The Rough Guide to Essential Reggae CDs

 

Peter Dalton, co-author with Steve Barrow of Reggae: The Rough Guide, writes:

Our intention in writing Reggae: The Rough Guide was to provide in depth material about Jamaican music for those who already knew and loved the music and also to reach a new audience who perhaps knew little about reggae but wanted to know more, Since the book came out in late 1997 it has sold 25,000 copies worldwide, with large sales in the USA in particular, so we feel that we have succeeded in both aims.

Our book was published by Rough Guide as part of a series devoted to musical genres as diverse as rock and opera. Although Rough Guide is best known as as a publisher of travel guides for the adventurous low-budget traveller, their guides to music are also a kind of travel guide, 'maps' which help the reader explore different kinds of music from around the world.

Rough Guide further extend their commitment to reggae, and music generally, with a new series of pocket sized guides to 100 essential CDs in a broad selection of musical genres. The Rough Guide to 100 Essential Reggae CDs, again co-written by Steve Barrow and myself, is due for publication this September. Our aim has been to look in depth at the 100 CDs that no reggae collection should be without. This handy pocket-sized volume, selling for only £5, will cover every era and style of Jamaican music, including the scorching ska of The Skatalites, the deep roots of Burning Spear, the hardcore ragga of Bounty Killer, and the luscious lovers rock of Janet Lee-Davis.

Each CD will be reviewed in about 600 words which will include background information on the artist, producer or particular style of reggae music it represents. The book is very timely since much Jamaican music that was previously rare and virtually unobtainable is now becoming available on CD. Reggae on CD is undoubtedly finding a new audience, particularly when attractively packaged, and with informative sleeve notes to place the music in context.

Finally, an updated second edition of Reggae: The Rough Guide will come out some time next year. New arrivals will be featured and biographical information updated, especially of those figures who have died since the first edition was published, or about whom more information has come our way. More albums will be reviewed and of course any errors in the first edition of which we're aware will be corrected!



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