Where is the LOVE for Gregory Isaacs?

It doesn't help that Mr. Isaac's back-catalogue seems to be a mess of duplications and alternate versions on innumerable different albums and compilations released by innumerable different labels.

Perceived wisdom (well, perceived by me anyway) seems to be that http://image.allmusic.com/00/amg/cov200/drc500/c563/c56350iqt46.jpg is pretty much essential / the place to start; and that's where I started and indeed (at least up to now) stopped. It's pretty good but not exceptional.

Nevertheless as far I'm concerned Prince Far-I >>>>> Dennis Brown > Gregory Isaacs

Ideal summer music, evening music, girl music, island music, ETC.

Insanity (even if you've only listened to a collection of Isaac's earliest singles it's still insanity.)

I just prefer DJ to Lovers. Maybe it's because there is that much more insanity in the music; but give me Dennis Alcapone, Big Youth, I-Roy, U-Roy and Prince Far-I every time.

"(even if you've only listened to a collection of Isaac's earliest singles it's still insanity.)"

Actually, despite the titles, the two "Best Of"'s were apparently mostly new material when they were released.

What would you recommend as the next GI album to get?

I'm sure the ladies of Jamaica feel exactly the same.

Cool Ruler, Soon Forward, Mr Isaacs and even Night Nurse are all really good prime of his Voice, Gregory Isaacs.

stewart get "loving pauper" which IS a collection of early singles, and then Mr. Isaacs on blood and fire, which has a couple "conscious" tracks in addition to the typical lover stuff.
xpost the ones alex named are all really good, too.

Agreed - I'd add Trojan's 'The Early Years' as well. Ignore any stuff much later than those mentioned, his voice has been well and truly shot for a number of years now.

As well as the famous classics, I'm a big fan of some early numbers like Love Is Overdue and Loving Pauper.

Niall sadly otm about his current state, tho, I heard some recent tracks on Germaica compilations and it seemed unbelievable that this could even be the same performer.

http://www.bloodandfire.co.uk/album_detail.php?id=BAFCD035

Bargain!

night nurse record = A+++++++

'cool down the pace' = <3

The comparison to Prince Far I above still boggles my mind.

gregory isaacs is playing here in a couple weeks. can someone verify for certain that his voice sux now so i don't end up taking a gamble on it ($25)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9JR_grqvP3s

sounding kinda rough here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uBMIqMpL_0o

btw this is one of the best things on youtube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cnw1nAVTmKY

-- Kitten, the body needs it, the body cries out for Ian Riese-Moraine!

ive got an old peel tape from the mid-90's and on it he plays a great isaacs track 'don't call me baldhead' (i might be mistaken here cos it's a while since i listened to that tape).

anyone have any idea where i might find that track on cd?

Don't dis the cool ruler. I saw him @ The Stone in Berkeley on the Night Nurse tour w/the Radics, who were (natch) astonishing. He strolled out on stage after they ran through a medley of their greatest riddims and the ladies rushed the front of the house. Simply breathtaking.

Comparisons with DJs just don't make sense. Now if you want to argue Horace Andy, Dennis Brown, Freddie MacGregor, Sugar Minott, you might have a point, but I think it's a tough sell... and I've got about 5x as many Horace abums...

Slightly off point...I was in the hospital for a wrist operation (sic) overnight, a few years back, and just about ate my pillow when a large Jamaican lady came into the room @ shift change and announced that she was the night nurse...

Appearing in DC this coming weekend.

Gregory Isaacs is great, but purely in terms of "The Voice," I think I prefer Cornell Campbell and Horace Andy.

beach partyyyyyy

RIP

http://ht.ly/2YMRh

Gregory Isaacs dies


Gregory Isaacs
Gregory Isaacs: 1951-2010
Reggae legend Gregory Isaacs has died after a battle with cancer.

Isaacs, who was 59 years old, died on Monday morning at his home in London where he spent part of his time.

He leaves behind a wife and children.

Close friends told BBC Caribbean that he had originally been diagnosed with cancer of the liver which had then spread.

The Jamaican reggae singer, who was nicknamed the Cool Ruler, was best known for the song 'Night Nurse'.

BBC Caribbean on Twitter

Earlier this year, the reggae legend was featured in the BBC's Caribbean Masters series.

oh no!

rip

Oh no.

