1. Various Artists

The series from VP Records' reissue imprint 17 North Parade continues to produce absolutely exquisite vintage reggae compilations, and this is among the best of them so far. It focuses on the work of, both as a singer and founding member of, and as a producer responsible for such deathless rhythms as 'Stalag 17' and 'Double Barrel.' Attentive fans of early hip-hop will hear on this two-disc collection some of the most heavily sampled recordings in reggae history, as well as a good number of worthy obscurities. As a band, were very good, but the compilers of this set were wise to limit the tracks to only two: 'You Don't Care' and 'Love Is Not a Gamble.' Even in the rocksteady years, 's real genius was as a producer of other singers, and it's the songs by, and that really shine on disc one. It's the final track on that disc, 's classic 'Bam Bam,' that introduces the 'Stalag 17' rhythm in preparation for the first four tracks on disc two, all of which are based on the same rhythm and one of which is 's 'Ring the Alarm,' one of the three or four finest dancehall tracks ever recorded.

The remainder of the second disc is given over to classic dancehall of the late '80s and early '90s, and includes more brilliant material (plus a few puzzling clunkers) from the likes of, and. Brings the slackness and teams up with for an outstanding combination version of 'Hic Up,' and a very young offers a preview of what his future career would hold. Listened to from beginning to end, this collection provides an excellent cross section of reggae styles spanning nearly three decades, represented by some of the music's strongest recordings.

Winston Riley – Quintessential Techniques. Label: 17 North Parade – VP 4158. Series: Reggae Anthology –. Format: 2 × CD, Compilation. Released: Oct 2009. Genre: Reggae. Style: Rocksteady, Reggae, Dancehall.Missing. View credits, reviews, tracks and shop for the 2009 CD release of Quintessential Techniques on Discogs.

Long before the Velvet Underground, Lou Reed made his performing and songwriting debut as a member of the Shades, who made one obscure single for the Time label in 1957. (Confusingly, this is listed as a 45 by 'the Jades' in the Velvet Underground Appreciation Society's discography, but other sources name the band as the Shades.) Reed, credited as 'Lewis Reed,' wrote one of the sides, 'Leave Her for Me,' an average, unmemorable doo wop-pop ballad. Better was the more uptempo flip, 'So Blue,' though this too was almost prototypical teen vocal group fodder. Reed did not sing lead on either of the cuts, and if he did backup harmonies or played any of the instruments, it's not known for sure. Reed once recalled that New York DJ Murray the K played it once, which gave Reed 78 cents in royalties. The original 45 is very rare, but has been reissued on bootlegs.

Various Artists

Richie Unterberger View on Apple Music. GENRE.