Punks' Reggae man, 30 Aug 2006
DJ Scratchy was a regular figure at Punk gigs in the late 70's. He was the DJ who introduced Reggae, Ska and Dub to the bondage trousered crowds at Clash gigs, tirelessly promoting the Jamaican sound. Here with this double CD he relaunched his career, and what a wonderful collection it is, with a mixture of old favourites and obscure gems. If you listen carefully, you can still feel the Punk vibe here and relive the whiff of stale beer and marijuana in the air of those grungy London clubs.

Memories!!, 18 Jan 2006
Basically, this is a fantastic album if you ever went to see The Clash and heard the DJ playing amazing reggae and feeling the bass thump into your chest as you walked in.

Brilliant stuff, superb selections - a real treat!!

Punks' Reggae man, 30 Aug 2006
DJ Scratchy was a regular figure at Punk gigs in the late 70's. He was the DJ who introduced Reggae, Ska and Dub to the bondage trousered crowds at Clash gigs, tirelessly promoting the Jamaican sound. Here with this double CD he relaunched his career, and what a wonderful collection it is, with a mixture of old favourites and obscure gems. If you listen carefully, you can still feel the Punk vibe here and relive the whiff of stale beer and marijuana in the air of those grungy London clubs.

Memories!!, 18 Jan 2006
Basically, this is a fantastic album if you ever went to see The Clash and heard the DJ playing amazing reggae and feeling the bass thump into your chest as you walked in.

Brilliant stuff, superb selections - a real treat!!

With Friends Less can be More., 31 Jul 2008
After the trilogy of Friends albums Jools returned with an album where the style and tone of the music was more suited to the big band sound of his Rhythm and Blues Orchestra. I was hoping he reverted to being the main singer but he shares the vocal duties with his regular female vocalists Sam Brown and Ruby Turner with a star turn by Beverly Turner and two with Solomon Burke including his greatest creation `Everybody Needs Somebody to Love'.

I think the album works best with the arrangement of the instrumental numbers and the songs which Jools sings but some of the guest vocalists are given sympathetic arrangements particularly Ruby Turners ambitious take on Dylan's `Blowin' in the Wind'.
Not a total return to form but still a worthwhile entry in the Holland cannon which was beginning to appear tired with the Friends albums coming out with seemingly the only reason to pay to keep an eighteen piece big band on the road.


Great......just great, 21 Jan 2008
I have been a great fan of Jools Holland for a long time, and brought this album without any need to look at reviews, and I wasn't disappointed, great piano led Blues and Jazz, along side fantastic vocals.

Magnificent, 24 Feb 2007
I have had this disc for 6 months or so. I have never written a review before but this disc demands it. I have a huge music collection and this energetic album is a real outstanding jewel. Every track is bursting with energy & tempo, huge big-band sounds and well mastered. For any fan of piano led blues and jazz this album is an absolute peach.

Cracking disc, 30 Aug 2006
Another winner from Jools and the gang. A great combination of foot-tapping tracks.

Great, 17 May 2006
This is an amazing album, one of Holland's best so far; every song is a gem; not to be missed by any fan of jazz or blues.

Punks' Reggae man, 30 Aug 2006
DJ Scratchy was a regular figure at Punk gigs in the late 70's. He was the DJ who introduced Reggae, Ska and Dub to the bondage trousered crowds at Clash gigs, tirelessly promoting the Jamaican sound. Here with this double CD he relaunched his career, and what a wonderful collection it is, with a mixture of old favourites and obscure gems. If you listen carefully, you can still feel the Punk vibe here and relive the whiff of stale beer and marijuana in the air of those grungy London clubs.

Memories!!, 18 Jan 2006
Basically, this is a fantastic album if you ever went to see The Clash and heard the DJ playing amazing reggae and feeling the bass thump into your chest as you walked in.

Brilliant stuff, superb selections - a real treat!!

With Friends Less can be More., 31 Jul 2008
After the trilogy of Friends albums Jools returned with an album where the style and tone of the music was more suited to the big band sound of his Rhythm and Blues Orchestra. I was hoping he reverted to being the main singer but he shares the vocal duties with his regular female vocalists Sam Brown and Ruby Turner with a star turn by Beverly Turner and two with Solomon Burke including his greatest creation `Everybody Needs Somebody to Love'.

I think the album works best with the arrangement of the instrumental numbers and the songs which Jools sings but some of the guest vocalists are given sympathetic arrangements particularly Ruby Turners ambitious take on Dylan's `Blowin' in the Wind'.
Not a total return to form but still a worthwhile entry in the Holland cannon which was beginning to appear tired with the Friends albums coming out with seemingly the only reason to pay to keep an eighteen piece big band on the road.


Great......just great, 21 Jan 2008
I have been a great fan of Jools Holland for a long time, and brought this album without any need to look at reviews, and I wasn't disappointed, great piano led Blues and Jazz, along side fantastic vocals.

Magnificent, 24 Feb 2007
I have had this disc for 6 months or so. I have never written a review before but this disc demands it. I have a huge music collection and this energetic album is a real outstanding jewel. Every track is bursting with energy & tempo, huge big-band sounds and well mastered. For any fan of piano led blues and jazz this album is an absolute peach.

Cracking disc, 30 Aug 2006
Another winner from Jools and the gang. A great combination of foot-tapping tracks.

Great, 17 May 2006
This is an amazing album, one of Holland's best so far; every song is a gem; not to be missed by any fan of jazz or blues.

SKA-TASTIC, 24 Nov 2003
This is a top ska collection, it contains plenty of classics including a few from the godfathers of SKA music, The Specials. Defenite stand out tracks are Rat Race, Rudy, a message to you and Ghosttown.
Its cheap and you get over 50 tracks to chose from, there has to be some you like in that lot!

Best of Ska, 21 Nov 2003
Just received this mixture of 60s (original) and 70s Ska. It's fantastic to hear artists like Lord Tanamo, the Maytals and Desmond Dekker for the first time since the early '70s. There's a good mixture on all three CDs. Five stars fo the Ska nostalgist, probably not so high for the purist

Punks' Reggae man, 30 Aug 2006
DJ Scratchy was a regular figure at Punk gigs in the late 70's. He was the DJ who introduced Reggae, Ska and Dub to the bondage trousered crowds at Clash gigs, tirelessly promoting the Jamaican sound. Here with this double CD he relaunched his career, and what a wonderful collection it is, with a mixture of old favourites and obscure gems. If you listen carefully, you can still feel the Punk vibe here and relive the whiff of stale beer and marijuana in the air of those grungy London clubs.

Memories!!, 18 Jan 2006
Basically, this is a fantastic album if you ever went to see The Clash and heard the DJ playing amazing reggae and feeling the bass thump into your chest as you walked in.

Brilliant stuff, superb selections - a real treat!!

With Friends Less can be More., 31 Jul 2008
After the trilogy of Friends albums Jools returned with an album where the style and tone of the music was more suited to the big band sound of his Rhythm and Blues Orchestra. I was hoping he reverted to being the main singer but he shares the vocal duties with his regular female vocalists Sam Brown and Ruby Turner with a star turn by Beverly Turner and two with Solomon Burke including his greatest creation `Everybody Needs Somebody to Love'.

I think the album works best with the arrangement of the instrumental numbers and the songs which Jools sings but some of the guest vocalists are given sympathetic arrangements particularly Ruby Turners ambitious take on Dylan's `Blowin' in the Wind'.
Not a total return to form but still a worthwhile entry in the Holland cannon which was beginning to appear tired with the Friends albums coming out with seemingly the only reason to pay to keep an eighteen piece big band on the road.


Great......just great, 21 Jan 2008
I have been a great fan of Jools Holland for a long time, and brought this album without any need to look at reviews, and I wasn't disappointed, great piano led Blues and Jazz, along side fantastic vocals.

Magnificent, 24 Feb 2007
I have had this disc for 6 months or so. I have never written a review before but this disc demands it. I have a huge music collection and this energetic album is a real outstanding jewel. Every track is bursting with energy & tempo, huge big-band sounds and well mastered. For any fan of piano led blues and jazz this album is an absolute peach.

Cracking disc, 30 Aug 2006
Another winner from Jools and the gang. A great combination of foot-tapping tracks.

Great, 17 May 2006
This is an amazing album, one of Holland's best so far; every song is a gem; not to be missed by any fan of jazz or blues.

SKA-TASTIC, 24 Nov 2003
This is a top ska collection, it contains plenty of classics including a few from the godfathers of SKA music, The Specials. Defenite stand out tracks are Rat Race, Rudy, a message to you and Ghosttown.
Its cheap and you get over 50 tracks to chose from, there has to be some you like in that lot!

Best of Ska, 21 Nov 2003
Just received this mixture of 60s (original) and 70s Ska. It's fantastic to hear artists like Lord Tanamo, the Maytals and Desmond Dekker for the first time since the early '70s. There's a good mixture on all three CDs. Five stars fo the Ska nostalgist, probably not so high for the purist

Easy skankin!!, 10 May 2008
I couldn't give this five stars, because there are a few dud tracks on there. But at the price it is well worth the money, because there are loads of great tunes. In fact it is worth the cash just to get a copy of 'Rukumbine'. There is a groovy ska version of the James Bond theme, and a couple of minor key instrumental grooves that really get you dancing. Also 'A little oil in my lamp' is a great singalong ska version of a traditional song, with a gospel feel to it.

