm A Puppet (1970 UK 7" single on Attack ATT-8013, A-side - Track 3 above as "Vindication" is its B-side)
8. Feel Alright
9. Telstar (Tracks 8 and 9 are the May 1970 B&A-sides of a UK 7" single on Trojan TR-7755 - Note: "Telstar" - a cover of the Joe Meek instrumental by The Tornados - is the A-side)
10. Geronimo (June 1970 UK 7" single on Duke DU-80, A-side - it's B-side was "Feel Alright" - Track 8 on CD2)
11. To Sir With Love
12. Reggae Shuffle (Tracks 11 and 12 are the July 1970 A&B-sides of a UK 7" single on Trojan TR-7770)
13. All For You (1970 UK 7" single on Trojan TR 7803, A-side)
14. Stingo (April 1971 UK 7" single on Trojan TR-7814 by Creole All Stars, B-side of "Rain" by Bruce Ruffin)
15. Mosquito Bite
16. Mother's Bath (Tracks 15 and 16 are the March 1971 A&B-sides of a UK 7" single on Creole CR-1003)
17. Can't Leave Now
18. Teardrops (Tracks 17 and 18 are the October 1971 A&B-sides of a UK 7" single on Creole CR-1006)
19. Stop The Train
20. Black And White
21. Lasting Treasure
22. That's Nice
23. Funky Broadway
NOTES on CD2:
Track 1 credited as SEVEN LETTERS
Tracks 2 to 7 credited as SYMARIP
Tracks 8 to 18 credited as THE PYRAMIDS
Track 14 credited as CREOLE ALL STARS (B-side of a Bruce Ruffin A-side)
Tracks 19 to 23 are PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED
Track 23 credited to ROY ELLIS & RICO'S BAND
The 20-page detailed booklet has an essay on the band, the album's history and the scene surrounding it by LAURENCE CANE-HONEYSETT co-author of the superb book "Young, Gifted & Black - The Story Of Trojan Records" (see separate review).
Front and rear cover are reproduced on the front and back pages in colour, there's pictures of those lovely and rare UK 7" labels that get collectors weak at the knees, unique foreign picture sleeves, industry adverts, a complete singles and album discography from 1969 to 1971 - and even interviews with the band's principal songwriters MONTY NEYSMITH and ROY ELLIS. Both discs reflect the original Trojan label design and there's a collage of photos of the band reproduced beneath the two see-through trays - all of it very nicely done. (It's also not a BOX SET as Amazon says - it's a DELUXE EDITION 2CD set in the now familiar plastic wrap for the series with a four-way foldout digipak beneath.)The tapes have been mastered by TIM DEBNEY at Fluid Mastering and the sound quality is similar to the "Tighten Up" DELUXE EDITION in August of 2008 - a mixed bag of the fantastic and the cruddy. This is not audiophile territory - it's reggae music - recorded on a shoestring and all the more gritty and wonderful for it. Having heard this LP on battered vinyl for years, I found most tracks a revelation.
Musically, this is party time. The chugging brass and Ska groove of "Phoenix City" is utterly irresistible and you can just hear the roots of THE SPECIALS in "Try My Best". The extras are cleverly chosen too - not only are they very rare 1970 and 1971 UK 7"s (many making their CD debut) - they're anthems of the time for that scene. Almost all of the 45-singles have the same set up - a sung A-side with an instrumental on the B - both of which are killer. The cover version of the Joe Meek/Tornados 1962 classic "Telstar" on the back of "Feel Alright" is a typically cool example. At 46 tracks, I'll be dipping into this for years.
Summing up - coupled with the 2CD set of "Tighten Up Volume 1" from August of this year (see separate review), someone in Universal is making damn good choices! It's so good to see great Reggae and Ska get the DELUXE EDITION treatment it has always deserved. A highly recommended purchase and a voyage of musical discovery you'll not regret taking.
PS: the title of this review is the spoken intro to the classic floorfiller "Skinhead Moonstomp"
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