Elsewhere: Rasta magic beyond space and time

By GRAHAM REID

LINVAL THOMPSON: Ride on Dreadlocks 1975-77

(Blood and Fire/Chant)

Most of Thompson's classic Jamaican singles were cut with legendary producer Bunny Lee (who also acted as character witness and bail bondsman for Dreads in Difficulty). This terrific 11-track collection naturally leans heavily on the righteousness of Jah, the certainty of being a dreadlock Rasta, and that when you were in a studio and the herb started healing your soul that magic beyond space and time was available to you. In Thompson's case all that mostly occurred with Bunny Lee in the late 70s.

So here be the extended, dub-heavy versions of his choppy-guitar, bass-drop singles including a play-loud treatment of Long Long Dreadlocks and Don't Cut off Your Dreadlocks/Joyful Locks with toaster U-Roy.

With a classic, melodic and light reggae voice, Thompson made a template for much of what followed, but still sounds exciting. A Rosetta Stone between formative Rasta reggae, Jimmy Cliffs pop stylings, deep dub meditative-style, and the lovers rock of Gregory Isaac.

KING TUBBY: Essential Dub

(Metro/Triton)

Seventeen tracks of seminal Tubby dub from 75 wherein the studio master dubs down Tommy McCook and the Aggrovators (with some only ordinary results in places), his own horn-section pop reggae, and melodica player Augustus Pablo's chugging, Marley-framed groove on Barbwire Disaster. Genius, in patches. But speaking of Pablo ...

AUGUSTUS PABLO: The Great Pablo

(Music Club/Triton)

If Pablo were known for nothing else here it was in providing the theme for Duncan Campbell's much respected, and long-running reggae show on bFM.

That should be recommendation enough. This 21-track collection of early tracks is convincing evidence he was a prescient genius in his marriage of loping reggae riddims, expansive jazz improvisations and melodic spin-outs. Toaster Dennis Alcapone adds another dimension to Mava, the dubs are dark and spacious, and Lee Perry appears later on. It also reminds you Pablo was a man of great moments. And some other stuff too.

TOOTS AND THE MAYTALS: 20 Massive Hits

(Metro/Triton)

Toots and his compilers have been down the hits path before. And by most people's count Toots only had a few massive hits: 54-46, Pressure Drop, Monkey Man, Do the Reggay, Time Touch and Funky Kingston. That's it. So anything good after those soul sounding, ska-into-reggae classics is a bonus. This 20 track collection has all the hits and bonuses besides: the punk-paced ska of Alidina, the pop of Peeping Tom, the chipper lope and 50s throwback pop of It Must Be True Love ... But, as with the Pablo, other Toots too.

LEE PERRY: The Upsetter: Essential Madness from the Scratch Files

(Metro/Triton)

So much Scratch, and so much of it Essential, huh? But this 18-track collection opens with his 67 declaration of intent with The Upsetter, includes eerily seminal dub-ups (Kimble anticipates the madness and studio genius that was to come), the silly but dark Still Jestering and the steamy City Too Hot. If early Perry madness hasn't made it your way, this is an excellent starting place.

LEE PERRY: Techno Party

(Ariwa/Chant)

Scratch might have exhausted his ideas long ago. He's certainly been big in reissue. Although his From the Ancient Laboratory in 91 was evidence you never count out a crazy. Then Mad Professor got Perry into the studio in a more controlled way. Techno Party is Scratch again with Prof at the controls who puts the master into techno-reggae and dubby trip-hop contexts. The title track reconfigures Punky Reggae Party and No Dreads sounds like a reworking of Marley's Colt the Game with Perry firing off typically bizarre salvos at targets which seem to include British Airways, the Queen and Snoopy. Scratch uses nursery rhymes, no one is safe from his rage (Aleister Crowley isn't immune) and the Prof brings in reggae-style drum'n'bass on the Scratch-sampled Papa Rappa.

Scratch, and the Prof, on your back.