Review: Charles Strite might have invented the toaster, but it was U Roy who invented toasting. The first ever album from reggae legend U Roy aka. Ewart Beckford - three years before his self-titled debut-debut - Version Galore first appeared on Treasure Isle, and was a gleaming cornucopia of all the rocksteady singles he'd been releasing and performing since at least 1969. The album is emblematic of Beckford's distinctive rap-singing over the beat, known as 'toasting', a hallmark of all reggae-adjacent sounds to this day.
Queen Majesty (Chalice In The Palace) (feat Robbie Shakespeare) (4:18)
Small Axe (feat Jesse Royal) (5:15)
Wear You To The Ball (feat Richie Spice) (2:59)
Every Knee Shall Bow (feat Big Youth & Mick Jones) (15:25)
Every Knee Shall Bow (Scientist dub) (15:03)
Review: Reggae mainstay and early genre innovator U Roy affectionately became known as The Originator, and for good reason. He made an indelible mark on the Jamaican scene as soon as he arrived on it in the1970s and his signature vocal style soon became what is now known as "toasting." It was such an influential development that it even spread across the waters to influence goings-on in the US as a foundational aspect of the development of rap which was going at the time. Solid Gold is one of his most acclaimed albums and a gold standard with guests like Sly and Robbie, David Bowie and Mick Jones for The Clash.
Review: You don't get dubbed The Originator for nothing: U Roy was a real reggae pioneer almost from the moment he burst onto the Jamaican scene in the early 19070s. He was an early pioneer in the vocal style known as toasting, which also had an influence on the earliest days of ra across the water in America. His fourth full length album Natty Rebel has not been in print for 30 years but now the 11 bouncy cuts produced by Tony Robison are back on wax once more. Next tot he reggae rollers are some special disco-tinged grooves such as 'Have Mercy' and 'Go There Natty' to make this all the more essential.
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