Monday, June 24, 2013

REVIEW: Various Artists - Fashion In Fine Style Significant Hits Volume 2


Time for all of you to consider your fashion for the summer.  Do you have the right clothes?  The right shoes?  The current swimwear?  Well, that's all fine, but don't ignore the right tunes.  Scholarly research shows that people with the wrong music are 38.65 percent lonelier that people with the right music.  Does this little talk make you insecure?  Don't worry -- When You Motor Away is here to help.  What you need for the summer is a collection of reggae party hits.  You need fashionable, stylish tunes.  You need Fashion in Fine Style Significant Hits Volume 2.

Fashion Records was one of the best UK reggae labels in the '80s and '90s, releasing high quality songs by top talent.  Now, Fashion Records and Reggae Archive Records have teamed up to package 20 of the best gems from Fashion's vaults in Fashion in Fine Style Significant Hits Volume 2.  In addition to the quality on display, the collection is notable for its range of reggae styles, covering lovers rock, dancehall and DJ, and remastered for this album.  The great reggae vocalists are represented by Horace Andy, Johnnie Clarke, and Junior Delgado.  Lover's rock stars include Janet Lee Davis and Michael Gordon.  Of course, a reggae compilation covering the period in which Fashion Records was active includes dancehall selections, and Top Cat and Papa San are among the contributors.  And Cutty Ranks offer the jungle/dancehall classic "Limb by Limb".

Johnnie Clarke's sweet sounds --


And the tougher rhythms of Cutty Ranks --


And because this is my column, I get to choose the songs, and I love "Breeze" by General Levy --


We'll close with the best ever remake of "Shout", from Louchie Lou & Michie One --

Fashion in Fine Style Significant Hits Volume 2 was released on June 17.

Reggae Archive Records
Bandcamp link for album













1 comment:

Anonymous said...

great summer driving suggestion