I don't know why they chose to start the CD with the Prince Buster tune which is more of a reggae style and not like the rest at all (although it's not a bad tune).

you'll wear it out, 02 May 2004
If you need a starting point to get into Jamaican ska (as oposed to its British counsin), then this is the one to go for. Twenty tracks, a good variety of artists, a mixture of vocal and instrumental, and no instantly forgetable sub-R&B fillers from Yellowman and the like. If you're only an occasional ska listener, then this would be the only record you'll need. If you need a starting point for a new section in your CD collection, this is equally good.

MMMMMMMMmmmmmmmmmmm, 17 Apr 2003
Absolute cracker....If you love 2tone this is a must!

If You Only Own One Ska CD - Make It This One!, 11 Sep 2002
The best single-disc ska compilation I've come across. Ska was always a hit and miss musical form, but this is like the best of all the other compilations. Among a whole series of stand-outs, Keith & Ken's "I Won't Let You Go" and Baba Brooks' "Girls Town Ska" are quite irreplacable. Non-stop dance rhythms. If you're wondering where/whether to get into ska, ignore the box sets (for the moment) and start here.

Absolutely skankingly fantastic, 29 Jun 2001
Bought this after hearing Mark Lamarr play some of the original SKA, this album is absolutley brilliant, and I would recommend to everybody who is into SKA, original Jamaican sounds boom through the stereo, and you feet start to move...

Punks' Reggae man, 30 Aug 2006
DJ Scratchy was a regular figure at Punk gigs in the late 70's. He was the DJ who introduced Reggae, Ska and Dub to the bondage trousered crowds at Clash gigs, tirelessly promoting the Jamaican sound. Here with this double CD he relaunched his career, and what a wonderful collection it is, with a mixture of old favourites and obscure gems. If you listen carefully, you can still feel the Punk vibe here and relive the whiff of stale beer and marijuana in the air of those grungy London clubs.

Memories!!, 18 Jan 2006
Basically, this is a fantastic album if you ever went to see The Clash and heard the DJ playing amazing reggae and feeling the bass thump into your chest as you walked in.

Brilliant stuff, superb selections - a real treat!!

With Friends Less can be More., 31 Jul 2008
After the trilogy of Friends albums Jools returned with an album where the style and tone of the music was more suited to the big band sound of his Rhythm and Blues Orchestra. I was hoping he reverted to being the main singer but he shares the vocal duties with his regular female vocalists Sam Brown and Ruby Turner with a star turn by Beverly Turner and two with Solomon Burke including his greatest creation `Everybody Needs Somebody to Love'.

I think the album works best with the arrangement of the instrumental numbers and the songs which Jools sings but some of the guest vocalists are given sympathetic arrangements particularly Ruby Turners ambitious take on Dylan's `Blowin' in the Wind'.
Not a total return to form but still a worthwhile entry in the Holland cannon which was beginning to appear tired with the Friends albums coming out with seemingly the only reason to pay to keep an eighteen piece big band on the road.


Great......just great, 21 Jan 2008
I have been a great fan of Jools Holland for a long time, and brought this album without any need to look at reviews, and I wasn't disappointed, great piano led Blues and Jazz, along side fantastic vocals.

Magnificent, 24 Feb 2007
I have had this disc for 6 months or so. I have never written a review before but this disc demands it. I have a huge music collection and this energetic album is a real outstanding jewel. Every track is bursting with energy & tempo, huge big-band sounds and well mastered. For any fan of piano led blues and jazz this album is an absolute peach.

Cracking disc, 30 Aug 2006
Another winner from Jools and the gang. A great combination of foot-tapping tracks.

Great, 17 May 2006
This is an amazing album, one of Holland's best so far; every song is a gem; not to be missed by any fan of jazz or blues.

SKA-TASTIC, 24 Nov 2003
This is a top ska collection, it contains plenty of classics including a few from the godfathers of SKA music, The Specials. Defenite stand out tracks are Rat Race, Rudy, a message to you and Ghosttown.
Its cheap and you get over 50 tracks to chose from, there has to be some you like in that lot!

Best of Ska, 21 Nov 2003
Just received this mixture of 60s (original) and 70s Ska. It's fantastic to hear artists like Lord Tanamo, the Maytals and Desmond Dekker for the first time since the early '70s. There's a good mixture on all three CDs. Five stars fo the Ska nostalgist, probably not so high for the purist

Easy skankin!!, 10 May 2008
I couldn't give this five stars, because there are a few dud tracks on there. But at the price it is well worth the money, because there are loads of great tunes. In fact it is worth the cash just to get a copy of 'Rukumbine'. There is a groovy ska version of the James Bond theme, and a couple of minor key instrumental grooves that really get you dancing. Also 'A little oil in my lamp' is a great singalong ska version of a traditional song, with a gospel feel to it.

I don't know why they chose to start the CD with the Prince Buster tune which is more of a reggae style and not like the rest at all (although it's not a bad tune).

you'll wear it out, 02 May 2004
If you need a starting point to get into Jamaican ska (as oposed to its British counsin), then this is the one to go for. Twenty tracks, a good variety of artists, a mixture of vocal and instrumental, and no instantly forgetable sub-R&B fillers from Yellowman and the like. If you're only an occasional ska listener, then this would be the only record you'll need. If you need a starting point for a new section in your CD collection, this is equally good.

MMMMMMMMmmmmmmmmmmm, 17 Apr 2003
Absolute cracker....If you love 2tone this is a must!

If You Only Own One Ska CD - Make It This One!, 11 Sep 2002
The best single-disc ska compilation I've come across. Ska was always a hit and miss musical form, but this is like the best of all the other compilations. Among a whole series of stand-outs, Keith & Ken's "I Won't Let You Go" and Baba Brooks' "Girls Town Ska" are quite irreplacable. Non-stop dance rhythms. If you're wondering where/whether to get into ska, ignore the box sets (for the moment) and start here.

Absolutely skankingly fantastic, 29 Jun 2001
Bought this after hearing Mark Lamarr play some of the original SKA, this album is absolutley brilliant, and I would recommend to everybody who is into SKA, original Jamaican sounds boom through the stereo, and you feet start to move...

What a box set !!, 08 Feb 2007
3 CDs of absolute classic ska. With the sheer volume of tracks this set provides, its a bargain. This is the real deal.A good cross section of Jamaican ska, with some tracks better known than others (perhaps) but don't let that put you off. If you have only heard the tracks that have also appeared on other ska compilations & you liked them, then the rest of this collection is a must.
This is a really expansive collection of quality ska music & Trojan have done a great job in selecting the tracks for this set.If you enjoy this , then the Rude Boy box set is also worth a punt.

Classic, 26 Mar 2006
Question in a pub quiz I was at not so long ago that ran along the lines of 'Who recently covered the Blondie song - The Tide is High?' Wasn't her song, I complained into my beer, and this proves it... Another great Trojan box set with masses of material that has inspired at least 3 waves of Ska revival, outstanding tracks such as Guns of Navarone, Blazing Fire, Train to Skaville, Phoenix City. I could go on. And of course The Paragons covering Blondie. Grrrrr... BTW If you're into the modern equivalent check out Pama International and The Splitters.

Typically Trojan - great value, great selection, 11 May 2004
Trojan box-sets are a great way of building up a collection of Jamaican music - the price is right and the choice of music is almost invariably excellent, and this Ska box is another excellent addition to their line. This is an excellent choice of sixties Ska, concentrating as much on those artists who later moved into reggae as those who stayed Ska purists. There's inevitably some difference in quality between the tracks on here, the average standard of performances and recordings is astonishingly good though. As an introduction to Ska this is fantastic - it shows clearly how the genre evolved into rocksteady and reggae, including a few tracks by people who later became reggae greats alongside the Ska purists.

Top 3 tracks for me:
007 - Desmond Dekker
Miss Jamaica - Jimmy Cliff
Guns of Navarone - Skatalites

Punks' Reggae man, 30 Aug 2006
DJ Scratchy was a regular figure at Punk gigs in the late 70's. He was the DJ who introduced Reggae, Ska and Dub to the bondage trousered crowds at Clash gigs, tirelessly promoting the Jamaican sound. Here with this double CD he relaunched his career, and what a wonderful collection it is, with a mixture of old favourites and obscure gems. If you listen carefully, you can still feel the Punk vibe here and relive the whiff of stale beer and marijuana in the air of those grungy London clubs.

Memories!!, 18 Jan 2006
Basically, this is a fantastic album if you ever went to see The Clash and heard the DJ playing amazing reggae and feeling the bass thump into your chest as you walked in.

Brilliant stuff, superb selections - a real treat!!

