Sounds Good, Looks Good...

Welcome to Mark Barry's Review Blog - SOUNDS GOOD, LOOKS GOOD... It features in-depth reviews for Quality CD Reissues and Remasters - all with Discography Info (six times Amazon 'Hall of Fame' Reviewer). With over 2,600 posts - genres covered include Rock, Pop, Soul, Funk, Jazz Fusion, Blues, Rhythm 'n' Blues, Doo Wop, Vocal Groups, 1960s and 1970s, Prog, Psych, Folk, Blues-Rock, Goth, Punk, New Wave, 1980s, Reggae and more. I also review FILMS, TV Shows, BLU RAYS and BOOKS. Enjoy the reads...

Wednesday 28 November 2018

"East Of Midnight/Waiting For You/A Painter Passing Through" by GORDON LIGHTFOOT (February 2018 Beat Goes On 2CD Reissue and Remaster) - A Review by Mark Barry...

"...A Painter Of Songs Passing Through..."

Typically classy BGO reissue that grabs three from the later part of Gordon Lightfoot's huge career – three albums of Country and Folk Rock that most passed by - 1986's "East Of Midnight" (a co-write with David Foster on "Anything For Love"), 1993's "Waiting For You" (covers Dylan's "Ring Them Bells") and finally 1998's "A Painter Passing Through".

Each of these three albums has long been deleted (the first was originally on Warner Brothers on LP and CD and the other two on Reprise CD only) and they're now made available again here via BGO of the UK. Details...

UK released February 2018 - Beat Goes On BGOCD 1325 (Barcode 5017261213259) offers three albums remastered onto 2CDs and plays out as follows...

CD1:
"East Of Midnight" (1986)
1. Stay Loose [Side 1]
2. Morning Glory
3. East Of Midnight
4. A Lesson In Love
5. Anything For Love
6. Let It Ride [Side 2]
7. Ecstasy Made Easy
8. You Just Gotta Be
9. A Passing Ship
10. I'll Tag Along

"Waiting For You" (1993)
11. Restless
12. Ring Them Bells
13. Fading Away
14. Only Love Would Know
15. Welcome To Try
16. I'll Prove My Love
17. Waiting For You
18. Wild Strawberries
19. I'd Rather Press On
20. Drink Yer Glasses Empty

CD2:
"A Painter Passing Through" (1998)
1. Drifters
2. My Little Love
3. Ringneck Loon
4. I Used To Be A Country Singer
5. Boathouse
6. Much To My Surprise
7. A Painter Passing Through
8. On Yonge Street
9. Red Velvet
10. Uncle Toad Said

There's the usual card slipcase, a detailed 20-page booklet from noted writer JOHN TOBLER and best of all - fabulous audio remasters from ANDREW THOMPSON. These were good then but they’re better now.

Highlights for me are "Morning Glory", "Fading Away" and a cover of Ian Tyson's "Red Velvet". For sure there are lacklustre moments on these albums, but there's also magic and more often than not as you listen - you're left with an abiding sense of admiration for his sheer songwriting capabilities long praised by many within his own ranks of troubadours (and you can so hear why).

A rather tasty little reissue actually. Recommended...

Tuesday 27 November 2018

"Singled Out" by BILLY BREMNER (October 2018 RPM Records CD Compilation - Simon Murphy Remasters) - A Review by Mark Barry...

"...Fire In My Pocket..."

Like those other British songwriting geniuses with swinging dicks and fabulous bedroom techniques - Mickey Jupp and Nick Lowe - BILLY BREMNER has been a go-to guy for a witty boogie-woogie tune for absolute decades now. And it's about bleeding time that someone within the enclaves of music recognised his rather fab contributions to our R&B wellness. So up steps RPM Records.

