Various Artists - Reggae

This is a really good starting point, which incorporates lots of early Bob Marley & the Wailers recordings. In his book Bass Culture, Lloyd Bradley states his personal opinion that the greatest reggae ever made is the early Wailers recordings. Lots of tracks are here including "Duppy Conqueror'', ''Trench Town Rock'' and my personal favourite which is ''Soul Shakedown Party''. There is even some old John Holt recordings and some Horace Andy gems;

This is immersed with some Lee Perry and The Upsetters. I picked up this album from Northside Records when I was in Melbourne and it only cost me $5, so I have been blessed with a serious bargain. If one was to describe reggae to another person, it would take the form like an iceberg, with the top parts incorporating the classics like Marley and Cliff, but there is a whole other world beneath what appears to be a small surface.

Righteous Man - R.I.O.T

I picked this up from an op shop one day for $2. I tried searching for information on this mysterious Righteous Man, and it eluded me on every search. ITunes did not recognise the album, and there was no track listing available. There is even an extra track that is not registered on the track listing on the back of the album. The back cover is graced by a photo of Ras Kimono and someone else who is unidentifiable. Ras Kimono is wearing what appears to be a Peter Tosh t-shirt with, what I can barely make out, the words Legalize It blazoned upon it. Musically it's quite interesting, it is obviously dancehall and the era is 1998. The track that really stands out is ''No Love'', which has synth trumpets and female backing singers. I cannot track down the unknown song name or anything thing about the enigma that is Righteous Man; it remains a seriously intriguing mystery.

Salmonella Dub - Ez On (Radio Cut)

This is a single from the album One Drop East, and it's quite the fusion of different influences from these guys from Aotearoa. There is a prevalent horn section with some futuristic synthesizer, with light vocals and thoughtful lyrics. I actually picked up this single from Northside Records in Fitzroy, Melbourne on a pilgrimage last year, for football and reggae releases. Again the influence of Herbs is massive, with choir like vocals and angelic harmonies. They are quite the seasoned act, having formed in 1992, having up to 12 albums in their catalogue. One Drop East was actually rereleased with remixes of the album tracks which really show how much digital influence is on this band's music, which is really a delight.

Katchafire - Best So Far

This is an absolutely terrific purchase and I cannot believe how good this album is. Herbs really laid down on the table the bare roots of Oceanian reggae, and it has never been surpassed, but Katchafire came along and came ever so close to topping it. The tracks to look out for are ''Feels Like'', ''Groove Again'', "Reggae Revival'' and ''Sweet As''. New Zealand reggae to me represents a struggle against colonialism and for identity against pure evil; it is so untouched and unheard of by many, barely making ripples, but the music stands head and shoulders above a lot of contemporary music. It is groovy, well composed with terrific musicianship and lyrical content. It is basically all you could wish for in music.

Maxi Priest - Man With The Fun

This is a 90's era album of reggae by Maxi Priest, who was actually born in London. His cover of ''Wild World'' is incredibly famous, the song also being covered by Jimmy Cliff who does a stirring rendition himself, and of course the original song is by Cat Stevens. Perhaps the track that really stands out is ''That Girl'' which is basically incredibly famous in reggae. He also offers a cover of The Police, ''Message In A Bottle'', and teams up with Chaka Deemus & Pliers for one song and also Buju Banton for another. This is basically a fun album that is well produced for its time, it only cost me $5 and probably a fair reflection of how famous reggae once was, with Maxi Priest having a US Billboard number one single in 1990 with ''Close To You''.

Various Artists - Reggae On The River: The 10th Anniversary: Part 2

This is part of a compilation of artists performing at the annual reggae festival Reggae on the River in California, regarded as being the best world music festival in the United States. The line-up is fairly reflective of the era, with the big names like Third World, Jimmy Cliff and Lucky Dube. The real highlights include the opening track and closing track by Judy Mowatt, a cover of the original track by The Band and Bob Dylan, ''I Shall Be Released'', which was actually covered and recorded by the Jamaican group The Heptones. The other standout track is the closing track which is a cover of The Wailer's ''One Love''. Live reggae music is often neglected by many but this album really captures the vibes of the festival, proving that reggae can by bright, colourful and nurturing the very soul of us all.

Mista Savona Presents Sizzla - Born A King

An extremely talented artist in his own right, Sizzla here teams up with Mista Savona, who is a Melbourne based keyboardist. Sizzla amongst a lot of his controversial lyrics, including gay hate, he remains proudly Rastafarian, and he is at his best when he is most peaceful. His album Bobo Ashanti had glimpses of brilliance, but the tracks to check out here are ''I'm Living'' and ''Cold War''. Even the stunning acoustic version of ''I'm Living'' is a joy to behold. So amid his controversy, he remains one of the genre's best contemporary artists, who has a vast and sheer discography that dwarfs many reggae musicians, if not any musician from any genre, and he has mastered the style of Rastafarian dancehall.