STUDIO ONE ROCKERS (Soul Jazz)
Rating: NNN Rating: NNN
If nothing else, Soul Jazz, the ultra-hip London label responsible for the 100% Dynamite series, now has to be considered a legit reggae label. In the great tradition of reggae imprints, it’s figured out a way to sell the same songs over and over again, despite the fact that they’ve already been reissued and repackaged countless times.
Studio One Rockers is a survey of Coxsone Dodd’s seminal roots and rocksteady label. It’s handsomely packaged, complete with a 34-page booklet that includes a dry, uninspiring Q&A where the questioners essentially set up the answers and Dodd tries not to seem too bored. There are also classic tracks by Sound Dimension, Marcia Griffiths, Horace Andy and Dawn Penn, remastered in a dance-floor style from the bass up, and while it’s always nice to hear No, No, No and Truth And Rights, it would also be nice to hear some of Studio One’s less obvious cuts. Expect a sequel next month.MG
