Fire Over Babylon: Dread, Peace and Conscious Sounds at Studio One

Studio One was known as the Jamaican Motown because countless artists emerged from its training ground, including Bob Marley and the Wailers and Ken Boothe. Despite being the key site of ska innovation in the early 1960s, Studio One ended up in Treasure Isle’s shadow during rocksteady and scored fewer hits than Channel One or Joe Gibbs during the roots reggae heyday of the late 70s. But, as revealed on this stellar compilation, the production values never dropped, its deliciously lo-fi sound and permissive atmosphere yielding some excellent Rastafari-oriented output.

With the exception of Freddie McGregor’s ‘I Am a Revolutionist’, much of the work collected here is obscure. Judah Eskender Tafari’s anthem-like ‘Always Trying’ is a beautiful declaration of spiritual faith and The Gladiators’ ‘Serious Thing’ uses proverbs to warn against the spreading of false doctrine. The Viceroys’ ‘So Many Problems’ is an alternate reading of Horace Andy’s ‘Every Knee Shall Bow’ and the Wailing Souls’ ‘Without You’ transforms Burning Spear’s ‘Creation Rebel’ into a heartfelt love song. Studio One fans will delight at the intense works gathered here, and there is plenty to discover for those not already well-versed in the hallowed label.