Sanctuary Records Group - Trojan

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Trojan Reggae Chill Out Box Set

Released on 18 August 2003.

"Compiled by leading Reggae writer Stephen Nye, this, the latest in Trojan's ever-popular 3 CD box series features 50 of the most chilled Reggae cuts from the sixties and seventies, performed by an array of popular artists. Put simply, never before in the history of popular music has a more comprehensive collection of cool sounds been available on one package."

A somewhat eclectic, sometimes rather nice, and sometimes rather obscure piece of mellowness to ease away the pain and to help ease you through those hot! Sultry summer days and nights.

A gorgeous intro with a jazzy mellowness from the great Roland Alphonso and Tommy Cook. The vibe is maintained but not quite to the same level of quality on the next few tracks, even though Dreamland is one of my all time favourite songs, her a version by the Upsetter. Interesting take on Dave Brubeck's Take Five with Val Bennett's The Russians are coming. Winston Wright's Silhouettes is accompanied and enhanced by a lazy heavy bassline. A couple of classics are thrown in like Augustus Pablo (which I personally don't care too much for) and Ansel Collins Stalag 17. Some versions or dub sides are included on the instrumental CD one, again the best being Tommy McCook on the John Holt A love I can feel rhythm.

After being instrumentally chilled on CD one we get some welcome mellow soulful vocal performances on CD2. Busty Brown's Crying about you is almost as good as any deep Southern Soul side, kind of in the style of Toussaint McCall. The lyrics are varied and these aren't necessarily love songs as one might expect, take for example Junior Byles sweet vocals on Curley Locks. The album wouldn't be complete without a Toots soul side, Love is gonna let me down.

Take it easy is one of the better known songs on here I would say, Hopeton Lewis, and whilst a great tune maybe is a little to upbeat in the context of the whole. Of course we get a laid back Marley vibe in Sun is Shining. By this time great voice follows great voice, Toots, Marley, Gregory, Alton Ellis with the wonderful and all time great Rock Steady. And I tell you what Shub in is simply awesome – this is a track that I've played at home consistently and I just love it.

As we move on in time and onto CD3 we get into what was the peak of the Lover's Rock era, but we start of with Toots doing his Southern Soul Otis on the great Daddy. A lot of lover's was cut and produced in the UK such as Audrey Hall's Lovers Concerto. Now in comparison how we could have done with Louisa Marks Caught you in a Lie.

Then the 70's heavyweights take over Ken Boothe, a couple of tracks including the horizontally laid back 8 minutes of Walk away with love, Horace Andy, John Holt with a wonderful For the love of you. Another great was Slim Smith, what a sweet voice that was, on Closer Together.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  3-CD SET

  DISC 1:

  Never To Be Mine - Tommy McCook & The Supersonics -

  Way Of Life - Lynn Tait & The Jets -

  Dreamland - The Upsetters -

  The Big Three - Harry J All Stars -

  The Russians Are Coming (aka take 5) - Val Bennett -

  Sweet Organ - Lioyd Charmers -

  East Of The River Nile - Augustus Pablo -

  Silhouettes - Winston Wright -

  Back A Yard - The Deltones -

  Stalag 17 - Ansel Collins -

  Reggae Pressure - The Hippy Boys -

  Movie Star - Gladstone Anderson -

  Walk With Love Version - Beverley's All Stars -

  Love Version - Derrick Harriott -

  A Version I Can Feel - Tommy McCook -

  Solitary Man - Skin Flesh And Bones -

  Voodoo - The Hippy Boys -

  DISC 2:

  Little Boy Blue - Verne And Son -

  Crying About You - Busty Brown -

  Curely Locks - Junior Byles -

  Love Is Gonna Let Me Down - Toots & The Maytals -

  Take It Easy - Hopeton Lewis -

  Sun Shines For Me - Bob Andy -

  Sun Is Shining - Bob Marley -

  Nice Nice Time - Zap Pow -

  Rock Away - Gregory Isaacs -

  Know Love - Twin Roots -

  La La At The End - Norman Brown -

  Utopian Feeling - The Cimarons -

  Nice Nice Time - The Kingstonians -

  Rock Steady - Alton Ellis -

  So Easy - Winston Groovy -

  Shub In - Frankie Paul -

  DISC 3:

  Daddy - The Maytals -

  Drift Away - Chosen Few -

  Lovers Concerto - Audrey Hall -

  Loving Arms - Al Brown -

  So Nice - Ken Boothe -

  Just Like A River - Danny Ray -

  Feel Good All Over - Horace Andy -

  Man In Me - Matumbi -

  For The Love Of You (Ja.mix) - John Holt -

  Summertime - Domino Johnson -

  Walk Away From Love - Ken Boothe -

  The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face - Marcia Griffiths -

  Rock And Roll Lullaby - Jimmy London -

  Is It Really Over - Max Romeo -

  What Is Love - Nicky Thomas -

  Closer Together - Slim Smith -

  Jah Bring I Joy - Bobby Melody -

 

 

 

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