With Friends Less can be More., 31 Jul 2008
After the trilogy of Friends albums Jools returned with an album where the style and tone of the music was more suited to the big band sound of his Rhythm and Blues Orchestra. I was hoping he reverted to being the main singer but he shares the vocal duties with his regular female vocalists Sam Brown and Ruby Turner with a star turn by Beverly Turner and two with Solomon Burke including his greatest creation `Everybody Needs Somebody to Love'.

I think the album works best with the arrangement of the instrumental numbers and the songs which Jools sings but some of the guest vocalists are given sympathetic arrangements particularly Ruby Turners ambitious take on Dylan's `Blowin' in the Wind'.
Not a total return to form but still a worthwhile entry in the Holland cannon which was beginning to appear tired with the Friends albums coming out with seemingly the only reason to pay to keep an eighteen piece big band on the road.


Great......just great, 21 Jan 2008
I have been a great fan of Jools Holland for a long time, and brought this album without any need to look at reviews, and I wasn't disappointed, great piano led Blues and Jazz, along side fantastic vocals.

Magnificent, 24 Feb 2007
I have had this disc for 6 months or so. I have never written a review before but this disc demands it. I have a huge music collection and this energetic album is a real outstanding jewel. Every track is bursting with energy & tempo, huge big-band sounds and well mastered. For any fan of piano led blues and jazz this album is an absolute peach.

Cracking disc, 30 Aug 2006
Another winner from Jools and the gang. A great combination of foot-tapping tracks.

Great, 17 May 2006
This is an amazing album, one of Holland's best so far; every song is a gem; not to be missed by any fan of jazz or blues.

SKA-TASTIC, 24 Nov 2003
This is a top ska collection, it contains plenty of classics including a few from the godfathers of SKA music, The Specials. Defenite stand out tracks are Rat Race, Rudy, a message to you and Ghosttown.
Its cheap and you get over 50 tracks to chose from, there has to be some you like in that lot!

Best of Ska, 21 Nov 2003
Just received this mixture of 60s (original) and 70s Ska. It's fantastic to hear artists like Lord Tanamo, the Maytals and Desmond Dekker for the first time since the early '70s. There's a good mixture on all three CDs. Five stars fo the Ska nostalgist, probably not so high for the purist

Easy skankin!!, 10 May 2008
I couldn't give this five stars, because there are a few dud tracks on there. But at the price it is well worth the money, because there are loads of great tunes. In fact it is worth the cash just to get a copy of 'Rukumbine'. There is a groovy ska version of the James Bond theme, and a couple of minor key instrumental grooves that really get you dancing. Also 'A little oil in my lamp' is a great singalong ska version of a traditional song, with a gospel feel to it.

I don't know why they chose to start the CD with the Prince Buster tune which is more of a reggae style and not like the rest at all (although it's not a bad tune).

you'll wear it out, 02 May 2004
If you need a starting point to get into Jamaican ska (as oposed to its British counsin), then this is the one to go for. Twenty tracks, a good variety of artists, a mixture of vocal and instrumental, and no instantly forgetable sub-R&B fillers from Yellowman and the like. If you're only an occasional ska listener, then this would be the only record you'll need. If you need a starting point for a new section in your CD collection, this is equally good.

MMMMMMMMmmmmmmmmmmm, 17 Apr 2003
Absolute cracker....If you love 2tone this is a must!

If You Only Own One Ska CD - Make It This One!, 11 Sep 2002
The best single-disc ska compilation I've come across. Ska was always a hit and miss musical form, but this is like the best of all the other compilations. Among a whole series of stand-outs, Keith & Ken's "I Won't Let You Go" and Baba Brooks' "Girls Town Ska" are quite irreplacable. Non-stop dance rhythms. If you're wondering where/whether to get into ska, ignore the box sets (for the moment) and start here.

Absolutely skankingly fantastic, 29 Jun 2001
Bought this after hearing Mark Lamarr play some of the original SKA, this album is absolutley brilliant, and I would recommend to everybody who is into SKA, original Jamaican sounds boom through the stereo, and you feet start to move...

What a box set !!, 08 Feb 2007
3 CDs of absolute classic ska. With the sheer volume of tracks this set provides, its a bargain. This is the real deal.A good cross section of Jamaican ska, with some tracks better known than others (perhaps) but don't let that put you off. If you have only heard the tracks that have also appeared on other ska compilations & you liked them, then the rest of this collection is a must.
This is a really expansive collection of quality ska music & Trojan have done a great job in selecting the tracks for this set.If you enjoy this , then the Rude Boy box set is also worth a punt.

Classic, 26 Mar 2006
Question in a pub quiz I was at not so long ago that ran along the lines of 'Who recently covered the Blondie song - The Tide is High?' Wasn't her song, I complained into my beer, and this proves it... Another great Trojan box set with masses of material that has inspired at least 3 waves of Ska revival, outstanding tracks such as Guns of Navarone, Blazing Fire, Train to Skaville, Phoenix City. I could go on. And of course The Paragons covering Blondie. Grrrrr... BTW If you're into the modern equivalent check out Pama International and The Splitters.

Typically Trojan - great value, great selection, 11 May 2004
Trojan box-sets are a great way of building up a collection of Jamaican music - the price is right and the choice of music is almost invariably excellent, and this Ska box is another excellent addition to their line. This is an excellent choice of sixties Ska, concentrating as much on those artists who later moved into reggae as those who stayed Ska purists. There's inevitably some difference in quality between the tracks on here, the average standard of performances and recordings is astonishingly good though. As an introduction to Ska this is fantastic - it shows clearly how the genre evolved into rocksteady and reggae, including a few tracks by people who later became reggae greats alongside the Ska purists.

Top 3 tracks for me:
007 - Desmond Dekker
Miss Jamaica - Jimmy Cliff
Guns of Navarone - Skatalites

Two Tones to Every Story, 01 May 2008
`Too Much Two Tone' is a supermarket compilation and yet where other supermarket compilations miss whole swathes of essential tracks this one ticks all the boxes with the all important Special number ones `Too Much Too Young' and `Ghost Town' (the extended 12" dub, no less) as well as a sprinkling of the rarities such as Rico's `Sea Cruise' and the later bands such as The Higsons and The Friday club which are generally air brushed out of the labels history to make for a monochrome Ska label which is readily identified.

That's not to say the Ska is underplayed, as well as the four Specials track, the Madness 45 `The Prince' is here, two Bodysnatchers tracks (neither of which are available on CD elsewhere) and three singles released on Two Tone by The Selector plus their classic version of the James Bond Theme.

The only glaring omission is neither side of The Beat single being licensed for the compilation however as a history of the label it is more representative than either of the Two Tone released compilations `This Are Two Tone' (released before the Special AKA album) and `The Two Tone Story' (which labours the Ska heritage). This really are Two Tone.


Too much of poor Ska!, 10 Apr 2006
Knowing little about Ska but hearing artists like Erykah Badu & Steve Marley I thought I would purchase this album hoping for Ska heaven! But in turned out to be an anti-climax with little imagination! Although there are few tracks I would recommend...Too Much Too Young is good and Ghost Town but apart from that everything else is slightly experimental in the first movement of ska.

Too Little Two Tone, 10 Feb 2003
Two Tone was the UK's most exciting new musical movement at the start of the 80s. Groups like Madness, The Selecter, The (English) Beat and The Special AKA, all on the Two Tone label, revived the Jamaican ska beat and created a new urgent sound that took youth culture by storm. This is a valuable introduction to the Two Tone beat, but unfortunately anything but complete. In the first place, the Beat is completely absent. The compilers could at least have included their classic version of Tears Of A Clown. In the second place, too many classic tracks have been omitted. Where's "A Message To You Rudy" by The Specials, "Madness" by Madness, The Selecter's eponymous "Selecter" and their well-known "Too Much Pressure?" I also think that Madness is hopelessly underrepresented as they're the band that ultimately achieved the greatest success. At least some of the earliest Two Tone hits are here, like Too Much Too Young, The Prince, On My Radio and Let's Do Rocksteady, plus later classics like The Specials' Nelson Mandela and Ghost Town. It is with some reluctance that I award this album a fourth star. Although it's a very listenable compilation, its title ought more appropriately to have been been "Too Little Two Tone."

A collection of ska greats, 21 Oct 2001
It's classic two tone action all the way on this 18-track ska-fest of an album. If you like the Specials, then this is for you. 1/3 of all the tunes are done by them, either under their 'specials' monicker, or thier earlier name, 'the special a.k.a.'. A Selector cover of the James Bond theme tune is skank-tastic, while madness's 'the prince' is great too. get your black suit on and skank the night away with 'too much two tone: ska classics'.

Punks' Reggae man, 30 Aug 2006
DJ Scratchy was a regular figure at Punk gigs in the late 70's. He was the DJ who introduced Reggae, Ska and Dub to the bondage trousered crowds at Clash gigs, tirelessly promoting the Jamaican sound. Here with this double CD he relaunched his career, and what a wonderful collection it is, with a mixture of old favourites and obscure gems. If you listen carefully, you can still feel the Punk vibe here and relive the whiff of stale beer and marijuana in the air of those grungy London clubs.

