Jamaican record producer Bunny ‘Striker’ Lee had an ear for quality music and head for business. He was an early licensor to Pama and Trojan Records in England, helping solidify Jamaican reggae and soul as a world and cultural phenomena both in Great Brittain and abroad.
Like with country music and metal, I’m very particular about the kind of reggae I like. This 2xLP compilation gathers an essential collection of Lee’s hits as a producer from 1968 to 1972 – and it’s a perfect example of what the good stuff looks and sounds like. It has all the trappings of the style of ska and reggae that gets me going: American rock ‘n’ roll influences mixed with island beats and mid-tempo playfulness, with a nod to the British Skinhead markets to top it off. It’s nice and calm, but you could also get into a good fight to it.
Early reggae and ska have such a unique goofiness mixed into its socially aware attitude it can easily become a transportive experience. Just ask the late-’60s Skinheads. I can picture a Jamaican sound system in the late 1960s with hundreds of young people dancing and drinking just as simply as I can see their English Skinhead counterparts in a crowded dancehall of the same era. There’s so much fun going on that no one is thinking about the economy, poverty, or work. Everyone is smiling and living in the moment. Violence is likely to break out eventually, but I suppose that’s part of the allure.
Featuring a dozen or so artists, “Full Up” encapsulates an attitude, a style, and a sound that would influence artists and subcultures for decades to come. If you’re interested in early reggae, “Full Up” is a good place to start. It’s one of those compilations that can quickly lead to wider fandom simply by the quality of the artists featured. Old punk compilations always served the same purpose for me. They, like this, are lists or jumping off points. The information and introductions have been made. All you have to do is shake the hand and do your best not to embarrass yourself.
James is a writer, record collector, wrestling nerd, and tabletop gamer living with his family in Asheville, North Carolina. He is a member of the Southeastern Film Critics Association, the North Carolina Film Critics Association, and contributes to The Daily Orca, Razorcake Magazine, Mountain Xpress, and Asheville Movies.