• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Reggae suggestions?

N

NightTripper

Oct 20, 2011
539
16
#1
I love reggae, but I want to know of some artists who don't rant about Jah in their lyrics all the time. No offense to any Rastas out there, it just gets old for me. So any suggestions? I like Ziggy Marley, but can find no others like that.

Thanks!
 
#2
Yabby You was some kind of Christian. Toots was a Baptist, so no Jah there either. They both made some really good 70s reggae records. Lee Perry also made some great music, and went through so many weird phases that I'm sure he's got some less Rasta-oriented records out there.

At the other extreme, if you're into non-conscious dancehall there are lots of deejays who are all about guns and very little Jah. Not sure how helpful that is though, since they're not going to sound much like Ziggy either.
 
#5
morgan138 said:
Yabby You was some kind of Christian. Toots was a Baptist, so no Jah there either. They both made some really good 70s reggae records. Lee Perry also made some great music, and went through so many weird phases that I'm sure he's got some less Rasta-oriented records out there.

At the other extreme, if you're into non-conscious dancehall there are lots of deejays who are all about guns and very little Jah. Not sure how helpful that is though, since they're not going to sound much like Ziggy either.
Click to expand...

Yabby You is a Jesus Dread, not quite the same thing as Christian.

I was hoping someone could suggest some good Christian gospel, but stuff that doesn't talk about God. That gets really old to me.
 
#7
Steel Pulse definitely has some songs that don't go on about Jah, but they also have plenty that do. :) My suggestion would be to check out the dancehall stuff of the late 70s and early-to-mid 80s: Tenor Saw, Yellowman, Wailing Souls, Frankie Paul, Barrington Levy, Cocoa Tea, General Echo, Ini Kamoze, Gregory Isaacs, Eek-A-Mouse, etc. Keep in mind though that you'll still need to do some sifting as religious references will pop up in some of these artists' material - you basically have to go on a song-by-song basis. Another option is to go pre-rasta (in terms of the widespread rasta presence on records) and delve into rocksteady and some of the early reggae from the late 60s. Maybe someone should issue a "Jah-less" reggae box set. :p
 
#15
Listen to dub, it has minimal vocals, sometimes totally instrumental. Anything by King Tubby would be a great start. He is incredibly awesome, beyond description. But my favorite dub record of all time is "Super Ape" by the Upsetters (produced by Lee Perry) -- but that one is a little hard to find. In general, the golden age of dub is the mid-70s. There is some good modern stuff (example: Mad Professor) but the best stuff is from the 70s, IMO.
 
#16
One thing you have you have to accept is that Reggae is music with many messages. It is about peace, love for mankind, revolution, natural living and faith. I am trying to learn as much as I can about Reggae bass. It is hard to separate the core message from the music.

Imagine the great music of the 60's without all of the drug references and peace and love messages.
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back