A little history first – Scotland's Bremner owes his biggest claim-to-fame as one of the lead guitarists with England's supergroup ROCKPILE (although he's also played session guitar for The Pretenders, Carlene Carter and many more). Rockpile's lone album "Second Of Pleasure" from 1980 on F-Beat Records is the kind of British Rock 'n' Roll platter that will elicit an unsightly tearful blub of yesteryear nostalgia from men of a certain age and Pub Rock persuasion. And don't get me started on that fantastic Everly Brothers EP that was attached to the front sleeve either. And while this little beauty has none of those songs - its musically in the same ballpark. In fact when you play the opening number on this delightful hour-and-a-half CD compilation - "I'm Dying (To See You Again)" – Billy's vocal is so akin to Dave Edmunds (one of the other guitarists in Rockpile along with Nick Lowe) – you may indeed double take (the other new 2018 song is "Shoot Myself").

For collectors there's Tracks 15 to 18 - four Previously Unreleased Demos of "Loud Music In Cars", "The Creature From The Black Lagoon", "Trouble Boys" and "Stuck in The Fog". In fact the Bremner link with Edmunds goes back further than 1980 and Rockpile – Dave covered "Trouble Boys" on his "Tracks On Wax 4" album on Swan Song Records in 1978 and "The Creature From The Black Lagoon" on his "Repeat When Necessary" album – also on Swan Song Records – but in 1979. A call to arms then - here are the yes, buts, ifs and whys...

UK released 19 Oct 2018 – "Singled Out" by BILLY BREMNER on RPM Records RPM 542 (Barcode 5013929554221) comes in a card digipak offering a 16-page booklet annotated by NICHOLAS JOHN (with a further Producer’s Note by MARK STRATFORD on the rear page). The inner flap of the digipak pictures ten singles (labels and sleeves) stretching from 1977 to 2005 and offers discography info beside each. RPM’s resident audio guy SIMON MURPHY has done the mastering for its 21 tracks (65:25 minutes) and everything sounds lickety-splitly fresh and up for grabs. In fact if anything, the audio bounces off the speakers at you regardless of the decade – Seventies or Noughties (the only exception being a 1974 recording called "54" 40' Or Fight" about the Alamo that sounds like its been lifted from a wobbly cassette and is no doubt included for rarity's sake). All tracks by Billy Bremner except as noted below...

1. I'm Dying (To See You Again)

2. Shoot Myself

3. No If, But Maybe

4. I See It In Your Eyes

5. I Get Enough

6. Mona Lott - BILLY BREMNER & FASTBUCK

7. Shatterproof

8. Look At That Car

9. Fire In My Pocket

10. Meek Power

11. Yes Please

12. Tired And Emotional (And Probably Drunk)

13. Loud Music In Cars

14. The Price Is Right

15. Loud Music In Cars (Demo)

16. Creature From The Black Lagoon (Demo)

17. Trouble Boys (Demo)

18. Stuck In The Fog (Demo)

19. Heart And Stone - BILLY MURRAY

20. Downtown Hoedown - BILLY MURRAY

21. 54" 40' Or Fight - BILLY MURRAY

This is the kind of comp that feels like a long time coming and it won't surprise me a jot if it ends up being a tasty little seller. 21 tracks gather together long-forgotten 7" singles from 1977's "Party Hoedown" on Polydor Records 2058 881 right through to 2005's "No If, But, Maybe" on WEA 5050467-8386-5-9. In-between we get "Heart And Stone" from 1978 on State Records STAT 72 and on to the super cool and super catchy "Loud Music In Cars" on Stiff Records BUY 125.

Smart choices include a slew of obscure and unfairly forgotten flipsides - "Tired And Emotional (And Probably Drunk)" - a B-side to "Laughter Turns To Tears" on Stiff BUY 143 in 1982 and "Fire In My Pocket" from 1984 - a B-side to "When Love Goes To Sleep" on Arista ARIST 566. Another flipper is the setting-you-free "Mona-Lott" – B-side to "Endless Sleep" from 1985 on Rock City RCR 6. I also liked "Meek Power" from 1982 on Demon Records and the keep-up-the-payments chrome monster "Look At That Car" - but I wasn't too enamoured with the slightly forced "Shatterproof" - trying too hard to be a hit. But it’s a small complaint on an otherwise big fat yes.

