Rating System Best Albums Since 1965 Best Artists of 90s Best of 20th Century Best Reggae Albums Best New Artists Other Lists 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999 1998 1997 1996 1995 1994 1993 1992 1991 1990 1989 1988 1987 1986 1985 1984 1983 1982 1981 1980 1979 1978 1977 1976 1975 1974 1973 1972 1971 1970 1969 1968 1967 1966 1965 1949-1964

Think I'm obsessive? Go here and catch the list bug yourself, mwa ha ha haaaa:

All-Time Favorite Reggae Albums

I thought Bob Marley was a folk singer when I first heard of him around the time he died. I wasn't entirely wrong, but it wasn't until college that I learned from a couple dreads with a radio show that there was more to reggae than Marley. A couple decades later, I've absorbed hundreds of albums, visited Jamaica, read a dozen books on it, and participated in reggae discussion forums. Yet I still feel like I don't know much. Since the early 1960s, there has been an unprecedented proportion of talented active musicians in Jamaica. I wouldn't be surprised if musician was the top occupation, at least through the 80s. Every year previously unknown gems are being unearthed and reissued. The vast quantity of records made during the crazy and chaotic era of reggae's 70's peak guarantees this will continue for some time. My list is hardly definitive. It shows my obsession for Toots & The Maytals, and my preference for quirky, lesser known albums by Rico, Justin Hinds, Cedric Brooks, Ijahman and all things Lee Perry. But if your only point of reference is Bob Marley (whom I love and is well represented), or you've only associated reggae only with annoying hackey sack-tossing college trustifarians, you'll find some rewarding stuff here.

1. The Congos - Heart Of The Congo (Blood & Fire) 77
2. Toots & the Maytals - Funky Kingston (Mango) 73
3. Junior Murvin - Police & Thieves (Mango) 77
4. Lee Perry & The Upsetters - Super Ape (Mango) 76
5. Rico - Man From Wareika (Island) 76
6. Justin Hinds & The Dominoes - Jezebel (Island) 76
7. Cedric Im Brooks - The Light Of Saba (Total Sounds/Honest Jon's) 76
8. Max Romeo & the Upsetters - War Ina Babylon (Mango/Hip-O Select) 76
9. Junior Byles - Beat Down Babylon (Trojan) 72
10. The Abyssinians - Satta Massagana (Heartbeat) 76
11. Keith Hudson - Flesh Of My Skin, Blood Of My Blood (Mamba/Atra) 74
12. Yabby You - Conquering Lion (Prophets/Blood & Fire) 72
13. Bob Marley & the Wailers - Natty Dread (Tuff Gong/Island) 74
14. The Mighty Diamonds - Right Time (Shanachie) 76
15. Jimmy Cliff - The Harder They Come (Mango) 72
16. Bob Marley & the Wailers - Catch A Fire (Tuff Gong/Island) 72
17. George Faith - To Be A Lover (Black Swan/Hip-O Select) 77
18. Burning Spear - Marcus Garvey (Mango) 75
19. The Mystic Revelation Of Rastafari - Tales Of Mozambique (Dynamic) 75
20. Max Romeo & the Upsetters - Revelation Time (Trojan/Blood & Fire) 75
21. The Heptones - Party Time (Mango/Island) 77
22. Culture - Two Sevens Clash (Shanachie) 77
23. Dennis Brown - Visions of Dennis Brown (Shanachie/Joe Gibbs) 78
24. Dennis Brown - Wolves And Leopards (Blue Moon) 77
25. The Heptones - Night Food (Mango/Island) 76
26. The Maytals - Monkey Man (Trojan) 70
27. Lee Perry & the Upsetters - Blackboard Jungle Dub (Upsetter/Trojan) 73
28. The Meditations - Message From The Meditations (UA) 76
29. Lee Perry - Roast Fish Collie Weed and Corn Bread (Upsetter/VP) 78
30. The Chantells - Waiting In The Park (Phase One) 78
31. Ijahman - Haile I Hymn (Mango/Jahmani) 78
32. The Jolly Brothers - Conscious Man (Seven Leaves) 78
33. The Meditations - Wake Up (Third World) 78
34. Bunny Wailer - Blackheart Man (Island) 76
35. Johnny Clarke - Rockers Time Now (Front Line) 76
36. Jacob Miller - Who Say Jah No Dread (Ras) 75
37. Toots & the Maytals - In The Dark (Trojan) 73
38. The Chantells - Children Of Jah 1977-79 (Blood & Fire)
39. Bob Marley & the Wailers - African Herbsman (Trojan) 72
40. Jimmy Cliff - Wonderful World, Beautiful People (Island/Trojan) 69
41. Kiddus I - Rockers: Graduation In Zion 1978-1980 (Dub Store)
42. The Upsetters - Return of Django (Trojan) 69
43. Bim Sherman - Love Forever (Tribesmen/Century) 78
44. The Maytals - From The Roots (Trojan) 70
45. Michael Prophet - Serious Reasoning (Island) 80
46. Bob Marley & the Wailers - Soul Rebels (Trojan) 70
47. Horace Andy - In The Light (Blood & Fire) 77
48. Cedric Im Brooks - The Light Of Saba In Reggae (Total Sounds) 77
49. Bob Marley & the Wailers - Burnin' (Tuff Gong/Island) 73
50. Augustus Pablo - This Is (Kaya/Heartbeat) 73
51. Prince Lincoln & The Royal Rasses - Humanity (Ballistic/Orange Street) 79
52. Dennis Brown - Just Dennis (Trojan) 74
53. Harry Mudie - Harry Mudie Meets King Tubby In Dub Conference Vol. One (Moodisc) 76
54. The Royals - Pick Up The Pieces (Pressure Sounds) 77
55. Augustus Pablo - East Of The River Nile (Message/Shanachie) 77
56. Bob Marley & the Wailers - Exodus (Tuff Gong/Island) 77
57. Rico & The Rudies - Blow Your Horn (Trojan) 69
58. The Maytals - Sweet And Dandy (Beverly's) 70
59. Bob Andy - Song Book (Studio One) 70
60. Horace Andy - Skylarking (Trojan) 70
61. The Cables - What Kind Of World (Heartbeat) 70
62. Cedric Im Brooks & The Divine Light - From Mento To Reggae To Third World Music (Doctor Bird) 75
63. Toots & the Maytals - Reggae Got Soul (Mango) 76
64. Gladiators - Trench Town Mix Up (Front Line/Virgin) 76
65. Yabby You - Chant Down Babylon Kingdom (Nationwide) 76
66. The Wailing Souls (Studio One) 76
67. Johnny Clarke - Authorized Version (Front Line) 76
68. Cedric Im Brooks - United Africa (Aquarius) 78
69. Burning Spear - Social Living (Blood & Fire) 78
70. Gregory Isaacs - Soon Forward (Virgin) 79
71. Sylford Walker & Welton Irie - Lambs Bread International (Blood & Fire) 79
72. Norris Reid - Give Jah The Praises (Rockers) 79
73. Dennis Brown - Words Of Wisdom (Shanachie) 79
74. Dennis Brown - Joseph's Coat Of Many Colours (Shanachie/Blood & Fire) 79
75. Ijahman - Are We A Warrior (Mango/Jahmani) 79
76. The Silvertones - Silver Bullets (Trojan) 73
77. Horace Andy - Pure Ranking (Clocktower) 79
78. Herman Chin-Loy - Aquarius Rock (Pressure Sounds) 73
79. Rico - Midnight In Ethiopia (Island) 77
80. The Mystic Revelation Of Rastafari - Grounation (Ashanti/MRR) 72
81. Cornell Campbell - Natty Dread In A Greenwich Farm (Grounation) 75
82. Joe Higgs - Life of Contradiction (Vulcan/Lagoon) 75
83. Linval Thompson - I Love Marijuana (Trojan) 78
84. Hugh Mundell - Africa Must Be Free By 1983 (Ras) 75
85. Cedric Im Brooks & The Light Of Saba - Sabebe (Total Sounds) 78
86. Junior Delgado - Taste Of The Young Heart (DEB) 78
87. Gladiators - Proverbial Reggae (Front Line/Virgin) 78
88. Dr. Alimantado - Best Dressed Chicken In Town (Greensleeves) 78
89. Gregory Isaacs - Cool Ruler (Front Line) 78
90. Rod Taylor - If Jah Should Come Now (Daddy Kool) 83
91. Cornell Campbell - I Shall Not Remove 1975-80 (Blood & Fire) 80
92. Tetrack - Let's Get Started (Greensleeves) 80
93. Hugh Mundell - Time And Place (Jet Star/Rockers) 80
94. Bob Marley & the Wailers - Rastaman Vibration (Tuff Gong/Island) 76
95. The Morwells - Crab Race (Burning Sounds) 77
96. Burning Spear - Man In The Hills (Mango) 76
97. Third World - 96 Degrees in the Shade (Mango) 77
98. Ras Michael & The Sons Of Negus - Kibir-Am-Lak (Greensleeves) 77
99. Prince Far I - Heavy Manners (Joe Gibbs/TP) 77
100. Wayne Wade - Black Is Our Colour (Grove) 77

