Various Artists - Singerman!

Various Artists - Singerman! - Blood & Fire - BFCDS 906 - 2007

Well, Blood & Fire have been one of the premier reggae reissue labels over the last few years. With their release of Singerman!, they have compiled and made available a few cuts from the various records that they have released over the years. The purpose of this sampler is for you to become interested in a few cuts and then to go to the Blood & Fire catalog to purchase the full release. To make it even more enticing, they reduced the price of this CD to make it very affordable. So, how did they do? GO BUY THIS.

Aside from some classic roots cuts from more established artists like Gregory Isaacs, Dennis Brown, and Johnny Clarke, one is also treated to sounds from under appreciated singers like Michael Prophet, Linval Thompson, and Junior Byles. What is great about this sampler is that every track is a wonderful representation of vital, roots Jamaican reggae music of the late 1970s (early 1980s?). While all the cuts are good, there are a few standouts like Max Romeo's Fire Fe The Vatican, Junior Ross' Judgement Time, and The Chantells's Children of Jah. Also, getting clean copies of Black Uhuru's Rent Man or Dennis Brown's Man Next Door would make this a must buy alone.

If you want to know how exciting it was to listen to reggae music a few years back, get this CD. You will soon realize why I have been hooked for so long and why blogs like this exist! Overall, recommendation - MUST HAVE