A job well done and not before its time – kudos to all involved...

Saturday 24 November 2018

"King Size Reggae" [1970] by VARIOUS ARTISTS including Leslie Kong Productions (November 2018 Doctor Bird 'Expanded Edition' CD Reissue - Andy Pearce Remaster) - A Review by Mark Barry...

"...Give You My Love..."

Tapping into the 50th Anniversary celebrations for Trojan Records UK - 2018 has seen Doctor Bird Records (part of Cherry Red UK) bombard us ravenous Reggae and Ska lovers with fantastic 'Expanded Edition' CD reissues of albums disappeared from our record shop racks four and even five decades ago – many of which in truth weren't widely available in the first place.

Centred round the magical output of Trojan’s catalogue from the late 60ts up to about 1975 (see list below) - these CD reissues are not haphazard cash-ins. Each is tastily done, reasonably priced, have properly expanded booklets with newly researched and updated liner notes, often offer two albums onto 1CD or one-album with a huge number of bonus tracks - and some give label rarities their digital debut after decades languishing in the vaults. And all of it mastered from best sources by one of the top Audio Engineers out there – Andy Pearce – a name more commonly known for his decades of work on a huge array of artists under the Universal umbrella.

For this release we get one of Trojan's lesser-seen LP compilations – the Leslie Kong produced "King Size Reggae". First UK issued 1970 as a 12-Track Various Artists budget compilation on Trojan TBL 140 – here it loses three songs - "Soul Shake Down Party" and "Cheer Up" by The Wailers (no doubt contractual reissue refusal is the cause for these two Bob Marley tracks being absent) and what was the opening song on Side 1 - "Drums Of Freedom" by Ken Boothe. That tune has already been issued November 2017 as the opening track on the "Hot Shots Of Reggae" CD reissue (Doctor Bird DBCD-08 – Barcode 5013929270831) – a complimentary Various Artists set of the same period hence its exclusion here. Of the 9 tracks that are present, most were Trojan singles with Leslie Kong Productions or tie-ins and the three losses are more than compensated with by a massive 19 bonus cuts from the period.

This Doctor Bird CD reissue is also a first digital outing for "King Size Reggae" and amidst the 19 Bonus Tracks are three songs not originally available in the UK (Tracks 13, 15 and 25) and one Previously Unreleased (Track 28). Here are the Soul Sisters...

UK released Friday, 23 November 2018 - "King Size Reggae" by VARIOUS ARTISTS on Doctor Bird DBCD-026 (Barcode 5013929272637) is an 'Expanded Edition' CD Reissue of that 1970 compilation LP offering fans 9 of the original 12-songs alongside a further 19 bonuses (74:53 minutes):

1. (God Love You) Soul Sister – THE GAYLADS

2. It's Gonna Take A Miracle – KEN BOOTHE

3. The Bitterness Of Life – BRUCE RUFFIN

4. (Come) Rock It With Me – THE MELODIANS

5. Money Day – THE PIONEERS

6. Gave You My Love – DELROY WILSON

7. Now I Know – KEN BOOTHE

8. Staircase Of Time – TONY BREVETT

9. Tell The Children The Truth – THE GAYLADS

Tracks 1 to 9 are most of the 12-track compilation LP "King Size Reggae" originally UK issued 1970 on Trojan Records TBL 140 (see notes above re track list)

BONUS TRACKS:

