Toots & the Maytals

Kool & the Gang, “Funky Man”

The second Kool & the Gang record was a live album, including a couple tunes from the first record, but mostly otherwise new songs. They followed it up with another live record with more new material, which was an interesting move. Anyway, both live records rule, like all early Kool & the Gang material.

The Beatles, “Please Please Me”

It’s pretty fascinating that the band went from this to Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band in just four years. I guess that sort of rapid evolution can happen when you release nine albums in those four years.

The Maytals, “Daddy”

The first Maytals album, 1965’s The Sensational Maytals, was later re-issued with a bunch of extras and alternate takes as Sensational Ska Explosion. The extra junk is unnecessary, but the album is a great view into the early career of one of ska and reggae’s great acts. As this was very early in the development of the style, there is a fair bit of R&B on the album, such as this track.

Please listen to these songs. They need love. Or don’t, but if you don’t, I don’t know why you’re here.

Secrets of the Sky, “Eternal Wolves”

Obviously, this is metal. I mean, come on. “Eternal Wolves”? So corny. Anyway, this is doom metal, one of the more theatric branches of the metal family tree, which is all about long build ups. I’m pretty hit or miss on doom in general, as sometimes the payoff isn’t really there for me.

Some strong hip hop, some great reggae, an instrumental trifle, and some classic rock. It’s Five Songs!

A Tribe Called Quest, “After Hours”

Part of a blossoming reaction to the preeminent aesthetic of late 80s hip hop, A Tribe Called Quest quickly became the greatest of the acts rejecting the posturing of so many of their peers. From their very first album, People’s Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm (which this song comes from), they were already executing a fully realized artistic vision, one perfected in their next album, The Low End Theory. The focus on addressing topics that other groups weren’t talking about along with a sonic palette that included far more jazz than was the norm helped them stand out from just about anybody else, excepting maybe De La Soul (who were frequent collaborators). Simply put, A Tribe Called Quest is one of the giants of hip-hop, and their first three albums are all essential listening.

Posting from the road! Are we going to get road trip music? Probably not.

DJ Krush, “Chie No Wa”

I should listen to more Japanese hip-hop. Anyway, DJ Krush is mostly instrumental, but here we have some rhyming. I’ve got a couple of his releases, and they’re pretty entertaining, if not quite the top of the pile for DJ records. Allmusic tells me this album is actually a mixtape of stuff he did with other artists?

I’m excited to see what comes up today! After yesterday’s contrasts, what twists and turns can we expect?

Toots & the Maytals, “Reggae Got Soul”

One of the great bands of the first wave of ska, Toots and the Maytals delivered some of the most memorable songs of that period, including the oft-covered and incredible “Pressure Drop”. Toots Hibbert is also credited with coming up with the term “reggae”. Like a lot of his peers, his discography can be a little confusing to follow, as a lot of his stuff was spread out across a bunch of places and there are innumerable compilations that you can find, with overlapping track lists. The Very Best of Toots & the Maytals is an excellent compilation as a starting point, though.