Memories!!, 18 Jan 2006
Basically, this is a fantastic album if you ever went to see The Clash and heard the DJ playing amazing reggae and feeling the bass thump into your chest as you walked in.

Brilliant stuff, superb selections - a real treat!!

With Friends Less can be More., 31 Jul 2008
After the trilogy of Friends albums Jools returned with an album where the style and tone of the music was more suited to the big band sound of his Rhythm and Blues Orchestra. I was hoping he reverted to being the main singer but he shares the vocal duties with his regular female vocalists Sam Brown and Ruby Turner with a star turn by Beverly Turner and two with Solomon Burke including his greatest creation `Everybody Needs Somebody to Love'.

I think the album works best with the arrangement of the instrumental numbers and the songs which Jools sings but some of the guest vocalists are given sympathetic arrangements particularly Ruby Turners ambitious take on Dylan's `Blowin' in the Wind'.
Not a total return to form but still a worthwhile entry in the Holland cannon which was beginning to appear tired with the Friends albums coming out with seemingly the only reason to pay to keep an eighteen piece big band on the road.


Great......just great, 21 Jan 2008
I have been a great fan of Jools Holland for a long time, and brought this album without any need to look at reviews, and I wasn't disappointed, great piano led Blues and Jazz, along side fantastic vocals.

Magnificent, 24 Feb 2007
I have had this disc for 6 months or so. I have never written a review before but this disc demands it. I have a huge music collection and this energetic album is a real outstanding jewel. Every track is bursting with energy & tempo, huge big-band sounds and well mastered. For any fan of piano led blues and jazz this album is an absolute peach.

Cracking disc, 30 Aug 2006
Another winner from Jools and the gang. A great combination of foot-tapping tracks.

Great, 17 May 2006
This is an amazing album, one of Holland's best so far; every song is a gem; not to be missed by any fan of jazz or blues.

SKA-TASTIC, 24 Nov 2003
This is a top ska collection, it contains plenty of classics including a few from the godfathers of SKA music, The Specials. Defenite stand out tracks are Rat Race, Rudy, a message to you and Ghosttown.
Its cheap and you get over 50 tracks to chose from, there has to be some you like in that lot!

Best of Ska, 21 Nov 2003
Just received this mixture of 60s (original) and 70s Ska. It's fantastic to hear artists like Lord Tanamo, the Maytals and Desmond Dekker for the first time since the early '70s. There's a good mixture on all three CDs. Five stars fo the Ska nostalgist, probably not so high for the purist

Easy skankin!!, 10 May 2008
I couldn't give this five stars, because there are a few dud tracks on there. But at the price it is well worth the money, because there are loads of great tunes. In fact it is worth the cash just to get a copy of 'Rukumbine'. There is a groovy ska version of the James Bond theme, and a couple of minor key instrumental grooves that really get you dancing. Also 'A little oil in my lamp' is a great singalong ska version of a traditional song, with a gospel feel to it.

I don't know why they chose to start the CD with the Prince Buster tune which is more of a reggae style and not like the rest at all (although it's not a bad tune).

you'll wear it out, 02 May 2004
If you need a starting point to get into Jamaican ska (as oposed to its British counsin), then this is the one to go for. Twenty tracks, a good variety of artists, a mixture of vocal and instrumental, and no instantly forgetable sub-R&B fillers from Yellowman and the like. If you're only an occasional ska listener, then this would be the only record you'll need. If you need a starting point for a new section in your CD collection, this is equally good.

MMMMMMMMmmmmmmmmmmm, 17 Apr 2003
Absolute cracker....If you love 2tone this is a must!

If You Only Own One Ska CD - Make It This One!, 11 Sep 2002
The best single-disc ska compilation I've come across. Ska was always a hit and miss musical form, but this is like the best of all the other compilations. Among a whole series of stand-outs, Keith & Ken's "I Won't Let You Go" and Baba Brooks' "Girls Town Ska" are quite irreplacable. Non-stop dance rhythms. If you're wondering where/whether to get into ska, ignore the box sets (for the moment) and start here.

Absolutely skankingly fantastic, 29 Jun 2001
Bought this after hearing Mark Lamarr play some of the original SKA, this album is absolutley brilliant, and I would recommend to everybody who is into SKA, original Jamaican sounds boom through the stereo, and you feet start to move...

What a box set !!, 08 Feb 2007
3 CDs of absolute classic ska. With the sheer volume of tracks this set provides, its a bargain. This is the real deal.A good cross section of Jamaican ska, with some tracks better known than others (perhaps) but don't let that put you off. If you have only heard the tracks that have also appeared on other ska compilations & you liked them, then the rest of this collection is a must.
This is a really expansive collection of quality ska music & Trojan have done a great job in selecting the tracks for this set.If you enjoy this , then the Rude Boy box set is also worth a punt.

Classic, 26 Mar 2006
Question in a pub quiz I was at not so long ago that ran along the lines of 'Who recently covered the Blondie song - The Tide is High?' Wasn't her song, I complained into my beer, and this proves it... Another great Trojan box set with masses of material that has inspired at least 3 waves of Ska revival, outstanding tracks such as Guns of Navarone, Blazing Fire, Train to Skaville, Phoenix City. I could go on. And of course The Paragons covering Blondie. Grrrrr... BTW If you're into the modern equivalent check out Pama International and The Splitters.

Typically Trojan - great value, great selection, 11 May 2004
Trojan box-sets are a great way of building up a collection of Jamaican music - the price is right and the choice of music is almost invariably excellent, and this Ska box is another excellent addition to their line. This is an excellent choice of sixties Ska, concentrating as much on those artists who later moved into reggae as those who stayed Ska purists. There's inevitably some difference in quality between the tracks on here, the average standard of performances and recordings is astonishingly good though. As an introduction to Ska this is fantastic - it shows clearly how the genre evolved into rocksteady and reggae, including a few tracks by people who later became reggae greats alongside the Ska purists.

Top 3 tracks for me:
007 - Desmond Dekker
Miss Jamaica - Jimmy Cliff
Guns of Navarone - Skatalites

Two Tones to Every Story, 01 May 2008
`Too Much Two Tone' is a supermarket compilation and yet where other supermarket compilations miss whole swathes of essential tracks this one ticks all the boxes with the all important Special number ones `Too Much Too Young' and `Ghost Town' (the extended 12" dub, no less) as well as a sprinkling of the rarities such as Rico's `Sea Cruise' and the later bands such as The Higsons and The Friday club which are generally air brushed out of the labels history to make for a monochrome Ska label which is readily identified.

That's not to say the Ska is underplayed, as well as the four Specials track, the Madness 45 `The Prince' is here, two Bodysnatchers tracks (neither of which are available on CD elsewhere) and three singles released on Two Tone by The Selector plus their classic version of the James Bond Theme.

The only glaring omission is neither side of The Beat single being licensed for the compilation however as a history of the label it is more representative than either of the Two Tone released compilations `This Are Two Tone' (released before the Special AKA album) and `The Two Tone Story' (which labours the Ska heritage). This really are Two Tone.


Too much of poor Ska!, 10 Apr 2006
Knowing little about Ska but hearing artists like Erykah Badu & Steve Marley I thought I would purchase this album hoping for Ska heaven! But in turned out to be an anti-climax with little imagination! Although there are few tracks I would recommend...Too Much Too Young is good and Ghost Town but apart from that everything else is slightly experimental in the first movement of ska.

Too Little Two Tone, 10 Feb 2003
Two Tone was the UK's most exciting new musical movement at the start of the 80s. Groups like Madness, The Selecter, The (English) Beat and The Special AKA, all on the Two Tone label, revived the Jamaican ska beat and created a new urgent sound that took youth culture by storm. This is a valuable introduction to the Two Tone beat, but unfortunately anything but complete. In the first place, the Beat is completely absent. The compilers could at least have included their classic version of Tears Of A Clown. In the second place, too many classic tracks have been omitted. Where's "A Message To You Rudy" by The Specials, "Madness" by Madness, The Selecter's eponymous "Selecter" and their well-known "Too Much Pressure?" I also think that Madness is hopelessly underrepresented as they're the band that ultimately achieved the greatest success. At least some of the earliest Two Tone hits are here, like Too Much Too Young, The Prince, On My Radio and Let's Do Rocksteady, plus later classics like The Specials' Nelson Mandela and Ghost Town. It is with some reluctance that I award this album a fourth star. Although it's a very listenable compilation, its title ought more appropriately to have been been "Too Little Two Tone."

A collection of ska greats, 21 Oct 2001
It's classic two tone action all the way on this 18-track ska-fest of an album. If you like the Specials, then this is for you. 1/3 of all the tunes are done by them, either under their 'specials' monicker, or thier earlier name, 'the special a.k.a.'. A Selector cover of the James Bond theme tune is skank-tastic, while madness's 'the prince' is great too. get your black suit on and skank the night away with 'too much two tone: ska classics'.