10. Cecilia – BRUCE RUFFIN

11. I Can Remember – THE TENNORS

12. Got To Get Away – DELROY WILSON

13. I'm A True Believer – TYRONE EVANS & BRUCE RUFFIN

14. I'm Black – THE EPICS

15. Night Flight (aka "Sentimental Journey") – ANSEL COLLINS

16. Who's Gonna Be Your Man – BRUCE RUFFIN

17. Collie And Wine – GLEN BROWN

18. Tribute To Prince Ruff – THE MONSTER & THE BEVERLEY'S ALL STARS

19. Baby Don't Do It – THE CLARENDONIANS

20. You Were So Much In Love – THE TENNORS

21. Ooh Child – BRUCE RUFFIN

22. Run Fattie – THE SLICKERS

23. Fat Cat – ANSEL COLLINS

24. I'm Gonna Make It – THE KINGSTONIANS

25. Let Them Stay – TYRONE EVANS

26. The Bells Of Freedom – THE EPICS

27. Candida – BRUCE RUFFIN & BEVERLEY'S ALL STARS

28. Bull Rush – ANSEL COLLINS [Previously Unreleased]

Like all the others in this series - the 12-page booklet is a fantastic affair - new liner notes by ANDY LAMBOURNE [aka Charlie Chalk] and MARC GRIFFITHS of Boss Sounds. Each page is festooned with tape boxes, the two label sides of the original LP on Trojan TBL 140, photos of Bruce Ruffin, Ken Boothe, The Gaylads, The Melodians (and more) and of course Leslie Kong, nine label repros for singles on Trojan alongside another nine for associated labels like Beverley’s Records, Summit and Blue Mountain and even the Elephant rear artwork. But best of all is one of my fave-rave Audio Engineers at the helm - ANDY PEARCE - who along with his engineer partner Matt Wortham has done Lee Perry, The Upsetters, Treasure Isle box set and wads of huge Rock names like Free, Rory Gallagher, Budgie, Wishbone Ash, ELP, Spooky Tooth, Mott The Hoople and so on...

Fantastic cuts like "(God Loves You) Soul Sister", "Money Day" and "Tell The Children The Truth" all stem from 1970 Trojan 45s (TR 7771, TR 7781 and TR 7783) - but I also dig "Baby Don't Do It" by The Clarendonians amidst the extras - a sexy little shimmy originally issued February 1970 on Trojan TR 7719 and written by Peter Austin about his girlfriend Hortense Lewis of The Soulettes. Those ever popular Kingstonians throw in their tuppence worth with a Leslie Kong composition called "I'm Gonna Make It" - a B-side to "I'll Need You Tomorrow" in January 1970 on Trojan TR 7708. And on it goes...

You could argue that the three missing songs compromise the original listen too much – but frankly in all the years I was trading rare records and albums at Reckless in Berwick Street – I've never laid eyes on this LP – so to have it here at all is all right by me. Recommended my Soul Sisters and Reggae Brothers...

2017 and 2018 Doctor Bird Records CD Reissues
(Featuring Larges Amounts of Trojan Records, Treasure Isle, Pama 60s & 70s etc)

1. BOB ANDY & MARCIA GRIFFITHS - Young, Gifted And Black/Pied Pier (May 2018, Doctor Bird DBCD-014 - Barcode 5013929271432)

2. ERROL BROWN/THE REVOLUTIONAIRES – Dubb Everlasting/Dub Expression [1977 and 1978 High Note 2LPs on 1CD] (November 2017, Doctor Bird DBCD-07 – Barcode 5013929270732)

3. DAVE & ANSEL COLLINS – Double Barrel (June 2018, Doctor Bird DBCD-016 - Barcode 5013929271630)

4. DESMOND DECKER & THE ACES – Action!/Intensified (August 2018 2CD Set, Doctor Bird DBCD-025 – Barcode 5013929272538)

5. DESMOND DEKKER – You Can Get It If You Really Want (September 2018 Expanded CD, Doctor Bird DBCD-015 - Barcode 5013929271531)

6. DESMOND DEKKER – Double Dekker [1973 UK 2LP set onto 1CD] (November 2018, Doctor Bird DBCD-018 – Barcode 5013929271838)

7. PHYLLIS DILLON – One Life To Live (September 2018, Doctor Bird DBCD-021 – Barcode 5013929272132)

8. ETHIOPIANS – Reggae Power/Woman Capture Man (January 2018, Doctor Bird DBCD-10 – Barcode 5013929271036)

9. MARCIA GRIFFITHS – Naturally/Steppin’ [1978 and 1979 2LPs on 1CD] (August 2017 CD, Doctor Bird DBCD-002 – Barcode 5013929270237)

