* Enjoy, Reb 😎 Link 👇 *
Thursday, August 20, 2026
Straitjacket Fits - Hail 1988 (Reissue 1990) 320
Hail is the band's debut album, recorded June - August 1988 at The Lab Recording Studio in Auckland with producer/engineer Terry Moore. The recordings weren’t entirely what the band wanted and felt it lacked enough strong songs.
Rough Trade released Hail in the UK and US late in 1989/early 1990, with a revised, stronger track listing, adding the four songs from the 'Life in One Chord' EP, and removing some tracks that hadn’t quite worked on the original NZ release (Telling Tales, Dead Heat, Only You Knew, Take From The Years). 1990 Australasian LP/Cassette reissues were released like this also.
CD versions of this revised version of the album were released in NZ, UK and Japan in 1989/1990 and these include the entire original 1988 NZ version plus the four tracks from the 1988 'Life In One Chord' EP.
* Enjoy, Reb 😎 Link 👇 *
Straitjacket Fits – Blow 1993 320
The first of three albums from New Zealand indie rock/pop group. The other two will follow, either later today or tomorrow.
Formed in Dunedin, New Zealand, 1986 by Shayne Carter (vocals/guitar), John Collie (drums) and David Wood (bass). Andrew Brough (vocals/guitar) joined soon after. In 1991 Brough left the group due to musical and personal differences between him and the rest of the band. Later that year Mark Petersen (guitar) joined the band. The band finished in February 1994 shortly after their performance at the Big Day Out festival at Mount Smart Stadium in Auckland. The second line up of the band regrouped to play a tour of the main cities of New Zealand in late April and early May of 2005. David Wood died suddenly, on the 17th of November 2010. In 2018 the remaining later line up reformed briefly & toured New Zealand with Carter's Dimmer.
* Enjoy, Reb 😎 Link 👇 *
2001 - The Best of John Renbourn
2001 - The Best of John Renbourn @320
Wednesday, August 19, 2026
Various - Soul Mixed Vol 5 2026 320 😎
* Enjoy, Reb 😎 Link 👇 *
Think might post two or three of these per week. we will see!!
The Neurotics - Repercussions & Is Your Washroom Breeding Bolsheviks 2009 320 😎
* Enjoy, Reb 😎 Link 👇 *
Various - From the Ground Up - 07. Belgian New Beat 89 2026 VBR 😎
07. Belgian New Beat 89
From the Ground Up
An earwitness account of the electronic dance music revolution on Belgian dancefloors from 1984 to the mid nineties.
Compiled by Captain Crash
Warning this compilation is VBR, the majority of tracks are 320, but some are in lower bit rates.
Thanks to Captain Crash for sharing this home made compilation with us on Vibes. 9 more volumes to come in this 16 volume series.
* Enjoy, Reb 😎 Link 👇 *
2021 - Sublime Meets Scientist & Mad Professor Inna L.B.C
2021 - Sublime Meets Scientist & Mad Professor Inna L.B.C @320
Scientist and Mad Professor, two of the biggest names in the world of dub reggae producers / engineers / mixers, have taken the task of treating a handful of Sublime tunes to some of their own, respective brands of studio wizardry. The six song album is a limited edition Record Store Day 2021 release.
Upon listening, it is clear that the producers put their whole hearts and creative minds into this project. The insert and liner notes by Roberto Angotti (Radio host of Reggae Revolution, which aired in Long Beach and L.A. from 1982-1992), trace the influence of dub and reggae greats, like King Tubby and Sly & Robbie, upon the Long Beach, CA. band; It's an influence that is genuinely brought full circle with this collaboration.
Scientist takes the helm on side A, beginning with their hit, "Caress Me Down (Espanol Dub)." This one is stripped to the core, drum and bass of it's original. The riddim is a bit of a hybrid of the dancehall stalwart, 'Sleng Teng' and the Jamaican classic, 'Cherry Oh Baby' played with the ferocity and raw energy of punk rock and mixed down with the precision and articulate sense of sound structure that Hopeton Overton Brown aka Scientist has been known for since the mid-seventies, when he was a young prodigy and protégé of King Tubby.
The next one, "Garden Grove Dub" combines G-Funk keys with a rendition of the 'Fever' riddim and well-placed Linton Kwesi Johnson scratches. The fusion doesn't sound, at all, contrived, but rather, very organic and is aimed directly towards the hardcore dancehall fan's eardrum(s).
The final selection, dissected, rearranged and manipulated by Scientist is "Santeria Dub", which is one that I have had to play the original of at paid gigs from time to time. I never loved the song but the emotion and joy that it evokes in those who do love it is undeniable. I feel like playing this mostly instrumental version in a club or house-party setting would elicit impromptu karaoke performance on the dance floor from the previously mentioned hippies... which, as a music lover, I think is a pretty beautiful thing. Bradley's vocals politely interrupt the riding instrumental (I like it a lot better that way), briefly towards the end of the tune, a ghostly interjection, traversing dimensions.