More great ska rarities, 19 Aug 2007
Before reggae there was ska and rocksteady, indigenous musical forms that had evolved from the imported rhythm and blues and jazz styles prevalent in Jamaica from the fifties onwards. The Trojan Ska Box Set had gathered 50 representative tracks from the period up to 1966, including some very well known big sellers.

A number of the leading artists appear again on Vol. 2: Don Drummond, Lee Perry, Lord Tanamo, Baba Brooks, the Skatalites, Owen Gray, Roland Alphonso, Tommy McCook, Desmond Dekker, Justin Hinds and the Dominoes, the Maytals, Lyn Taitt and others, with well known and less well known examples of their art, including some appearing on CD for the first time.

Occasionally they appear to have been mastered from less than pristine vinyl copies but if this is the best available, bring it on. Details are skimpy - many of the composer credits are listed as "unknown" and there are no dates for any of the recordings, which is an irritation, but as this is music to be danced and listened to rather than studied academically, we'll just have to live with it.

Punks' Reggae man, 30 Aug 2006
DJ Scratchy was a regular figure at Punk gigs in the late 70's. He was the DJ who introduced Reggae, Ska and Dub to the bondage trousered crowds at Clash gigs, tirelessly promoting the Jamaican sound. Here with this double CD he relaunched his career, and what a wonderful collection it is, with a mixture of old favourites and obscure gems. If you listen carefully, you can still feel the Punk vibe here and relive the whiff of stale beer and marijuana in the air of those grungy London clubs.

Memories!!, 18 Jan 2006
Basically, this is a fantastic album if you ever went to see The Clash and heard the DJ playing amazing reggae and feeling the bass thump into your chest as you walked in.

Brilliant stuff, superb selections - a real treat!!

With Friends Less can be More., 31 Jul 2008
After the trilogy of Friends albums Jools returned with an album where the style and tone of the music was more suited to the big band sound of his Rhythm and Blues Orchestra. I was hoping he reverted to being the main singer but he shares the vocal duties with his regular female vocalists Sam Brown and Ruby Turner with a star turn by Beverly Turner and two with Solomon Burke including his greatest creation `Everybody Needs Somebody to Love'.

I think the album works best with the arrangement of the instrumental numbers and the songs which Jools sings but some of the guest vocalists are given sympathetic arrangements particularly Ruby Turners ambitious take on Dylan's `Blowin' in the Wind'.
Not a total return to form but still a worthwhile entry in the Holland cannon which was beginning to appear tired with the Friends albums coming out with seemingly the only reason to pay to keep an eighteen piece big band on the road.


Great......just great, 21 Jan 2008
I have been a great fan of Jools Holland for a long time, and brought this album without any need to look at reviews, and I wasn't disappointed, great piano led Blues and Jazz, along side fantastic vocals.

Magnificent, 24 Feb 2007
I have had this disc for 6 months or so. I have never written a review before but this disc demands it. I have a huge music collection and this energetic album is a real outstanding jewel. Every track is bursting with energy & tempo, huge big-band sounds and well mastered. For any fan of piano led blues and jazz this album is an absolute peach.

Cracking disc, 30 Aug 2006
Another winner from Jools and the gang. A great combination of foot-tapping tracks.

Great, 17 May 2006
This is an amazing album, one of Holland's best so far; every song is a gem; not to be missed by any fan of jazz or blues.

SKA-TASTIC, 24 Nov 2003
This is a top ska collection, it contains plenty of classics including a few from the godfathers of SKA music, The Specials. Defenite stand out tracks are Rat Race, Rudy, a message to you and Ghosttown.
Its cheap and you get over 50 tracks to chose from, there has to be some you like in that lot!

Best of Ska, 21 Nov 2003
Just received this mixture of 60s (original) and 70s Ska. It's fantastic to hear artists like Lord Tanamo, the Maytals and Desmond Dekker for the first time since the early '70s. There's a good mixture on all three CDs. Five stars fo the Ska nostalgist, probably not so high for the purist

Easy skankin!!, 10 May 2008
I couldn't give this five stars, because there are a few dud tracks on there. But at the price it is well worth the money, because there are loads of great tunes. In fact it is worth the cash just to get a copy of 'Rukumbine'. There is a groovy ska version of the James Bond theme, and a couple of minor key instrumental grooves that really get you dancing. Also 'A little oil in my lamp' is a great singalong ska version of a traditional song, with a gospel feel to it.

I don't know why they chose to start the CD with the Prince Buster tune which is more of a reggae style and not like the rest at all (although it's not a bad tune).

you'll wear it out, 02 May 2004
If you need a starting point to get into Jamaican ska (as oposed to its British counsin), then this is the one to go for. Twenty tracks, a good variety of artists, a mixture of vocal and instrumental, and no instantly forgetable sub-R&B fillers from Yellowman and the like. If you're only an occasional ska listener, then this would be the only record you'll need. If you need a starting point for a new section in your CD collection, this is equally good.

MMMMMMMMmmmmmmmmmmm, 17 Apr 2003
Absolute cracker....If you love 2tone this is a must!

If You Only Own One Ska CD - Make It This One!, 11 Sep 2002
The best single-disc ska compilation I've come across. Ska was always a hit and miss musical form, but this is like the best of all the other compilations. Among a whole series of stand-outs, Keith & Ken's "I Won't Let You Go" and Baba Brooks' "Girls Town Ska" are quite irreplacable. Non-stop dance rhythms. If you're wondering where/whether to get into ska, ignore the box sets (for the moment) and start here.

Absolutely skankingly fantastic, 29 Jun 2001
Bought this after hearing Mark Lamarr play some of the original SKA, this album is absolutley brilliant, and I would recommend to everybody who is into SKA, original Jamaican sounds boom through the stereo, and you feet start to move...

What a box set !!, 08 Feb 2007
3 CDs of absolute classic ska. With the sheer volume of tracks this set provides, its a bargain. This is the real deal.A good cross section of Jamaican ska, with some tracks better known than others (perhaps) but don't let that put you off. If you have only heard the tracks that have also appeared on other ska compilations & you liked them, then the rest of this collection is a must.
This is a really expansive collection of quality ska music & Trojan have done a great job in selecting the tracks for this set.If you enjoy this , then the Rude Boy box set is also worth a punt.

Classic, 26 Mar 2006
Question in a pub quiz I was at not so long ago that ran along the lines of 'Who recently covered the Blondie song - The Tide is High?' Wasn't her song, I complained into my beer, and this proves it... Another great Trojan box set with masses of material that has inspired at least 3 waves of Ska revival, outstanding tracks such as Guns of Navarone, Blazing Fire, Train to Skaville, Phoenix City. I could go on. And of course The Paragons covering Blondie. Grrrrr... BTW If you're into the modern equivalent check out Pama International and The Splitters.

Typically Trojan - great value, great selection, 11 May 2004
Trojan box-sets are a great way of building up a collection of Jamaican music - the price is right and the choice of music is almost invariably excellent, and this Ska box is another excellent addition to their line. This is an excellent choice of sixties Ska, concentrating as much on those artists who later moved into reggae as those who stayed Ska purists. There's inevitably some difference in quality between the tracks on here, the average standard of performances and recordings is astonishingly good though. As an introduction to Ska this is fantastic - it shows clearly how the genre evolved into rocksteady and reggae, including a few tracks by people who later became reggae greats alongside the Ska purists.

Top 3 tracks for me:
007 - Desmond Dekker
Miss Jamaica - Jimmy Cliff
Guns of Navarone - Skatalites

Two Tones to Every Story, 01 May 2008
`Too Much Two Tone' is a supermarket compilation and yet where other supermarket compilations miss whole swathes of essential tracks this one ticks all the boxes with the all important Special number ones `Too Much Too Young' and `Ghost Town' (the extended 12" dub, no less) as well as a sprinkling of the rarities such as Rico's `Sea Cruise' and the later bands such as The Higsons and The Friday club which are generally air brushed out of the labels history to make for a monochrome Ska label which is readily identified.

That's not to say the Ska is underplayed, as well as the four Specials track, the Madness 45 `The Prince' is here, two Bodysnatchers tracks (neither of which are available on CD elsewhere) and three singles released on Two Tone by The Selector plus their classic version of the James Bond Theme.

The only glaring omission is neither side of The Beat single being licensed for the compilation however as a history of the label it is more representative than either of the Two Tone released compilations `This Are Two Tone' (released before the Special AKA album) and `The Two Tone Story' (which labours the Ska heritage). This really are Two Tone.


Too much of poor Ska!, 10 Apr 2006
Knowing little about Ska but hearing artists like Erykah Badu & Steve Marley I thought I would purchase this album hoping for Ska heaven! But in turned out to be an anti-climax with little imagination! Although there are few tracks I would recommend...Too Much Too Young is good and Ghost Town but apart from that everything else is slightly experimental in the first movement of ska.

