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Over the years, 'Babylon- The Original Soundtrack' has gathered something a cult reputation and is often cited as a classic reggae-collection. This mid-price reissue is as great as recent compilations and reissues of this genre, from Lee Perry's 'Dub-Triptych' to the Don Letts' compilations on Trojan (or the wider set of Trojan-compilations that are fantastic). Clearly reggae has a vast audience, who I'm sure would love this 10-track soundtrack, which now comes with 7-bonus-tracks. 'Babylon' is a budget-price classic, tremendous value, & one of the great soundtracks (perhaps to the 1980s what 'The Harder They Come' was to the 1970s? Or perhaps a reggae-'Superfly'?).
The soundtrack includes tracks from I-Roy, Yabby U, Michael Prophet, Cassandra and Aswad - the latter in their brilliant earlier incarnation, closer to peers like Steel Pulse than the poppy-UB40esque sound that made them very popular in the late 1980s.
The majority of the tracks here come from Dennis Bovell and his Dub Band - Bovell famously the producer of such key records of the time as 'Cut' by The Slits, 'Y' by The Pop Group (also creating the excellent '3.38'-track for them- which messed with 'She is Beyond Good & Evil'), several albums by Linton Kwesi Johnson, several records by Orange Juice & his own 'Strictly Dubwise' recorded under the name Blackbeard. Bovell is now viewed - in a book such as 'Rip It Up and Start Again' - as a forward-thinking dub-reggaue producer and the tracks here confirm that. Highlights include 'Jazterpiece' (here in two-versions), 'School Skanking', 'Living in Babylon' & 'Beefy's Tune' (again in two-versions). 'Babylon' is an essential purchase and evidence that British-musicians could easily match their brilliant Jamacian-influences...
Reggae history as shined favourably on this album as it provides a great insight into the cultural blend of Jamaican roots music with the more lighter British 'Lover's' sound which Bovell was a major contributor to.The movie was a stark look into black British youth culture in Thatcher's Britian.I think the soundtrack has stood the test of time slightly better than the movie.
The tracks still sound fresh and this is well worth checking out if you like eighties reggae prior to the invasion of the electronic dance hall sound.The bonus tracks on the extended Cd are also welcome additions.
Thanks for the reggae vibes!
Whether you've seen the movie or not, this is a worthwhile compilation. Read more
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