10. DERRICK HARRIOTT & THE CRYSTALITES – Psychedelic Train (October 2017 CD, Doctor Bird DBCD-05 – Barcode 5013929270534)

11. HARRY J. ALL STARS - Liquidator (June 2008 Expanded CD, Doctor Bird DBCD-012 - Barcode 5013929271234)

12. JUSTIN HINDS & THE DOMINOES – From Jamaica With Reggae (February 2018 Expanded CD, Doctor Bird DBCD-09 – Barcode 5013929270930)

13. THE KINGSTONIANS – Sufferer (September 2017 Expanded CD, Doctor Bird DBCD-03 – Barcode 5013929270336)

14. THE MAYTALS – Monkey Man/From The Roots (July 2018 2LPs on 1CD, Doctor Bird DBCD-017 – Barcode 5013929271739)

15. THE PIONEERS – Long Shot/Battle Of The Giants (September 2018, Doctor Bird DBCD-019 – Barcode 5013929271937)

16. THE UNIQUES - Absolutely The...Uniques (January 2018, Doctor Bird DBCD-011 - Barcode 5013929271135)

17. THE UPSETTERS – The Upsetter/Scratch The Upsetter Again (October 2018, Doctor Bird DBCD-022 – Barcode 5013929272231)

18. THE UPSETTERS – Return Of Django/Eastwood Rides Again (May 2018, Doctor Bird DBCD-013 - Barcode 5013929271333)

19. VARIOUS – Dancing Down Orange Street [Trojan 1969 LP] (September 2017 Expanded CD, Doctor Bird DBCD-04 – Barcode 5013929270435)

20. VARIOUS – Gay Feet, Every Night (October 2017 Expanded CD, Doctor Bird DBCD-06 – Barcode 5013929270633)

21. VARIOUS – Greater Jamaica Moonwalk Reggae/Reggay At Its Best (October 2018 2CD Set, Doctor Bird DBCDD-030 – Barcode 5013929273030)

22. VARIOUS – Hot Shots Of Reggae (November 2017 Expanded CD, Doctor Bird DBCD-08 – Barcode 5013929270831)

23. VARIOUS – King Size Reggae (November 2018, Doctor Bird DBCD-026 – Barcode 5013929272637)

24. VARIOUS – No More Heartaches/What Am I To Do? [2LPs from 1969 and 1970 onto 1CD] (August 2017, Doctor Bird DBCD-01 – Barcode 5013929270138)

25. VARIOUS [Duke Reid and Treasure Isle Productions] – Soul Of Jamaica/Here Comes The Duke (August 2018 2CD Set, Doctor Bird DBCDD-024 – Barcode 5013929272439)

2019 Doctor Bird Records CD Reissues

1. ROLAND ALPHANSO & THE ORIGINAL ORCHESTRA – ABC Rock Steady (April 2019 Expanded 2CD Set with 43 Bonus Tracks, Doctor Bird DBCDD-023 – Barcode 5013929272330)

2. DENNIS BROWN – Just Dennis/Deep Down (April 2019 2CD Expanded Set, Doctor Bird DBCDD-027 – Barcode 5013929272736)

3. ERROL BROWN & THE REVOLUTIONARIES – Culture Dub & Medley Dub (12 July 2019 2CD Expanded Set with 25 Bonus, Doctor Bird DBCDD-038 – Barcode 5013929273832)

4. ERROL BROWN & THE SUPERSONICS – The Treasure Dub Albums Collection (13 September 2019 2CD Expanded Set with Eight Previously Unreleased, Doctor Bird DBCDD-043 – Barcode 5013929274334)

5. ALTON ELLIS – Greatest Hits/Mr. Soul Of Jamaica [known as Greatest Hits in the UK] (11 October 2019 Expanded 2CD Set with 47 Bonus, Doctor Bird DBCDD-045 – Barcode 5013929274532)

6. THE ETHIOPIANS – Engine No. 5 (17 May 2019 1CD Expanded Set with 17 Bonus, Doctor Bird DBCD-035 – Barcode 5013929273535)

