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Rip It Up, Issue 98, 1 September 1985, Page 8

Shock black bubble downbeat bouncing Rockwlse tumbledown sound music Foot drop find drum blood story Bass history Is a moving Is a hurting black story..

(Linton Kwesi Johnson 'Reggae Sounds’)

Hey, whafoppen? Suddenly the Well Dread fraternity Is die ya country Is alone no more. After some three summers In the wilderness, we are again welcome In the record shops. Now, if we could Just get

mainstream radio to show some Interest ...

But who knows, that may yet come. Certainly, the major record companies have begun to respond to the rebirth of interest in reggae. Virgin have released their excellent Massive compilation and are promising a ÜB4O dub work, plus

the LP by Lovers Rock Specialist Maxi Priest. Jayrem have released the very fine Gregory ISSACS/Dennis Brown collaboration Judge Not and are also promising more, while Festival, who have access to just about the finest reggae catalogue outside JA, are weighing in with the Island Reggae Greats series, brought out in Britain in association with Red Stripe beer. Only three of the series have been pressed locally, because Festival Australia is still indifferent to reggae, but the rest are being imported. You gotta be quick (the LKJ comp sold 1 out instantly, but cassettes are still available in some Auckland shops), but the prices are better-than-average and the product overall is of a high standard. Some of these albums are already in the shops (the Toots, Wail-

ers and Third World LPs are the local pressings). The LKJ, as already mentioned, has come and gone (will they bring in more?), and the rest will trickle in over the next month or so. Keep your eyes open for the covers, all sketches or paintings and all beautiful. Let us step through the rockers gallery ...