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Dave and Ansel Collins - Double Barrel - The Best of - TJCCD050

This is a compilation of not only Dave and Ansel Collins jointly but also solo offerings from Dave Barker and Ansel Collins. The items range from about 1969 to 1973.

The tracks are all good time jumping semi commercial reggae, not hardcore just good time, reflecting the popularity of the music at the time. Yes there was deeper kind of stuff around at the time but this stuff crossed the barrier and it was fun while it lasted.

Of course the two major hits are included here 'Double Barrel' and 'Monkey Spanner' which will be known to one and all. The fact that there is no much other material may surprise a few but if you listen to this a lot of the 'riddims' will be instantly recognisable. For example, 'Karate' which for me is 'poppa top'. In fact of the 'joint' material there are only these and the slower and moodier 'Upsetter Station' and the nearest you get to a 'song' 'Doing your own thing'.

Ansel Collins came to prominence as an organist on mostly organ led instrumentalists but he was also a drummer and vocalist. The Leslie Kong organ instrumentals will probably be recognised, 'Samfire','Night of love' and the almost middle of the road with a reggae beat 'Cotton Dandy'. I am sure that because the rythms were used on so many tracks a lot of the tracks on this album will be recognised as something else and these two are not exceptions, the latter as 'Love and Devotion'.

Moving on to work with The Upsetter, and herein is one of the beauties of Trojan compilations is that they have such a vast back catalogue they can segue different productions onto the same album, and then later returned to work with Winston Riley, and another half a dozen or so tracks are include. 'Nuclear Weapon', a double barrel derivative, and the well known rhythm 'Stalag 17' being worthy of mention.

Dave Barker although also a singer proobably best know for hos DJ style a la Double Barrel. 'Shocks of Mighty' is very much in that style and is pretty well known amongst Upsetter fans.

'Lockjaw' and 'Funky funky reggae' were cut with Duke Reid utilising that familiar DJ style vocal.

Whereas with Bunny Lee it was 'proper singing' one the excellent 'Johnny Dollar' a pastiche of Garnet Mimms 'A quiet Place' and 'On Broadway'

A funky 'Do your thing' is also an excellent track as is the throwback 'Sunshine Rock'

 

 

 

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