Too Little Two Tone, 10 Feb 2003
Two Tone was the UK's most exciting new musical movement at the start of the 80s. Groups like Madness, The Selecter, The (English) Beat and The Special AKA, all on the Two Tone label, revived the Jamaican ska beat and created a new urgent sound that took youth culture by storm. This is a valuable introduction to the Two Tone beat, but unfortunately anything but complete. In the first place, the Beat is completely absent. The compilers could at least have included their classic version of Tears Of A Clown. In the second place, too many classic tracks have been omitted. Where's "A Message To You Rudy" by The Specials, "Madness" by Madness, The Selecter's eponymous "Selecter" and their well-known "Too Much Pressure?" I also think that Madness is hopelessly underrepresented as they're the band that ultimately achieved the greatest success. At least some of the earliest Two Tone hits are here, like Too Much Too Young, The Prince, On My Radio and Let's Do Rocksteady, plus later classics like The Specials' Nelson Mandela and Ghost Town. It is with some reluctance that I award this album a fourth star. Although it's a very listenable compilation, its title ought more appropriately to have been been "Too Little Two Tone."

A collection of ska greats, 21 Oct 2001
It's classic two tone action all the way on this 18-track ska-fest of an album. If you like the Specials, then this is for you. 1/3 of all the tunes are done by them, either under their 'specials' monicker, or thier earlier name, 'the special a.k.a.'. A Selector cover of the James Bond theme tune is skank-tastic, while madness's 'the prince' is great too. get your black suit on and skank the night away with 'too much two tone: ska classics'.

More great ska rarities, 19 Aug 2007
Before reggae there was ska and rocksteady, indigenous musical forms that had evolved from the imported rhythm and blues and jazz styles prevalent in Jamaica from the fifties onwards. The Trojan Ska Box Set had gathered 50 representative tracks from the period up to 1966, including some very well known big sellers.

A number of the leading artists appear again on Vol. 2: Don Drummond, Lee Perry, Lord Tanamo, Baba Brooks, the Skatalites, Owen Gray, Roland Alphonso, Tommy McCook, Desmond Dekker, Justin Hinds and the Dominoes, the Maytals, Lyn Taitt and others, with well known and less well known examples of their art, including some appearing on CD for the first time.

Occasionally they appear to have been mastered from less than pristine vinyl copies but if this is the best available, bring it on. Details are skimpy - many of the composer credits are listed as "unknown" and there are no dates for any of the recordings, which is an irritation, but as this is music to be danced and listened to rather than studied academically, we'll just have to live with it.


Like the others have said..., 05 Oct 2008
This is not by the original artists. It should be illegal to do this, they are fooling people into thinking it is a great compilation CD, when it is actually just a crap cover album. There is no other point to it than to make money by tricking people, it's not as if they are adding anything or creating their own version of the song like other covers. They just cheaply copy other people's work, so why not just listen to the great original versions of the songs?
Avoid.

NOT ORIGINAL ARTISTS, 30 Sep 2008
Its not clear on listing but this isn't original artists.
Its like the terrible Top of the Pops albums from the 70s and 80s with terrible imitations.

Avoid at all costs if your a real Ska fan.

This CD!!!??, 26 Jan 2008
This CD is not the original artists!! - Some goofs imitating the British ska masters - AVOID!!!

Punks' Reggae man, 30 Aug 2006
DJ Scratchy was a regular figure at Punk gigs in the late 70's. He was the DJ who introduced Reggae, Ska and Dub to the bondage trousered crowds at Clash gigs, tirelessly promoting the Jamaican sound. Here with this double CD he relaunched his career, and what a wonderful collection it is, with a mixture of old favourites and obscure gems. If you listen carefully, you can still feel the Punk vibe here and relive the whiff of stale beer and marijuana in the air of those grungy London clubs.

Memories!!, 18 Jan 2006
Basically, this is a fantastic album if you ever went to see The Clash and heard the DJ playing amazing reggae and feeling the bass thump into your chest as you walked in.

Brilliant stuff, superb selections - a real treat!!

With Friends Less can be More., 31 Jul 2008
After the trilogy of Friends albums Jools returned with an album where the style and tone of the music was more suited to the big band sound of his Rhythm and Blues Orchestra. I was hoping he reverted to being the main singer but he shares the vocal duties with his regular female vocalists Sam Brown and Ruby Turner with a star turn by Beverly Turner and two with Solomon Burke including his greatest creation `Everybody Needs Somebody to Love'.

I think the album works best with the arrangement of the instrumental numbers and the songs which Jools sings but some of the guest vocalists are given sympathetic arrangements particularly Ruby Turners ambitious take on Dylan's `Blowin' in the Wind'.
Not a total return to form but still a worthwhile entry in the Holland cannon which was beginning to appear tired with the Friends albums coming out with seemingly the only reason to pay to keep an eighteen piece big band on the road.


Great......just great, 21 Jan 2008
I have been a great fan of Jools Holland for a long time, and brought this album without any need to look at reviews, and I wasn't disappointed, great piano led Blues and Jazz, along side fantastic vocals.

Magnificent, 24 Feb 2007
I have had this disc for 6 months or so. I have never written a review before but this disc demands it. I have a huge music collection and this energetic album is a real outstanding jewel. Every track is bursting with energy & tempo, huge big-band sounds and well mastered. For any fan of piano led blues and jazz this album is an absolute peach.

Cracking disc, 30 Aug 2006
Another winner from Jools and the gang. A great combination of foot-tapping tracks.

Great, 17 May 2006
This is an amazing album, one of Holland's best so far; every song is a gem; not to be missed by any fan of jazz or blues.

SKA-TASTIC, 24 Nov 2003
This is a top ska collection, it contains plenty of classics including a few from the godfathers of SKA music, The Specials. Defenite stand out tracks are Rat Race, Rudy, a message to you and Ghosttown.
Its cheap and you get over 50 tracks to chose from, there has to be some you like in that lot!

Best of Ska, 21 Nov 2003
Just received this mixture of 60s (original) and 70s Ska. It's fantastic to hear artists like Lord Tanamo, the Maytals and Desmond Dekker for the first time since the early '70s. There's a good mixture on all three CDs. Five stars fo the Ska nostalgist, probably not so high for the purist

Easy skankin!!, 10 May 2008
I couldn't give this five stars, because there are a few dud tracks on there. But at the price it is well worth the money, because there are loads of great tunes. In fact it is worth the cash just to get a copy of 'Rukumbine'. There is a groovy ska version of the James Bond theme, and a couple of minor key instrumental grooves that really get you dancing. Also 'A little oil in my lamp' is a great singalong ska version of a traditional song, with a gospel feel to it.

I don't know why they chose to start the CD with the Prince Buster tune which is more of a reggae style and not like the rest at all (although it's not a bad tune).

you'll wear it out, 02 May 2004
If you need a starting point to get into Jamaican ska (as oposed to its British counsin), then this is the one to go for. Twenty tracks, a good variety of artists, a mixture of vocal and instrumental, and no instantly forgetable sub-R&B fillers from Yellowman and the like. If you're only an occasional ska listener, then this would be the only record you'll need. If you need a starting point for a new section in your CD collection, this is equally good.

MMMMMMMMmmmmmmmmmmm, 17 Apr 2003
Absolute cracker....If you love 2tone this is a must!

If You Only Own One Ska CD - Make It This One!, 11 Sep 2002
The best single-disc ska compilation I've come across. Ska was always a hit and miss musical form, but this is like the best of all the other compilations. Among a whole series of stand-outs, Keith & Ken's "I Won't Let You Go" and Baba Brooks' "Girls Town Ska" are quite irreplacable. Non-stop dance rhythms. If you're wondering where/whether to get into ska, ignore the box sets (for the moment) and start here.

Absolutely skankingly fantastic, 29 Jun 2001
Bought this after hearing Mark Lamarr play some of the original SKA, this album is absolutley brilliant, and I would recommend to everybody who is into SKA, original Jamaican sounds boom through the stereo, and you feet start to move...

What a box set !!, 08 Feb 2007
3 CDs of absolute classic ska. With the sheer volume of tracks this set provides, its a bargain. This is the real deal.A good cross section of Jamaican ska, with some tracks better known than others (perhaps) but don't let that put you off. If you have only heard the tracks that have also appeared on other ska compilations & you liked them, then the rest of this collection is a must.
This is a really expansive collection of quality ska music & Trojan have done a great job in selecting the tracks for this set.If you enjoy this , then the Rude Boy box set is also worth a punt.

Classic, 26 Mar 2006
Question in a pub quiz I was at not so long ago that ran along the lines of 'Who recently covered the Blondie song - The Tide is High?' Wasn't her song, I complained into my beer, and this proves it... Another great Trojan box set with masses of material that has inspired at least 3 waves of Ska revival, outstanding tracks such as Guns of Navarone, Blazing Fire, Train to Skaville, Phoenix City. I could go on. And of course The Paragons covering Blondie. Grrrrr... BTW If you're into the modern equivalent check out Pama International and The Splitters.

Typically Trojan - great value, great selection, 11 May 2004
Trojan box-sets are a great way of building up a collection of Jamaican music - the price is right and the choice of music is almost invariably excellent, and this Ska box is another excellent addition to their line. This is an excellent choice of sixties Ska, concentrating as much on those artists who later moved into reggae as those who stayed Ska purists. There's inevitably some difference in quality between the tracks on here, the average standard of performances and recordings is astonishingly good though. As an introduction to Ska this is fantastic - it shows clearly how the genre evolved into rocksteady and reggae, including a few tracks by people who later became reggae greats alongside the Ska purists.