Mad Professor is at the mix-board for the three tunes on side B, beginning with "Hong Kong Phooey Subliminal Dub." I'm not too familiar with the original, but I feel as if Neil Fraser aka Mad Professor took a lot of artistic liberty with his side. It begins with a psychedelic sounding, effect-saturated voiced intro, not dissimilar to some of his other works which he's made in his forty-plus years of putting out music. The beat kicks in, a funky, skanking, punk-dub with tempo changes and abundant flange and reverb, which envelope the entire track, instrumental, save for a few vocal phrases, sporadically stabbing into the mix. This one demonstrates the Professor's signature sound, whether mixing Perry Farrell, The Young Gods, or Sublime, he makes the creation his own.
"April 29, 1992 (Miami) Dub," a song about the L.A. riots, and "Pawn Shop Dub" are given the same attention, the raw drum and bass is captured and given room to breathe, nourished to grow, supplemented with effects and vocal drops, the sound is expansive... play this one loud for maximal impact! There is no doubt, I'm feeling it.
Adding to the authenticity is cover art and additional liner notes by Tony McDermott, whose original, animated art-work has graced the covers of Scientist and Mad Professor LPs, as well as numerous Greensleeves Records releases.(Cultcha Clash)
Tuesday, August 18, 2026
1994 - Bunny Wailer - Crucial! Roots Classics
1994 - Bunny Wailer - Crucial! Roots Classics @320
After unleashing a hat trick of unforgettable cultural albums between 1976-1978, Bunny Wailer seemed to have followed the rest of the reggae scene into ever-lighter, more commercially acceptable territories. "Seemed" because his international albums were a far cry from the kind of music he was self-releasing on singles back home. These remained enticingly out of sight for non-Jamaicans, until some of the best were collected for this album. The songs date from 1977-1985, 14 incredibly powerful cultural statements, all self-produced and backed by the likes of the Revolutionaries and the Roots Radics. The numbers are not arranged chronologically, nor did much thought go into the sequencing, but that's irrelevant, so superb is every track within.
Many of the songs reflected Jamaica's political and societal events, with 1978's "Peace Talk" inspired by the peace treaty agreed by Kingston's gangs, "Power Struggle" and "Tugawar Game" reflecting the corrosive battles carried into the streets by the island's two political parties, "Innocent Blood" a plea to stop the slaughter in the lead-up to the 1980 election, and 1981's "Unity" an attempt to heal the island's still-open wounds.
"Crucial" was used without permission by the Jamaican Labor Party as their campaign song in that election, and Bunny makes clear his feelings on their policies in "Trouble on the Road Again," "Boderation," and "Here in Jamaica."
The earliest song on the set, 1977's "Bright Soul," is one of the loveliest, although the "soul" referred to is actually Satan. The superb "Old Dragon" tells Lucifer's story in full, while "Struggle" instructs listeners on how to defeat this determined demon.
Although there are some notable omissions, there's no denying the caliber of all of these songs, both lyrically and musically.
At times, Bunny cleverly uses catchy, often nursery rhyme-ish melodies to great advantage, turning simple singalongs into thought-provoking yet incredibly contagious numbers. Nyahbinghi drumming, pastoral elements, bouncy roots reggae, sweet melodies, dubby production, dancehall styling, and even calypso are deftly applied to emphasize or counterpoint the messages of the songs.
Every song within is a standout, and the album's title is absolutely accurate. (AllMusic)
When this is posted I will be on holiday so there won't be any quick responses to comments.
Crazyhead – Desert Orchid 1988 (2009 Remastered, Expanded Edition) 320 😎
CD1
CD2
Another that's been in my to post (need's work) folder, not much needed to this one just split into CD1 & CD2 and then some tag work. Well it's done and now can see the light, enjoy!!
* Enjoy, Reb 😎 Link 👇 *
Monday, August 17, 2026
Various - Box Of Vibes No. 46 (A-C-R) 2026 320 😎
Box 46 and Andy's turn to start with his selections from 1 to 8. Then Concha's tunes and next in the middle from 9 to 16, and finally my (Reb) tracks to close this weeks box, from 17 to 24.
