Unexpected Reggae

I hadn't intended to post anything today, but yesterday I picked up a stash of reggae records (it seems an appropriate collective noun) in Brick Lane which I have decided to share with you. You lucky, lucky people.

First up is the dub poet, Mutabaruka. Apparently his name means "One who is always victorious" in one of the languages of Rwanda, and presumably he found his original name of Allen Hope insufficiently inspiring. Anyway I picked up a signed copy of his 1989 album "Any Which Way... Freedom" for a couple of quid, and it is not bad at all. Many of the tracks are dedicated to specific causes, some less well remembered than others. "Big Mountain", for example, is dedicated to "the Indians of Turtle Island". Now I did my fair share of marching for good causes back in the 1980s, but that one passed me by.

"Respect" - Mutabaruka

We complement that with a smattering of UK lovers rock, again mostly from the 1980s (I suspect the Peter Hunnigale track may be a bit later). I particularly like Winston Reedy's Elvis Costello cover.

"Shake You Down" - Trevor Walters

"Everyday I Write The Book" - Winston Reedy

"Piece Of A Rock" - Peter Hunnigale

As a special treat, here is Winston's all-time classic from 1983. We have posted it here before but it is such a sublime groove you can't play it often enough.

"Dim The Light" - Winston Reedy

And as a special, special treat, here is some Brendan Shine. Purists would say it is not technically reggae, and I would have to concede the point, but I acquired it yesterday at the same stall as the Peter Hunnigale single. It is on a compilation called "The Very Best of Brendan Shine" that, like the Mutabaruka album, had been signed (by Brendan Shine, not by Mutabaruka - that would be weird). Some would say it is an acquired taste, but then some fools would say that about bacon and cabbage. Not Brendan and me, we love it.

"I'm A Savage For Bacon And Cabbage" - Brendan Shine

I couldn't find any decent clips of Winston, so here's Smoothie Trev instead.



And to finish us off, here is the equally smooth Brendan. All together now, "Well if I don't make it home, I'll be there in the morning..."