Folks usually think of Pet Sounds as the pinnacle of the Beach Boys’ career. It might be, but no one’s gonna toss the disc on to just listen to. That’d be weird.
Smile – or Smiley Smile – by contrast is actually relatively interesting to listen to. There aren’t straight songs represented here, but the weirdo explorations of what a song narrative could or should do make it a far sight more entertaining than it’s predecessor.
The Beach Boys doing some straight rock stuff can’t really be surpassed by too many groups regardless of how many crazy people are in the line-up.
The ’70s found the ensemble gettin’ all earth conscious and somehow it made for good music. Bonus.
Those within the hip hop community – performers, promoters and the like – don’t generally make a big deal about where the genre came from beyond name checking DJ Kool Herc or Mr. James Brown. But Herc was born in Kingston during the ’50s. So, while folks can figure anyone from Kraftwerk to Gil Scott-Heron influencing the music that today constitutes hip hop, JA related stuff is an inseparable part of the culture.
Lawrence Parker and Derrick Jones understood all of this going into the recording of Edutainment (1990) and its title track, which makes use of a classic Skatalites rhythm.
“So why is the Pope such a political figure,” asks KRS One as he aligns himself with the likes of Lee Perry in critiquing international goings on. Compounding the confluence of ideas here is the ska-beat of “Man in the Street.” The original finds itself virtually untouched, just looped endlessly with only the choicest horn line plundered to good effect.
“Edutainment” isn’t the first or only example of a producer making use of JA music, but there aren’t too many tracks from the formative period of the island’s music utilized in the same fashion.
01 – Harry Mundie – Full Dose Of Dub
02 – The Aggrolites – Burning Bush
03 – Clancy Eccles – Don’t Brag Don’t Boast
04 – King Django – Trying to Be Something
05 – The Jolly Boys – Build On The Rock
06 – Bim Sherman – Danger
07 – Derrick Harriott – The Undertaker
08 – Israel Vibration – Never Gonna Hurt Me Again
09 – Burning Spear – Man in the Hills
10 – Winston Wright & Rupie Edwards All Stars – Grandfathers Clock
11 – Bob Marley – Black Progress
12 – Prince Alla – Stone
13 – Dennis Al Capone – Version You to the Ball
14 – King Stitt – Dance Beat
15 – Lee Perry – People Funny Boy
16 – Sir Collins & The Black Diamonds – Black Panther
17 – Dennis Brown – Concentration (Ver.3)
18 – Dubcat – Landlord
19 – Tony Tuff – Hope It’s True
20 – Tommy McCook – Dub with Strings
21 – The Itals – I See a Sign
22 – Augustus Pablo – Peace and Love Dub
23 – The Meditations – No Peace
24 – The Specials – Why Dub
25 – Horace Andy – Stop the Fuss
26 – The Morwells – Morwell’s Theme