* Enjoy, Reb 😎 Link 👇 *
Simon & Garfunkel - Parsley, Sage, Rosemary And Thyme 1966 (Remastered 2014) 320 😎
* Enjoy, Reb 😎 Link 👇 *
The Temptations - 1970 - Psychedelic Soul
The Temptations - 1970 - Psychedelic Soul @320
As it was for just about anyone who lived in the United States, 1968 was an incredibly pivotal year for the Temptations. Having just parted ways with their silk-throated lead singer, David Ruffin, the group found itself turning a corner away from the mellow hits on which it had built its renown — “My Girl”, “Ain’t Too Proud to Beg”, “I Wish It Would Rain” — in favor of a sound far more urgent and more in touch with the social upheaval that was spreading throughout the country. Ruffin’s replacement, former Contour Dennis Edwards, provided the necessary spark to authenticate the group’s new direction; as the son of an Alabama preacher, Edwards substituted a raw, fire-and-brimstone shout for Ruffin’s lovelorn sensitivity. 1969’s Cloud Nine introduced this new Temptations sound upon the unsuspecting public, and the rest is history — a history well documented by Universal’s new two-disc compilation of the group’s post-Ruffin years.
What was most remarkable about Cloud Nine was the way the group realigned its musical accompaniment to match the edge that Edwards’s voice brought to the table. Gone was the smooth, pretty sheen of the Temptations’ earlier hits, as the record’s eponymous first single announced with bullhorn clarity — “Cloud Nine” was a blast of rock and funk and roll that threatened to catch its sharp edges on any porous material that happened upon its path. But even though the sound of the group’s music had been radically altered, they were astute enough to hold onto what earned them so much popularity in the first place; The Temptations were a vocal group first and foremost. Even on a track like “Runaway Child Running Wild” (the second to represent Cloud Nine on this set), with a droning organ jumping in and out of the nine-minute jam seemingly oblivious to the song’s natural flow, the vocals are still amazingly front and center, layered together like an artful gospel quintet.
While 1969 produced two whole albums and four hit singles (including “I Can’t Get Next to You”, a number one on the pop and R&B charts before Al Green could smooth out its blatant sexual frustration), it wasn’t until the following year that the Temptations perfected their newfound freedom. The group’s masterpiece of this era, Psychedelic Shack (covered by no less than six songs here, including a previously unreleased extended version of the title cut), eschewed the hit-machine format of their previous albums in favor of a more cohesive statement made up of equal parts Harlem discontent and Haight-Ashbury idealism. The one-two punch of “Hum Along and Dance” and “Take a Stroll Through Your Mind” accounts for probably the most satisfying 12 minutes on either of these two discs — moving from another proof-positive example that they hadn’t lost any ground as a vocal group to a jazzy ode to reefer that went so far as to include a lyrical allusion to “My Girl”, presumably to reaffirm that they really hadn’t abandoned their roots as much as it might’ve seemed to the Motown purists.
Although Psychedelic Shack may have been the group’s crowning achievement in terms of full-length albums, the rest of this compilation shows that the Temptations still had plenty of ideas up their silk paisley sleeves. 1971’s Sky’s the Limit (the last to feature original members Paul Williams and Eddie Kendricks) didn’t yield much in the way of chart-toppers, but the nearly 13-minute bassoon-addled dub excursion of “Smiling Faces Sometimes” definitely proved that the group had no intentions of abandoning their psychedelic ways. Nor did the band’s last number one hit of this period, “Papa Was a Rolling Stone” — released in 1972 on All Directions, this was the jam to end all jams, perfectly capturing the protagonist’s restless nature in 12 minutes of rambling funk.
Maybe the subject matter just lends itself well to the compilation format, but it almost seems as if someone at the major labels is listening to the endless critic complaints over the years concerning the quality of these things. Because as far as retrospective sets go, Psychedelic Soul is about as good as they get — the packaging includes detailed track information, liner notes and photos, virtually no filler, and the sequencing is chronological and judiciously separated between the two discs. The only way you could do better is to track down the original vinyl records (most remain unissued domestically on CD) and make your own compilation — but that hardly seems worthwhile when such a fine effort has already been made, does it? (Pop Matters)
When this is posted I will be on holiday so there won't be any quick responses to comments.
Sunday, August 16, 2026
2021- Culture - Children of Zion - The High Note Singles 1977 - 1981
2021- Culture - Children of Zion - The High Note Singles
1977 - 1981 @ 320
1977 - 1981 @ 320
Arguably the greatest Jamaican vocal group to emerge on the reggae scene during the latter half of the Seventies, the Joseph Hill-led trio Culture wrote and performed some of the finest roots music of the era, initially making their mark with producer Joe Gibbs before joining the revered roster of Sonia Pottinger’s High Note Records.
The first two discs of this long overdue triple CD set collect the ‘A’ and ‘B’ sides of all the group’s Jamaican 7” and 12” High Note singles, with disc 3 comprising rare and previously unreleased 12” mixes from the vaults.
Featuring some of the finest roots reggae recordings of the late Seventies, this collection superbly demonstrates why Culture remain held in such high esteem by reggae aficionados, and with 20 tracks new to CD and five previously unissued, will even satisfy the exacting demands of the group’s long-standing fans.(Cherry Red Records)
When this is posted I will be on holiday so there won't be any quick responses to comments.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)