-- A.S. Van Dorston

All-Time Favorite Reggae Albums | Mar 13

The Stooges Play Madonna | Mar 11

Hard Rock Park | Mar 4

Nação Zumbi: Brainy Crabs & Cannibals | Feb 3

The Best Artists of the 00s (So Far) | Jan 29

Book Review: Lewis Shiner, Glimpses | Jan 21

2007 Year-End Summary & Fester's Lucky 13s | Dec 30

Woofers Go Wubble: Dubstep | Dec 10

Analog Vs. Digital Redux | Dec 5

2007 Reissues | Dec 3

End of Year Critic's Lists | Dec 3

The Next Great American Band | Nov 1

Complete Home Theater Systems | Oct 1

Criminally Underappreciated 90's Guitar Bands | Aug 1

1987: 20th Year Reunion | Apr 20

You can buy some of the albums reviewed/listed in Fast 'n' Bulbous, particularly imports and reissues, at The Ideal Copy. Since Amazon inhaled CDNow and Djangos lied and cheated me out of my affiliate credit, I'm banning corporate affiliates. Shop indie! If you can't find what you're looking for at The Ideal Copy, check Insound, Alldirect, Dustygroove, and Siren Disc for imports.

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Since October 1995, Fast 'n' Bulbous has been a one man operation, a labor of love rather than profit venture. I maintain an editorial policy of publishing mainly positive reviews, with the idea that people should be turned on to the best music. I only review what I feel like because I don't get paid for it. If you think I should review something I don't like, feel free to pay me. I will happily (or begrudgingly, depending on my mood) review crappy albums for $.50 a word. Don't think this buys you a positive review, this ain't Rolling Stone. Most likely I'll attack it like a rabid dog on a captured squirrel.

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