7. THE GAYLADS – Fire And Rain (14 June 2019 1CD Expanded Set with 13 Bonus, Doctor Bird DBCD-036 – Barcode 5013929273634)

8. JOHN HOLT – Like A Bolt (January 2019 Expanded CD, Doctor Bird DBCD-029 – Barcode 5013929272934)

9. THE MELODIANS – Rivers Of Babylon (9 August 2019 Expanded 1CD Set with 15 Bonus, Doctor Bird DBCD-041 – Barcode 5013929274136)

10. DERRICK MORGAN – Moon Hop/Derrick Morgan In London (April 2019 Expanded 2CD Set, Doctor Bird DBCDD-032 – Barcode 5013929273238)

11. DERRICK MORGAN – Derrick Morgan And His Friends (12 July 2019 Expanded 2CD Set with 24 Bonus, Doctor Bird DBCDD-039 – Barcode 5013929273931)

12. SONIA POTTINGER – Put On Your Best Dress: Ska & Rock Steady 1966-1967 (14 June 2019 Expanded 2CD Set with 35 Bonus, Doctor Bird DBCDD-037 – Barcode 5013929273733)

13. LORD TANAMO & FRIENDS – Festival Jump-Up [1965] (15 November 2019 Expanded 2CD Reissue of 1965 LP with 40 Bonus, Doctor Bird DBCDD-046 – Barcode 5013929274631)

14. LINVAL THOMPSON – The Linval Thompson Trojan Roots Album Collection [including two LPs by Big Joe & The Trinity called “African Princess” and “Rock In The Ghetto” and one Linval Thompson LP called “I Love Marijuana”) (11 October 2019 Expanded 2CD Set with 10 Bonus, Doctor Bird DBCDD-044 – Barcode 5013929274433)

15. LINVAL THOMPSON & THE REVOLUTIONAIRES – Negrea Love Dub/Outlaw Dub [1978 and 1979] (15 November 2019 Reissue featuring 2LPs onto 1CD (no bonus), Doctor Bird DBCD-047 – Barcode 5013929274730)

16. THE UPSETTERS featuring LEE 'SCRATCH' PERRY – Clint Eastwood/Many Moods Of The Upsetters (April 2019 2CD Expanded Set, Doctor Bird DBCDD-034 – Barcode 5013929273436)

17. VARIOUS – The Down Town Albums Collection [Down Town Label] (February 2019 2CD Set, Doctor Bird Records DBCDD-020 - Barcode 5013929272033)

18. VARIOUS – Gay Jamaican Independence Time – Boom Sha-Ka-La (17 May 2019 2CD Expanded Set with 35 Bonus, Doctor Bird DBCDD-028 – Barcode 5013929272835)

19. VARIOUS – Greatest Jamaican Beat... (March 2019 2CD Set, Doctor Bird DBCDD-033 – Barcode 5013929273337)

20. VARIOUS – Independence Jump Up Calypso (9 August 2019 2CD Expanded Set with 46 Bonus, Doctor Bird DBCDD-040 – Barcode 5013929274037)

21. VARIOUS – The Treasure Isle Ska Albums Collection (January 2019 2CD Set [4LPs and more], Doctor Bird DBCDD-031 – Barcode 5013929273139)

22. VARIOUS – You Can’t Wine/Music Alone Shall Live (13 September 2019 2CD Expanded Set with 33 Bonus, Doctor Bird DBCDD-042 - Barcode 5013929274235)

Friday 23 November 2018

"Double Dekker" by DESMOND DEKKER (November 2018 Doctor Bird 'Expanded Edition' CD Reissue - Andy Pearce Remaster) - A Review by Mark Barry...

"...Life Of Opportunity..."

For this release we get one of Trojan's true Kingston hit-makers – Desmond Adolphus Dacres - or DESMOND DEKKER to you and I.