Top 3 tracks for me:
007 - Desmond Dekker
Miss Jamaica - Jimmy Cliff
Guns of Navarone - Skatalites

Two Tones to Every Story, 01 May 2008
`Too Much Two Tone' is a supermarket compilation and yet where other supermarket compilations miss whole swathes of essential tracks this one ticks all the boxes with the all important Special number ones `Too Much Too Young' and `Ghost Town' (the extended 12" dub, no less) as well as a sprinkling of the rarities such as Rico's `Sea Cruise' and the later bands such as The Higsons and The Friday club which are generally air brushed out of the labels history to make for a monochrome Ska label which is readily identified.

That's not to say the Ska is underplayed, as well as the four Specials track, the Madness 45 `The Prince' is here, two Bodysnatchers tracks (neither of which are available on CD elsewhere) and three singles released on Two Tone by The Selector plus their classic version of the James Bond Theme.

The only glaring omission is neither side of The Beat single being licensed for the compilation however as a history of the label it is more representative than either of the Two Tone released compilations `This Are Two Tone' (released before the Special AKA album) and `The Two Tone Story' (which labours the Ska heritage). This really are Two Tone.


Too much of poor Ska!, 10 Apr 2006
Knowing little about Ska but hearing artists like Erykah Badu & Steve Marley I thought I would purchase this album hoping for Ska heaven! But in turned out to be an anti-climax with little imagination! Although there are few tracks I would recommend...Too Much Too Young is good and Ghost Town but apart from that everything else is slightly experimental in the first movement of ska.

Too Little Two Tone, 10 Feb 2003
Two Tone was the UK's most exciting new musical movement at the start of the 80s. Groups like Madness, The Selecter, The (English) Beat and The Special AKA, all on the Two Tone label, revived the Jamaican ska beat and created a new urgent sound that took youth culture by storm. This is a valuable introduction to the Two Tone beat, but unfortunately anything but complete. In the first place, the Beat is completely absent. The compilers could at least have included their classic version of Tears Of A Clown. In the second place, too many classic tracks have been omitted. Where's "A Message To You Rudy" by The Specials, "Madness" by Madness, The Selecter's eponymous "Selecter" and their well-known "Too Much Pressure?" I also think that Madness is hopelessly underrepresented as they're the band that ultimately achieved the greatest success. At least some of the earliest Two Tone hits are here, like Too Much Too Young, The Prince, On My Radio and Let's Do Rocksteady, plus later classics like The Specials' Nelson Mandela and Ghost Town. It is with some reluctance that I award this album a fourth star. Although it's a very listenable compilation, its title ought more appropriately to have been been "Too Little Two Tone."

A collection of ska greats, 21 Oct 2001
It's classic two tone action all the way on this 18-track ska-fest of an album. If you like the Specials, then this is for you. 1/3 of all the tunes are done by them, either under their 'specials' monicker, or thier earlier name, 'the special a.k.a.'. A Selector cover of the James Bond theme tune is skank-tastic, while madness's 'the prince' is great too. get your black suit on and skank the night away with 'too much two tone: ska classics'.

More great ska rarities, 19 Aug 2007
Before reggae there was ska and rocksteady, indigenous musical forms that had evolved from the imported rhythm and blues and jazz styles prevalent in Jamaica from the fifties onwards. The Trojan Ska Box Set had gathered 50 representative tracks from the period up to 1966, including some very well known big sellers.

A number of the leading artists appear again on Vol. 2: Don Drummond, Lee Perry, Lord Tanamo, Baba Brooks, the Skatalites, Owen Gray, Roland Alphonso, Tommy McCook, Desmond Dekker, Justin Hinds and the Dominoes, the Maytals, Lyn Taitt and others, with well known and less well known examples of their art, including some appearing on CD for the first time.

Occasionally they appear to have been mastered from less than pristine vinyl copies but if this is the best available, bring it on. Details are skimpy - many of the composer credits are listed as "unknown" and there are no dates for any of the recordings, which is an irritation, but as this is music to be danced and listened to rather than studied academically, we'll just have to live with it.


Like the others have said..., 05 Oct 2008
This is not by the original artists. It should be illegal to do this, they are fooling people into thinking it is a great compilation CD, when it is actually just a crap cover album. There is no other point to it than to make money by tricking people, it's not as if they are adding anything or creating their own version of the song like other covers. They just cheaply copy other people's work, so why not just listen to the great original versions of the songs?
Avoid.

NOT ORIGINAL ARTISTS, 30 Sep 2008
Its not clear on listing but this isn't original artists.
Its like the terrible Top of the Pops albums from the 70s and 80s with terrible imitations.

Avoid at all costs if your a real Ska fan.

This CD!!!??, 26 Jan 2008
This CD is not the original artists!! - Some goofs imitating the British ska masters - AVOID!!!

Could listen to this CD every day!!!, 28 Nov 2006
Used to have this on vinyl and tape, many moons ago......listened to death. Every song is fantastic, can't wait til it arrives!!!

You can't afford not to have this!, 04 Jun 2001
A must for every ska, two tone, reggae or popular music fan. If you ever wondered who was the inspiration behind modern dub, ska and reggae well there all placed nicely onto one cd for you here. Original classics from Jimmy Cliff and Desmond Dekker make this one of my favourite Ska compilations.

Punks' Reggae man, 30 Aug 2006
DJ Scratchy was a regular figure at Punk gigs in the late 70's. He was the DJ who introduced Reggae, Ska and Dub to the bondage trousered crowds at Clash gigs, tirelessly promoting the Jamaican sound. Here with this double CD he relaunched his career, and what a wonderful collection it is, with a mixture of old favourites and obscure gems. If you listen carefully, you can still feel the Punk vibe here and relive the whiff of stale beer and marijuana in the air of those grungy London clubs.

Memories!!, 18 Jan 2006
Basically, this is a fantastic album if you ever went to see The Clash and heard the DJ playing amazing reggae and feeling the bass thump into your chest as you walked in.

Brilliant stuff, superb selections - a real treat!!

With Friends Less can be More., 31 Jul 2008
After the trilogy of Friends albums Jools returned with an album where the style and tone of the music was more suited to the big band sound of his Rhythm and Blues Orchestra. I was hoping he reverted to being the main singer but he shares the vocal duties with his regular female vocalists Sam Brown and Ruby Turner with a star turn by Beverly Turner and two with Solomon Burke including his greatest creation `Everybody Needs Somebody to Love'.

I think the album works best with the arrangement of the instrumental numbers and the songs which Jools sings but some of the guest vocalists are given sympathetic arrangements particularly Ruby Turners ambitious take on Dylan's `Blowin' in the Wind'.
Not a total return to form but still a worthwhile entry in the Holland cannon which was beginning to appear tired with the Friends albums coming out with seemingly the only reason to pay to keep an eighteen piece big band on the road.


Great......just great, 21 Jan 2008
I have been a great fan of Jools Holland for a long time, and brought this album without any need to look at reviews, and I wasn't disappointed, great piano led Blues and Jazz, along side fantastic vocals.

Magnificent, 24 Feb 2007
I have had this disc for 6 months or so. I have never written a review before but this disc demands it. I have a huge music collection and this energetic album is a real outstanding jewel. Every track is bursting with energy & tempo, huge big-band sounds and well mastered. For any fan of piano led blues and jazz this album is an absolute peach.

Cracking disc, 30 Aug 2006
Another winner from Jools and the gang. A great combination of foot-tapping tracks.

Great, 17 May 2006
This is an amazing album, one of Holland's best so far; every song is a gem; not to be missed by any fan of jazz or blues.

SKA-TASTIC, 24 Nov 2003
This is a top ska collection, it contains plenty of classics including a few from the godfathers of SKA music, The Specials. Defenite stand out tracks are Rat Race, Rudy, a message to you and Ghosttown.
Its cheap and you get over 50 tracks to chose from, there has to be some you like in that lot!

Best of Ska, 21 Nov 2003
Just received this mixture of 60s (original) and 70s Ska. It's fantastic to hear artists like Lord Tanamo, the Maytals and Desmond Dekker for the first time since the early '70s. There's a good mixture on all three CDs. Five stars fo the Ska nostalgist, probably not so high for the purist

Easy skankin!!, 10 May 2008
I couldn't give this five stars, because there are a few dud tracks on there. But at the price it is well worth the money, because there are loads of great tunes. In fact it is worth the cash just to get a copy of 'Rukumbine'. There is a groovy ska version of the James Bond theme, and a couple of minor key instrumental grooves that really get you dancing. Also 'A little oil in my lamp' is a great singalong ska version of a traditional song, with a gospel feel to it.

