Advertisement
Advertisement

Various artists

Various artists

Rodigan's 25th Anniversary

(Kiss)

This notable new reggae double disc pays tribute to Britain's best-known radio DJ of the genre, David Rodigan, who this year celebrates quarter of a century on the airwaves.

Kiss FM, the London station from where Rodigan currently broadcasts, has compiled this collection with him of classic tracks that he has aired - some go back a touch over 25 years.

Thankfully, this is not a nod to best-known reggae artists of their hit singles - although a few did make it into the pop charts - but a good mix of styles from both established and lesser-known acts.

The only Bob Marley inclusion is Sun Is Shining, a much rawer number than the numerous dance and ambient mixes that surrounded its re-release a few years ago.

Reggae's smoothest larynxes, Gregory Isaacs and Dennis Brown, are there to cool down the pace from an otherwise skank-mungous selection, which witnesses old-school toasting (spoken and sung lyrics through DJ microphones over sound systems) from Eek-a-Mouse but, gladly, not much in the way of ranting dancehall numbers.

Highlights are too numerous to mention, but look out for Wayne Smith's ganja-drenched electro-reggae Under Me Slengteng and supremely soulful Do You Believe from Home T Four - both from the mid-1980s.

The only surprising omission here is that out of 40 tracks there is not one dub reggae track from the kings of that genre: Scientist or Sly & Robbie. Instead, we have the wasted inclusion of an insipid Maxi Priest pop song, Wide World.

Post