Please recommend a reggae starter/sampler CD

[vivalostwages]

This would be for my 76-year-old mom, who–after years of Glenn Miller, Spike Jones, and Perry Como–just discovered reggae last week. (Seriously.) She really likes reggae songs now when she hears them on the car radio…so I need some recommendations for a greatest hits, compilation, or something.

[JillGat]

She may actually really like the early Jamaican rocksteady and ska stuff. But if you want to start with one, get “Legend” - Bob Marley.

[peepthis]

Can you be more specific about what kind of reggae, since there are many different kinds? There’s the more traditional (Bob Marley, Big Mountain, etc.) all the way to dance hall reggae (Buju Banton, Bounty Killer, etc.). For a grandma I’m assuming the former, but then again maybe you’ve got a groovin’ granny!

[RTA]

I would suggest the soundtrack to the movie The Harder They Come. A true classic, and very accessible to all ages.

[Billy_Baroo]

Black Uhuru Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner – one of my all-time favorite records.

[_your_name_here]

i also suggest buju banton.

[vivalostwages]

*Originally posted by peepthis *
**Can you be more specific about what kind of reggae, since there are many different kinds? There’s the more traditional (Bob Marley, Big Mountain, etc.) all the way to dance hall reggae (Buju Banton, Bounty Killer, etc.). For a grandma I’m assuming the former, but then again maybe you’ve got a groovin’ granny! **

---

Well, I’m not familiar with the various kinds myself…so I think I’ll aim for something traditional for a starter.

Thanks, everyone!

[Truth_Seeker]

JillGat is correct. Everyone’s else suggestions so far are excellent. But if you’re going to get just one album, it’s got to be Marley. If you’re going get just one Marley album, it’s got to be Legend.

[rackensack]

The suggestion of the soundtrack to The Harder They Come gets my vote as well, though if it hadn’t been out of print these fifteen years and more, I might suggest the various artists disc *This Is Reggae Music * originally released on Island Records in the mid 1970s. The track list:

1. This Is Reggae Music performed by Zap Pow - 3:07
   2. I Shot the Sheriff performed by Wailers [1] - 4:40
   3. The World Is Upside Down performed by Higgs, Joe - 2:55
   4. Hey Mister Yesterday performed by Cliff, Jimmy - 2:55
   5. Funky Kingston performed by Maytals - 4:55
   6. Breakfast in Bed performed by Bennett, Lorna - 3:08
   7. Louie, Louie performed by Maytals - 3:43
   8. Guava Jelly performed by Gray, Owen - 2:59
   9. Book of Rules performed by Heptones - 3:30
   10. Concrete Jungle performed by Wailers [1]

If you can ever find a copy, it makes a great companion piece to the THTC soundtrack, since it has no overlap whatever with it, and includes performances by Joe Higgs, the Maytals, and of course, the Wailers.

[The_Big_Cheese]

A movie I saw back in the '80’s was ‘Rockers’, and the album is very good also. It has Isaacs, Burning Spear, Third World, a lot of the popular ones at that time (when reggae was better than it is now-imho), big names save for Marley and Cliff. Another good one to check out.

Harder They Come is the definitive album though, great movie too!

[Yookeroo]

I say go with Legend too.

[vivalostwages]

Well, I ordered Legend for ma and me.
Thanks again for all the suggestions.