Various - Jamaican Ska - 18 Original Jamaican Ska Classics

I am a big fan of the original 1960's ska and rocksteady, and this cheap compilation has made me such about a decade ago. The above picture is not the artwork included with the CD - it is a low budget venture with generic artwork and no liner notes, and its obscurity made it impossible to even find a picture of it on the Internet. All tracks are great - my favourite would probably be the Skatalites saxophonist Tommy McCook's beautiful instrumental "The World Needs Love" (and it does), but none of the others are too far behind it, so low budget or no low budget, the disc is a nice introduction to this wonderful music. U-Roy's tender "Wear You to the Ball", the Ethiopians' elegant "Everything Crash" and Justin Hinds and the Dominoes' sweet "Here I Stand" are also highlights. Enjoy!

Track listing:

1. Judge Dread - Al Capone (2:54)
2. Blue Rivers and The Maroons - Guns of Navarone (3:19)
3. The Pyramids - Jesse James Rides Again (2:33)
4. U-Roy - Wear You to the Ball (2:33)
5. Justin Hinds and The Dominoes - The Higher the Monkey Climbs (3:00)
6. John Holt - Tonight (2:31)
7. Hopeton Lewis - Boom Shaka Lacka (3:13)
8. Rockers Express - Phoenix City (3:01)
9. Stranger Cole and Patsy - Hog in a Cocoa (2:20)
10. The Skatalites - Lucky Seven (2:53)
11. Laurel Aitken - The Ska Is the Limit (2:40)
12. The Ethiopians - Everything Crash (2:38)
13. Lester Sterling and Stranger Cole - Bangarang (2:45)
14. Justin Hinds and The Dominoes - Here I Stand (2:28)
15. Tommy McCook - The World Needs Love (2:12)
16. Dennis Alcapone - Musical Alphabet (2:55)
17. Nora Dean - O Mama (2:18)
18. The Mopeds - Whisky and Soda (3:50)

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