VA — Virgin Front Line: Sounds Of Reality (2014)

The mid-70s were heady years for reggae. Chris Blackwell\’s Island imprint had taken the music to the rock world, and Vi boss Richard Branson wanted to follow suit. Aided by none other than John Lydon, the pair decamped to Kingston, JA, with a suitcase of money, and proceeded to sign some of the biggest acts of the decade. Initially the records were released on Vi but, in March 1978, the Front Line imprint was launched to carry all the Jamaican product.

The Front Line name had originated in 1976 as the first of a series of three budget albums Vi had issued, each selling for the price of a 45 (69p), and containing a sample of tracks from the range of their full-price reggae long-players. The sleeve was the now familiar design of a bleeding fist gripping barbed wire. Fittingly, the first three CDs in this set reproduce those budget albums, with bonus tracks; Disc Four is comprised of disco mixes, and Disc Five is tantalizingly titled From The Vaults.

The sumptuous box comes complete with an extensive booklet (with a foreword from Mr Rotten), four miniature posters and a car sticker, but that\’s just ephemera compared to the music, which is pretty much the sound of the 70s. All the favourites are present, with The Mighty Diamonds\’ magnificent Right kicking things off, followed by a re-energized U Roy with Natty Rebel, and so on through Johnny Clarke, The Gladiators, The Abyssinians, Keith Hudson, Gregory Isaacs, The Twinkle Brothers — and so much more. Some of the finest DJ music arrived on the Front Line imprint, and this box also boasts a fair representation courtesy of the doom-laden Prince Far I, U Brown, Tapper Zukie, Big Youth and I Roy — to note just a few of the inspired chatters.

The UK contingent is represented by the very underrated Delroy Washington, Poet & The Roots (aka LKJ/Linton Kwesi Johnson) and the barely remembered Joyella Blade. It\’s all wonderful stuff, with many of the tracks making their debut on CD; even better, a number of them have never been issued at all, making for a mind-blowing listen for die-hard reggae buffs. Alternative takes also abound, such as The Abyssinians\’ Jah Loves, while there are 12\» mixes aplenty, including The Mighty Diamonds\’ I Need A Roof, Prince Far I\’s Throw Away Your Gun and Gregory Isaacs\’ superb Mr Brown.

Not only is the music great and the presentation pretty sharp but, happily, the sound quality isn\’t the normal lo-fi Jamaican third-generation tape with snap, crackle and pop; it\’s crisp, clear and mighty deep. Thanks to Branson\’s major cash injection the recordings were made using decent master tapes, which have been carefully stored. Branson may never have found his own Bob Marley but, as this superlative collection reveals, he certainly scooped some of the greatest talent that 70s Jamaica had to offer.

Disc 1: The Front Line I — 1976 To 1978

1. The Mighty Diamonds — Right (3:15)

2. U-Roy — Natty Rebel (3:30)

3. Johnny Clarke — Declaration Of Rights (3:24)

4. I-Roy — Don\’t Touch I Man Locks (2:28)

5. The Gladiators — Looks Is Deceiving (2:29)

6. Delroy Washington — Freedom Fighters (3:41)

7. U-Roy — The Great Psalms (2:47)

8. Keith Hudson — Civilisation (5:09)

9. The Gladiators — Know Yourself Mankind (2:49)

10. The Mighty Diamonds — Africa (3:09)

Bonus Tracks:

