It’s an irregular feast but whenever it arrives, the next instalment of Original Gravity Records’ Reggae Dynamite series always offers up four more tasty treats in the style of the ‘Sound of ’69.’ So here we are with Vol. 6 which consists of three vocal cuts (featuring Max Iss, Donoya Drake and reggae legend Dave Barker) plus one instrumental. The label should probably get someone it knows well to write some sleeve notes for that…
“This is reggae dynamite! It good for your soul, make yuh feel alright! So shake to da riddim widda alla yuh might! Come nuh fellow rudeboys and let us unite!”
Who can resist such an exhortation from Max Iss which functions not only as the explosive intro to this EP’s opening and title track but as both a retrospective and future clarion call for the whole of Original Gravity Records’ Reggae Dynamite series? Those with even an ounce of love for the sound of early reggae will be up and doing the moon stomp along with probably anyone else with ears, hips and a pulse to boot – pun intended. And once there’s a whole lot of skankin’ going on, this release shifts things into an even higher gear with the arrival of Donnoya Drake and a boss version of much covered funk-soul standard, Mr Big Stuff. How do you follow that? Why – with yet another appearance on the label from the mighty Mr Dave Barker (yes – the ‘Dave’ from Dave and Ansell Collins!) with his take on Brenton Wood’s classic soul nugget, Gimme Little Sign. Add in the Woodfield Road Allstars’ organ-led instrumental Gimme Little Version and the dance is well and truly niced up!
Words: Stone Monkey/ monkeyboxing.com
(0ut now on Original Gravity Records)