I don't know why they chose to start the CD with the Prince Buster tune which is more of a reggae style and not like the rest at all (although it's not a bad tune).

you'll wear it out, 02 May 2004
If you need a starting point to get into Jamaican ska (as oposed to its British counsin), then this is the one to go for. Twenty tracks, a good variety of artists, a mixture of vocal and instrumental, and no instantly forgetable sub-R&B fillers from Yellowman and the like. If you're only an occasional ska listener, then this would be the only record you'll need. If you need a starting point for a new section in your CD collection, this is equally good.

MMMMMMMMmmmmmmmmmmm, 17 Apr 2003
Absolute cracker....If you love 2tone this is a must!

If You Only Own One Ska CD - Make It This One!, 11 Sep 2002
The best single-disc ska compilation I've come across. Ska was always a hit and miss musical form, but this is like the best of all the other compilations. Among a whole series of stand-outs, Keith & Ken's "I Won't Let You Go" and Baba Brooks' "Girls Town Ska" are quite irreplacable. Non-stop dance rhythms. If you're wondering where/whether to get into ska, ignore the box sets (for the moment) and start here.

Absolutely skankingly fantastic, 29 Jun 2001
Bought this after hearing Mark Lamarr play some of the original SKA, this album is absolutley brilliant, and I would recommend to everybody who is into SKA, original Jamaican sounds boom through the stereo, and you feet start to move...

What a box set !!, 08 Feb 2007
3 CDs of absolute classic ska. With the sheer volume of tracks this set provides, its a bargain. This is the real deal.A good cross section of Jamaican ska, with some tracks better known than others (perhaps) but don't let that put you off. If you have only heard the tracks that have also appeared on other ska compilations & you liked them, then the rest of this collection is a must.
This is a really expansive collection of quality ska music & Trojan have done a great job in selecting the tracks for this set.If you enjoy this , then the Rude Boy box set is also worth a punt.

Classic, 26 Mar 2006
Question in a pub quiz I was at not so long ago that ran along the lines of 'Who recently covered the Blondie song - The Tide is High?' Wasn't her song, I complained into my beer, and this proves it... Another great Trojan box set with masses of material that has inspired at least 3 waves of Ska revival, outstanding tracks such as Guns of Navarone, Blazing Fire, Train to Skaville, Phoenix City. I could go on. And of course The Paragons covering Blondie. Grrrrr... BTW If you're into the modern equivalent check out Pama International and The Splitters.

Typically Trojan - great value, great selection, 11 May 2004
Trojan box-sets are a great way of building up a collection of Jamaican music - the price is right and the choice of music is almost invariably excellent, and this Ska box is another excellent addition to their line. This is an excellent choice of sixties Ska, concentrating as much on those artists who later moved into reggae as those who stayed Ska purists. There's inevitably some difference in quality between the tracks on here, the average standard of performances and recordings is astonishingly good though. As an introduction to Ska this is fantastic - it shows clearly how the genre evolved into rocksteady and reggae, including a few tracks by people who later became reggae greats alongside the Ska purists.

Top 3 tracks for me:
007 - Desmond Dekker
Miss Jamaica - Jimmy Cliff
Guns of Navarone - Skatalites

Two Tones to Every Story, 01 May 2008
`Too Much Two Tone' is a supermarket compilation and yet where other supermarket compilations miss whole swathes of essential tracks this one ticks all the boxes with the all important Special number ones `Too Much Too Young' and `Ghost Town' (the extended 12" dub, no less) as well as a sprinkling of the rarities such as Rico's `Sea Cruise' and the later bands such as The Higsons and The Friday club which are generally air brushed out of the labels history to make for a monochrome Ska label which is readily identified.

That's not to say the Ska is underplayed, as well as the four Specials track, the Madness 45 `The Prince' is here, two Bodysnatchers tracks (neither of which are available on CD elsewhere) and three singles released on Two Tone by The Selector plus their classic version of the James Bond Theme.

The only glaring omission is neither side of The Beat single being licensed for the compilation however as a history of the label it is more representative than either of the Two Tone released compilations `This Are Two Tone' (released before the Special AKA album) and `The Two Tone Story' (which labours the Ska heritage). This really are Two Tone.


Too much of poor Ska!, 10 Apr 2006
Knowing little about Ska but hearing artists like Erykah Badu & Steve Marley I thought I would purchase this album hoping for Ska heaven! But in turned out to be an anti-climax with little imagination! Although there are few tracks I would recommend...Too Much Too Young is good and Ghost Town but apart from that everything else is slightly experimental in the first movement of ska.

Too Little Two Tone, 10 Feb 2003
Two Tone was the UK's most exciting new musical movement at the start of the 80s. Groups like Madness, The Selecter, The (English) Beat and The Special AKA, all on the Two Tone label, revived the Jamaican ska beat and created a new urgent sound that took youth culture by storm. This is a valuable introduction to the Two Tone beat, but unfortunately anything but complete. In the first place, the Beat is completely absent. The compilers could at least have included their classic version of Tears Of A Clown. In the second place, too many classic tracks have been omitted. Where's "A Message To You Rudy" by The Specials, "Madness" by Madness, The Selecter's eponymous "Selecter" and their well-known "Too Much Pressure?" I also think that Madness is hopelessly underrepresented as they're the band that ultimately achieved the greatest success. At least some of the earliest Two Tone hits are here, like Too Much Too Young, The Prince, On My Radio and Let's Do Rocksteady, plus later classics like The Specials' Nelson Mandela and Ghost Town. It is with some reluctance that I award this album a fourth star. Although it's a very listenable compilation, its title ought more appropriately to have been been "Too Little Two Tone."

A collection of ska greats, 21 Oct 2001
It's classic two tone action all the way on this 18-track ska-fest of an album. If you like the Specials, then this is for you. 1/3 of all the tunes are done by them, either under their 'specials' monicker, or thier earlier name, 'the special a.k.a.'. A Selector cover of the James Bond theme tune is skank-tastic, while madness's 'the prince' is great too. get your black suit on and skank the night away with 'too much two tone: ska classics'.

More great ska rarities, 19 Aug 2007
Before reggae there was ska and rocksteady, indigenous musical forms that had evolved from the imported rhythm and blues and jazz styles prevalent in Jamaica from the fifties onwards. The Trojan Ska Box Set had gathered 50 representative tracks from the period up to 1966, including some very well known big sellers.

A number of the leading artists appear again on Vol. 2: Don Drummond, Lee Perry, Lord Tanamo, Baba Brooks, the Skatalites, Owen Gray, Roland Alphonso, Tommy McCook, Desmond Dekker, Justin Hinds and the Dominoes, the Maytals, Lyn Taitt and others, with well known and less well known examples of their art, including some appearing on CD for the first time.

Occasionally they appear to have been mastered from less than pristine vinyl copies but if this is the best available, bring it on. Details are skimpy - many of the composer credits are listed as "unknown" and there are no dates for any of the recordings, which is an irritation, but as this is music to be danced and listened to rather than studied academically, we'll just have to live with it.


Like the others have said..., 05 Oct 2008
This is not by the original artists. It should be illegal to do this, they are fooling people into thinking it is a great compilation CD, when it is actually just a crap cover album. There is no other point to it than to make money by tricking people, it's not as if they are adding anything or creating their own version of the song like other covers. They just cheaply copy other people's work, so why not just listen to the great original versions of the songs?
Avoid.

NOT ORIGINAL ARTISTS, 30 Sep 2008
Its not clear on listing but this isn't original artists.
Its like the terrible Top of the Pops albums from the 70s and 80s with terrible imitations.

Avoid at all costs if your a real Ska fan.

This CD!!!??, 26 Jan 2008
This CD is not the original artists!! - Some goofs imitating the British ska masters - AVOID!!!

Could listen to this CD every day!!!, 28 Nov 2006
Used to have this on vinyl and tape, many moons ago......listened to death. Every song is fantastic, can't wait til it arrives!!!

You can't afford not to have this!, 04 Jun 2001
A must for every ska, two tone, reggae or popular music fan. If you ever wondered who was the inspiration behind modern dub, ska and reggae well there all placed nicely onto one cd for you here. Original classics from Jimmy Cliff and Desmond Dekker make this one of my favourite Ska compilations.

Some of the best ska money can buy..., 11 Jan 2006
This is a collection of original Jamaican ska recorded between about 1963 and 1965, mostly produced by Clement "Coxsone" Dodd at Studio One, but also including a few tracks produced by his rival, Duke Reid. Most of it consists of instrumentals, but there are a number of vocal tracks included.
Crediting the whole album to The Skatalites is slightly misleading, as some tracks were recorded before their brief original existence as a band between June 1964 and August 1965, and the vocal tracks were issued under the names of the singers or groups in question; some of the instrumentals were also originally issued under the names of featured musicians. But this is in no way a criticism of the contents.
The sound quality is very good throughout, a rare treat with reissues of Jamaican recordings of the mid-60s (and later) which have often suffered from poor mastering.
The booklet is one of the most interesting and informative for a release of this kind, with information on line-ups and soloists on individual tracks as well as a number of fascinating anecdotes and commentaries on the tunes related by surviving musicians.
But most importantly, this is a really strong collection