Well, since you mentioned "sound quality", I have to say that most of my favorite Lee Perry compilations from the late 60s/early 70s era were produced by Trojan in the 80s and early 90s, when they were using old singles as sources for a lot of tracks. So the sound quality isn't great, but you really can't beat the track selection on Give Me Power, The Upsetter Collection, Public Jestering, Open the Gate and Build the Ark IMO. For better-quality comps -- e.g. from the later 90s, when Trojan started using tapes more often, they released a Volume 2 of the one you mentioned, called Chapter 2 of Words. Not as essential as Volume 1 IMO but not bad. There's also Dry Acid, which is earlier material (from the late 60s) but still good. Pressure Sounds has released several compilations of mid-to-late 70s Perry material that are pretty good, such as Voodooism and Produced and Directed by the Upsetter. There's also the classic Arkology box set from that same period.
Is that the first of that Jet Set series that went on to have 30-40 something volumes? I have listened to plenty of them on streaming but there they all have the same generic artwork. I'll have to look out for that one as it seems to have a few songs I'm missing, including the Tony Tuff, which I enjoyed. Thanks django68 for pointing it out. There's even a third volume, although it doesn't have "words" in the title, it's called Chapter 3: Live As One.
Yes, though I soon lost interest in the series, that volume was excellent value for money with genuine hits. They also used a Michell GyroDec on some later covers, which I appreciated, better than the usual expensive cars and scantily clad women those sorts of comp usually went for.
I see the Dancecrasher website is no longer up. I loved the rocksteady list here. I was able to find it on the Internet Archive. That’s a shame that it’s gone though. There aren't enough Rocksteady history sites out there, if any.
A great site, hope the guys are ok - I loved the deep dive they did on the obscure Rocksteady rhythms that Keith Hudson was using in the early '70s as a huge KH fan
I had it on cassette, used to rinse it out in the car. Might still have it somewhere along with a pencil!
More Tony Tuff, this was quite a hit back in the eighties iirc I remember Tony William's rinsing this on Radio London, I bought the 12"
I love those Pressure Sounds compilations. Voodooism was the one that really got me into Black Ark era Scratch.
..and of course Tony Tuff made some fine roots tunes (before he became arguably more prominent in the early eighties Dancehall style) in the African Brothers Also in the new millennium he cut a worthwhile album imo with Jah Shaka How Long
Sorry, I missed this has already been posted, too late to edit/delete. But hey if the music's nice play it twice..
They seem to sometimes have some great songs by big name artists that are not compiled elsewhere, like in this case with the Tony Tuff and also the Neville Brown. The series had 37 volumes with the last being in 2007, but I'm not sure I was aware it started that early. They give VP's Reggae Gold and Strictly The Best a run for their money in longevity (those are still running, barely, but started later). The early volumes seem to mix in some earlier tracks with then current hits (Vol. 2 has "Curly Locks" and The Diamonds "Country Living" on it), but as it went on I guess they focused on what had been happening the last year or so, so one's enjoyment would depend on if one liked what was going on generally in Reggae/Dancehall at each time, but either way they are interesting as time capsules that way. It's been down for quite some time, but as you say it's archived (via Wayback Machine), even the sound clips are archived and playable, at least last I checked. I have often linked to the site (even after it was no longer live) when there have been people asking about Rock Steady, it was (and hopefully will remain in archived form) a great resource for guidance to that era. This seems to be the latest capture: DanceCrasher (Clips still playable!) I follow Tim, the guy who ran the site, on different social media and he seems to be active occasionally, at least on Instagram there are recent posts. You dug up a clip that featured the B-side dub, so you're excused.
Vol2 seemed a bit odd at he time with those old tracks added. Country Living had been a hit for Sandra Cross around that time, so I guessed they added that version in it's place [although they did included Ariwa material elsewhere.] I remember they really pushed the boat out advertising these. There were TV ads for at least the first two volumes. I lost interest in the series long before the end, but that was as much to do with a change in the music in general as anything else. It was convenient to have Reggae Hits, Reggae Gold, Strictly The Best, Ragga Ragga Ragga and Greensleeves Samplers to choose from.
Dissapointed that tonights "Reggae Legends" gig with Big Youth & Linval Thompson in Brighton has been "postponed" was looking forward to that!
Heads up if anyone in the UK wants the Prince Buster RSD album. It's on Juno but it's not cheap at £40 including postage.
By the time I'd get it to NZ it would $120+ nz. I'm out... (Also - that cover is ****e! Rock-a-Shaka graphic packaging blows this out of the water.)
The cover is absolutely appalling. It has a pointless gatefold too with not one photo of The Prince to be seen anywhere.