NOTES:

The Leslie Kong produced "Double Dekker" was first issued in 1973 as a 28-Track double-album featuring 16 unused tracks recorded by the artist in 1970 mixed in alongside all his hit single-sides to date and other rarities. The original 1973 vinyl double album contained 28-tracks, this 2018 CD reissue offers only 22? The six missing cuts are the his chart hits "007 Shanty Town", "Israelites", "You Can Get It If You Really Want", "Pickney Gal", "Peace On The Land" and "I Believe" - all of which have appeared on the recent August and September 2018 CD reissues for Dekker (see 3 and 4 entries below in this 2018 reissue series).

So as not to duplicate tracks fans have already bought, Doctor Bird has replaced them and added on the bonus cuts instead thereby offering something long deleted made available again. Of the six Bonus Cuts – the first track "Generosity" was the non-album B-side of his 1969 hit "Pickney Gal" originally issued on Pyramid PYR 6078 - whilst the other five - "Pickney Gal (aka "Come Here") (Alternate Version)", "Hippopotamus (Alternate Version)", "Licking Stick (Alternate Version)", "Reggae Recipe (Alternate Version)" and "Father Noah" first appeared on the 1997 CD compilation "First Time For A Long Time: Rarities (1968-1972)" on Trojan CDTRL 379 - now given a fresh airing here (first digital outing for the "Double Dekker" set). Here are the Licking Sticks...

UK released Friday, 23 November 2018 - "Double Dekker" by DESMOND DEKKER on Doctor Bird DBCD-018 (Barcode 5013929271838) is an 'Expanded Edition' CD Reissue that offers you 22-Tracks of his 28-Track 1973 double-album originally on Trojan Records TRLD-401 with six bonus tracks (see notes above re track list - 77:11 minutes):

1. It Meik

2. Look What They're Doing To Me

3. Please Don't Bend

4. My Reward

5. Little Darling

6. Life Of Opportunity

7. When I'm Cold

8. Archie Wah Wah

9. Hippopotamus

10. Warlock

11. Licking Stick

12. What Will You Gain

13. Trample

14. The More You Live (aka "Live And Learn")

15. Go And Tell My People

16. Reggae Recipe

17. Yakety Yak

18. The Song We Used To Sing (aka "Where Did It Go")

19. The First Time For A Long Time

20. Stop The Wedding

21. Mother Nature

22. Life Hope And Faith

(See notes above re track list)

BONUS TRACKS 2018 CD REISSUE:

23. Generosity

24. Pickney Gal (Alternative Version)

25. Hippopotamus (Alternate Version)

26. Licking Stick (Alternate Version)

27. Reggae Recipe (Alternate Version)

28. Father Noah

The 12-page booklet is a fantastic affair - new liner notes by Soul expert and Reggae aficionado/long-time writer associate with Ace Records – TONY ROUNCE. Each page is festooned with trade adverts and reviews, the four label sides of the double-album repro'd on a single leaf, rare worldwide picture sleeves for the "It Miek" single, nine label repros for singles on Pyramid, Trojan and Ember, and even an 8-Track cassette for the 1973 twofer. But best of all is one of my fave-rave Audio Engineers at the helm - ANDY PEARCE - who along with his engineer partner Matt Wortham has done Lee Perry, The Upsetters, Treasure Isle box set and wads of huge Rock names like Free, Rory Gallagher, Budgie, Wishbone Ash, ELP, Spooky Tooth, Mott The Hoople and so on...

Fantastic cuts like "Warlock", "Life Of Opportunity" and "Reggae Recipe" stem from the 1970 sessions - but I also dig the sevens "Licking Stick" from November 1971 on Trojan TR 7847 and its equally cool B-side "Live And Learn" (aka "The More You Live"). Others include "The Song We Used To Sing" from December 1970 on Trojan TR 7802 and the compilation title tune "The First Time For A Long Time" – a 1973 B-side to "It's Gotta Be Me" on Trojan TR 7876. A huge array of stuff and all it sounding as good as gold...

Desmond Dekker passed in 2006 and this rather brill little CD reissue does his memory and chart importance proud. Well done to all involved for treating his underestimated musical legacy with such affection...