Easy Skanking

It’s been a cold month here in the northeast and now seems like a good time to warm things up with some reggae. If one believes the stories, punk and reggae have been unlikely musical allies ever since Don Letts shared his Jamaican record collection with the first punks in London in the 1970s (when the English skinheads were still grooving to Jamaican ska music). Growing up on Long Island, my friends and I listened to punk and reggae albums interchangeably (I was more into ska) and by the end of the '90s I felt I had a good understanding of Rastafari beliefs thanks to all those roots reggae lyrics.

The original Wailers (Peter Tosh, Bob Marley, 
and Bunny Wailer)

From its humble origins in ‘60s Jamaica, reggae music- which includes ska, rock steady, and dub- has inspired countless artists around the world including Paul Simon, Stevie Wonder, and the Clash. Everyone knows Bob Marley- Jamaica's first reggae ambassador to the world- but there still remains a lot of wonderful reggae music just waiting to be discovered- and that’s part of the fun. Here are some of my favorite reggae songs (interesting how there's nothing from the ‘80s and ‘90s). Enjoy!

Rebelution

01. Bob Marley & The Wailers – “Africa Unite” (1979)
02. Ken Boothe – “Everything I Own” (1974)
03. Justin Hinds & The Dominoes – “Natty Take Over” (1976)
04. Rebelution – “Fade Away” (2014)
05. The Wailers – “Get Up Stand Up (Live)” (1973)
06. Bunny Wailer – “Dreamland” (1980)
07. Bob Marley & The Wailers – “No Woman, No Cry (Live)” (1975)
08. Burning Spear – “Door Peep” (1976)
09. Bunny Wailer – “This Train” (1976)
10. Peter Tosh – “Legalize It” (1976)
11. Ken Boothe – “Is It Because I’m Black?” (1973)
12. Rebelution – “Safe and Sound” (2007)
13. Augustus Pablo and King Tubby – “King Tubby Meets Rockers Uptown” (1976)
14. Bob Marley & The Wailers – “Is This Love” (1978)
15. Toots & The Maytals – “Famine” (1979)
16. Matisyahu – “Time of Your Song” (2006)
17. Bob Marley & The Wailers – “Trenchtown Rock (Live)” (1975)
18. Easy Star All-Stars feat. Morgan Heritage – “High and Dry” (2016)

Listen to the playlist on Spotify...