CD-Charts Position 1
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Best of Ska

by: Various Artists

Release Date October 22, 2001
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!

CD-Charts Position 2
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20 Massive Hits

by: Toots and the Maytals

Release Date March 13, 2000
I'm not one for writing reviews but seeing as no-one has bothered to write a review for this Toots & The Maytals CD, I thought I may as well be the first.

If your knowledge of reggae goes as far as Bob Marley, and that's it, then you seriously need to broaden your tastes, and as a starter I highly recommend Toots. This CD covers The Maytals career from 1966 to 1974 and all the hits are here - Monkey Man (later covered by The Specials), their brilliant debut single Bam Bam, 54-46 That's My Number and probably their most famous song Pressure Drop (later covered by The Clash).

There's 20 songs on this album and I can honestly say there simply isn't a bad song on here, this album played through from start to finish ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 3
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Too Much Two Tone: Ska Classics

by: Various Artists

Release Date September 17, 2001
`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 ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 4
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Northern Soul Connoisseurs

by: Various Artists

Release Date May 28, 2001
As a new convert to NS I was intrigued as to what I would find on here.
I was pleasantly surprised at the content and there are a few tracks that have already become real favourites.

For me the standout track has to be the hair-raising Al Kent:The way you've been acting. Whilst this is a brilliant track unfortunately it does suffer from being a copy from a record and there is some distortion on the left channel and some of the other tracks are similarly from records and not the original master tape. Still I would rather have them that way than not at all.

All in all a bargain at £3.39 at a large supermarket chain at time of writing.

CD-Charts Position 5
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Trojan Ska Box Set

by: Various Artists

Release Date July 04, 1996
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.

CD-Charts Position 6
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The Liquidators: 24 Original Ska Classics

by: Various Artists

Release Date June 25, 2001
Used to have this on vinyl and tape, many moons ago......listened to death. Every song is fantastic, can't wait til it arrives!!!

CD-Charts Position 7
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Dancehall '69: 40 Skinhead Reggae Rarities

by: Various Artists

Release Date February 26, 2008
This CD is worth buying for Bush Doctor alone. A brilliant fast blues/jazz-type piano played over a pumping bass rhythm and driving reggae rhythm. This is an instrumental of Peter Tosh' record of the same name - but that's what the Music Doctors did par excellence. It was also used as the backing track for Madness' Don't Quote Me On That. Warefare is also brilliant. I have both in vinyl and was really pleased to find them on CD. Reggae in your jeggae a lot with this one...

CD-Charts Position 8
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Greatest Hits

by: Selecter

Release Date May 13, 1996
Like all cut price compilations they are most telling for their omissions rather than what they include. This one has only one glaring omission debut side `The Selecter' the instrumental on the b-side of The Specials 45 `Gangsters' which created the initial excitement to start the band in the first place. Also absent is the classic version of the cover of `Train to Skaville' which with its 12" dub version was definitely a high point of the bands career.

However gripes aside it manages to include the non album singles `On My Radio' and my personal favourite `The Whisper' along with the best eight cuts from the debut LP `Too Much Pressure'. The remaining six songs are drawn from the bands disappointing second LP `Celebrate the Bullet' which is perhaps ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 9
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That's Proper Folk

by: Various Artists

Release Date April 07, 2008
Who cares whether it's proper folk; it's proper good and at an indecently low price

CD-Charts Position 10
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The Specials

by: Specials

Release Date March 25, 2002
This is my favourite of the 2 Specials albums. 'More Specials' is quirkier, but this is equally fun and more up-tempo. I love to leap around to this record at every oportunity, (much to the annoyance of my neighbours). I could wiffle on about all of the profound lyrics and such and Terry Hall's deadpan style, but once you buy this record then you will find out for yourself. Suffice to say that this record is well worth getting for your collection. If you like that 2 tone sound, then it really doesn't get any better than this. And at this price it is a steal!!!!