JOHNNY OSBOURNE Vinyl & CDs

Review: The Evil Curse Of The Vampires remains an all-time classic in the pantheon of early 80s dub albums. There have been some wranglings between Greensleeves and Scientist, commonly credited to this album which he mixed, but now the credit rests with Henry 'Junjo' Lawes who was credited as producer. Either way, the music remains unchanged, resting heavy on Channel One's sharp-shooting Roots Radics band to lay down the tracks, and with a second disc carrying some brilliant vocal turns from Michael Prophet, Wayne Jarrett, Johnny Osbourne and many more. Seminal stuff for anyone who takes their dub seriously.

Review: Johnny Osbourne delivers a timeless roots reggae masterpiece - originally released in 1979, the title track serves as a powerful personal manifesto, while 'Children Are Crying' issues a militant call to consciousness. Osbourne's convictions shine through on tracks like the soulful 'Can't Buy Love' and the spiritually uplifting 'Jah Promise'. Backed by expertly updated island rhythms, his emotive vocals and masterful songwriting create a captivating journey through roots reggae's diverse landscape. This deluxe expanded edition offers a deeper dive into Osbourne's artistry, with extended mixes of 'Sing Jay Stylee' and 'Can't Buy Love' adding new dimensions to the listening experience. This is a must-have for any fan of roots reggae and dub.

Review: Awesome reggae funk classic gets the Soul Jazz remastered 7 inch pressure reissue. Essential !

Review: Johnny Osbourne liked singing about love. The Jamaican born reggae maestro has said love is universal, a hurting thing, confidential, international and even supernatural. And frankly we're ahoy to hear him doing so - his honeyed tones a perfect mix for rolling and dubbed out rhythm that is lovably languid and overlaid with acoustic riffs and loose percussion. On the flip here we get a heady, dubbed out and psyched-up mix from the one and only Roots Radics. Both of these tunes are brilliant on a loud system and never fail make their mark.

Review: For their latest deep dive into the history of Jamaican music, Dr Bird has decided to deliver two key albums from the formative years of dancehall, both of which were produced by King Jammy and - remarkably - have never made it to CD before. Disc one boasts Sugar Minott's 1979 set Bitter Sweet, a super-sweet and hugely enjoyable collection that added traditional roots reggae style vocals and instrumentation to rhythms and grooves that provided the bedrock of the dancehall sound (for proof, check 'Give The People' and 'Not For Sale'). Over on CD2, it's all about Johnny Osbourne's 'Reggae On Broadway', a more weighty and low-slung affair that nevertheless proved influential to a whole generation of dancehall enthusiasts. 'Lend Me Your Chopper', 'Reggae On Broadway' and 'Folly Ranking' are particularly potent.