STUDIO ONE SWEET
Locks Lion | Blue Mountain Peak | 03/20/2006
(5 out of 5 stars)
"SUGAR MINOTT AT STUDIO ONE: This is a nicely packaged collection of the great Sugar Minott's breakout hits for legendary producer Clement Dodd at Studio One. As the extensive liner notes point out, these sides from the late seventies and early eighties really kicked off the rhythm makeover movement that - for better or worse - still dominates roots reggae music today. Whether or not you have a taste for do-overs, it's hard to deny the massive influence that these archetypal Studio One rhythms have had on reggae music over the last thirty years. I, for one, am yet to tire of hearing them.
Equally adept with social commentary and rastafarian philosophy as he famously is with lovers' lyrics, Sugar Minott's revisionings of these classic rhythms are - at least nine times out of ten - as close to essential reggae listening as the originals. Despite a couple of disappointing exclusions, most notably his biggest Studio One hit, MR. DC (currently doing the rounds yet again in the form of Fantan Mojah's excellent HUNGRY for Down Sound), and the rather muddy sound quality (especially on the vocal track), SUGAR MINOTT AT STUDIO ONE is still a first class selection, and a cornerstone of any respectable reggae collection.
If you're interested in following Sugar's progress beyond these initial Studio One sides, you should take a look at the brand new THE ROOTS LOVER collection from the excellent Moll-Selekta label.
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