11. U-Roy — Runaway Girl (3:44)

12. The Revolutionaries — Killer Dub (3:11)

13. The Mighty Diamonds — Have Mercy (3:16)

14. I-Roy — Musical Shark Attack (3:09)

15. Keith Hudson — Thank You Baby (2:48)

16. Johnny Clarke — I Wish It Could Go On Forever (2:59)

17. The Mighty Diamonds — Shame And Pride (3:19)

18. The Gladiators — Chatty Chatty Mouth (3:15)

19. Johnny Clarke — Roots, Natty Roots, Natty Congo (3:11)

20. Delroy Washington — Give All The Praise To Jah (3:24)

21. Poet And The Roots — It Dread Inna Inglan (For George Lindo) (4:05)

22. The Mighty Diamonds — Planet Called Earth (4:18)

Disc 2: The Front Line II — 1978

1. The Gladiators — Jah Works (3:27)

2. U-Brown — Natty Dread Upon A Mountain Top (4:14)

3. The Twinkle Brothers — I Love You So (3:28)

4. Prince Far I & The Arabs — Foggy Road (4:09)

5. Sly Dunbar — Mr. Bassie (3:24)

6. Prince Hammer — Sister Bella (2:46)

7. Althea & Donna — Make A Truce (3:58)

8. Poet And The Roots — Dread Beat An\’ Blood (2:57)

9. Ranking Trevor — Rub A Dub Style (3:20)

10. Culture — Holy Mount Zion (3:37)

11. Tapper Zukie — Tribute To Steve Biko (4:18)

12. Big Youth — Love We A Deal With (4:13)

13. I-Roy — Jordan River (3:51)

14. Jah Lloyd The Black Lion — Cocaine (2:02)

Bonus Tracks:

15. The Gladiators — Dreadlocks The Is Now (3:00)

16. The Twinkle Brothers — Free Africa (4:45)

17. Prince Far I — No More War (4:36)

18. Joyella Blade — Cairo (3:40)

19. Prince Hammer — Bible (2:45)

20. I-Roy — Fire Stick (3:04)

21. Jah Lloyd The Black Lion — Dis Ya Sound (2:17)

22. Tapper Zukie — She Want A Phensic (Dangerous Woman) (4:23)

Disc 3: Front Line III — 1978 To 1979

1. Gregory Isaacs — Lonely Girl (3:58)

2. Sly Dunbar — Mr. Music (4:27)

3. The Mighty Diamonds — 4000 Years (3:27)

4. I-Roy — Fire In A Wire (3:29)

5. The Twinkle Brothers — Jahoviah (3:56)

6. The Gladiators — Get Ready (3:52)

7. U-Roy — I Got To Tell You Goodbye (4:25)

8. Culture — I Tried (3:25)

9. Prince Far I — Borno Dub (3:04)

10. Abyssinians — South African Enlistment (2:26)

Bonus Tracks:

11. Tapper Zukie — Oh Lord (3:43)

12. Sly Dunbar — Rasta Fiesta (4:10)

13. Twinkle Brothers — Distant Drums (3:01)

14. U Brown — Weather Baloon (3:45)

15. Gladiators — Holiday Ride (3:02)

16. Culture — Natty Never Get Weary (3:53)

17. Abyssinians — Hey You (4:24)

18. Gregory Isaacs — Let\’s Dance (2:54)

19. Big Youth — Upful One (3:55)

20. The Twinkle Brothers — Keep On Trying (4:16)

21. Jah Lloyd — Greenbay Incident (3:25)

Disc 4: The Discomixes

1. U-Roy — Small Axe (12\» Version) (5:22)

2. The Twinkle Brother — Africa (12\» Version) (7:05)

3. Dr. Alimantado — Slavery Let I Go (7:05)

4. The Gladiators — Pocket Money / Money Version (Discomix) (7:33)

5. U Brown — Black Star Liner (12\» Version) (5:52)

6. Althea & Donna — Going To Negril (7:06)

7. I-Roy — Hill And Gully (12\» Version) (8:22)

8. Mighty Diamonds — Bodyguard (12\» Version) (6:44)

9. Gregory Isaacs — Soon Forward (12\» Version) (6:33)

10. Sly Dunbar — A Who Say (4:57)

11. The Twinkle Brothers — Jah Kingdom Come (12\» Version) (6:25)

12. U-Roy — Chalice In The Palace & Wear You To The Ball (Live At The Lyceum) (7:20)

Disc 5: From The Vaults

1. The Mighty Diamonds — In This (3:32)

2. Gregory Isaacs — Tune In (12\» Version) (6:34)

3. Culture — Can\’t Study The Rastaman (4:04)

4. Prince Far I — Throw Away Your Gun (12\» Version) (8:10)

5. Jah Lloyd — Bone Dub (3:22)

6. The Twinkle Brothers — I Don\’t Want To Be Lonely Anymore (12\» Version) (7:29)

7. Abyssinians — Jah Loves (Alternate Version) (4:10)

8. Delroy Washington — Selassie I (3:17)

9. Vivian Weathers — Hip Hug (12\» Version) (7:12)

10. Althea & Donna — It Mek (3:50)

11. Poet And The Roots — All Wi Doin Is Defendin (12\» Version) (5:32)

12. The Mighty Diamonds — I Need A Roof (12\» Version) (5:32)

13. Gregory Isaacs — Mr. Brown (12\» Version) (5:50)

14. Culture — Black Rose (3:51)

15. Keith Hudson — Vi Rock (3:28)