Jamaica Funk: Original Jamaican Funk And Soul 45's

Reviewed by Sadie O., 3/11/08
Interesting Reggae collection from the mid-70’s – little of it is really terribly funky, quite a bit is soulful, a lot of it is covers of American funk and soul, but mostly it’s a collection of often rather quirky singles, and that’s that. Some hits and some misses fer sher.
No FCCs detected. I like 2, 10 and 18 best.
1. **funky strut, marred by a rather fuzzy sounding pressing. Curtis Mayfield-style vocals make this shine despite rather thin sound.
2. ****downtempo and relaxed funky skank, several voices, great lyrics and fine bass and horns. Yay!
3. ***slow funky dub with tons of echo on the toast. Nice up de dance, star! Some kind of odd party horn – clearly a very street-level production…
4. **relaxed groove with flutes and breathy tenor love song.
5. ***VERY relaxed groove, mostly bass and bongos. It’s not Isaac Hayes, but not for want of trying… Riddim switches up to medtempo and gets much funkier after a couple of minutes. Instrumental.
6. ***Aw, this is cute! Downtempo skank with tenor vocals and really fun backing vocals.
7. ***rather mindbogglingly stupid spoken intro, then very downtempo skank with toast. I like this because it’s truly inane. Ha!
8. **it’s a relief to hear really good singers after that… midtempo skank with lots of extra production, the Heptones fine vocals, even a bit of wah wah guitar.
9. ***big Vegas horns, then midtempo funky skank, vocals only on chorus (think Average White Band.)
10. ****downtempo skank with demented keyboards, strong rhythm section. Great relaxed funky sound. I know I’m easily amused, and I don’t care…
11. 70’s urban jazz – the slickest thing on the collection, very “important.”
12. *downtempo bubble with lots of harmony, cover of a Chicago song (huh!) done completely differently (thank god).
13. **kinda like the original with extra noises for emphasis and set to a midtempo bubble. Oooh, doggonit! That’s angst for ya… Nice vocal harmonies, but they’re no Temps, alas.
14. ***midtempo slightly dubby funky strut with keyboards, instrumental.
15. ***midtempo skank with conversation between toaster and original vocals – classic sound system sound from an early master.
16. Not the usual Pablo fare (no melodica, fer godsake!), instrumental cover of “Ain’t No Sunshine When She’s Gone.” Pablo musta been WELL high.
17. **the version is better, with some dub to mess things up a bit.
18. ****a bit uptempo skank, fine vocals – originally banned because it implicated Babylon Shitsdom in the violence in the ghetto…