from the LP Firehouse Rock, Greensleeves Records, 1981The cool breezes of autumn have finally arrived here along the front range, and I couldn’t be happier about it---there’s nothing like having the windows open, A/C off, the crisp mountain air gusting into your soul & lifting your spirit right up high, blazing warm sun providing the climatic balance that’s core to why people love living out here. That’s a flowery way of explaining why roots reggae is currently blasting out of all the speakers in my house---well, that, and a phat spliff which is fast disappearing. Not to be confused with Marley’s former crew or backing band, the Wailing Souls are a surefire Jamaican roots tradition who have supplied the world with their easy-going brand of reggae vibes for five decades now, and though there have been many lineup changes over the years, their sound hasn’t lost any of it’s punch. This LP is probably their best known outside of the island, and for good reason, as they were backed here by the tighter-than-tight Roots Radics (…is there any amazing vocal crew the Radics haven’t played behind at one point or another?!...), and everything got mixed down by dub-wizard Scientist; quite frankly, all of the albums they released between 1975 and 1984 are pretty fucking essential for roots fiends. These cats still tour all over the place, always a good time.