The first reggae album I bought was Night Nurse.

cool delivery!! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_OzlIuq47qA

RIP Gregory

Sad. One of my favorite voices.

^^^

Mine too.

RIP

How are these guys only 59. I've been listening to him forever!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I8yaBa7-kwQ

So, anyway RIP man, far too soon.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LhmTZRGzUw0

Daniel - that Loving Pauper 12" is beautiful - thanks.

aw man RIP

found out about this through an old friend's facebook feed. he was one of the best of the classic reggae singers!

Oh man, RIP Gregory, what a voice

shit

:(

I haven't listened to him much in recent years, but I love some of his songs, including the obvious "Night Nurse."

Bummed. RIP, Cool Ruler.

btw

Nevertheless as far I'm concerned Prince Far-I >>>>> Dennis Brown > Gregory Isaacs

― Stewart Osborne (Stewart Osborne), Friday, July 22, 2005 1:43 PM

lol @ this

This

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Ca61V1Z1LU0/TMWmqGWYr8I/AAAAAAAANQo/wUMqYBYz-kU/s1600/Gregory+Isaacs+-+the+best+of+(GG%27s+label).jpg

All afternoon (it was also released as 'Willow Tree' - despite the title, it's not a comp.)

Love 'No Speech' - random thought, but you realise how much Scritti Politti owed to Lovers, and lyrically, it would even suit Green...

btw

Nevertheless as far I'm concerned Prince Far-I >>>>> Dennis Brown > Gregory Isaacs

― Stewart Osborne (Stewart Osborne), Friday, July 22, 2005 1:43 PM

lol @ this

― am0n, Monday, October 25, 2010 4:38 PM (14 minutes ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

??? they're all giants so no disrespect to the dead but that would also be my exact ranking - I mean, Far I is pretty sui generis, you can't really compare the Voice of Thunder to two of the sweetest singers ever, but brown v. isaacs you'll have to concede is a fair fight

"If I Don't Have You" has been kicking my arse in lately!

rip

I paid silly money back in the day for a copy of this

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oq-jRexfXzM

damn dude RIP. was just sitting here reading his interview in WaxPoetics reggae issue, talking about how active he still was. :(

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-XmNm0inyM

RIP :(

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Py5OXpCllpg

loved this dude

Can anyone recommend a good introduction to mid-80s digital era Isaacs? I heard a song on the radio yesterday and I want to hear it again!

Warning is the Tubby produced album and Red Rose For Gregory is the Clarke one (not sure if the latter is all digital though.) Those are the best post-Night Nurse records I've heard.

I'm not sure who produced this, Elan, but this is the tune I most associate with that time:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_G1gHz-xZkg

Gussie Clark produced that iirc

Gussie Clarke that is. This is a nice collection: http://www.discogs.com/Gussie-Clarke-Greensleeves-12-Rulers-Music-Works-1987-91/release/1498058.

Thanks.

"telephone love" = nice memories

Rumours is definitely the right style! I'm going to check out more Isaacs/Clarke stuff.

I didn't find my song among his work with Gussie Clarke. It was a very brittle digital sound - very "Casio" - like this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=42loOUL1RGk

It's probably a Tubby production.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hJsOd3PWcAM

Rumours is definitely the right style! I'm going to check out more Isaacs/Clarke stuff.

― elan, Tuesday, October 26, 2010 5:40 PM (1 hour ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

also 'beach party' has some more subtle elements of it

could be this song, "Dealing", which Basic Replay reissued:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9cvNu9_wUFo&feature=related

rip big man. between this and paul this is a really terrible week.

what a gorgeous voice.

through a slow amassing of various Trojan boxsets and other reggae compilations, I suddenly realised the other day that I had a lot of this guy's stuff...and that I love it.

Sad that he died so young, he was such a wonderful talent.

young? dude was 59

That's young in my book

Can anyone recommend a good introduction to mid-80s digital era Isaacs? I heard a song on the radio yesterday and I want to hear it again!

― elan, Tuesday, October 26, 2010 1:01 PM (5 years ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

I always assumed that I didn't need much beyond the various tracks on Trojan comps and Mr Isaacs, but I just got two of his "later" albums for a song - Maximum Respect and Let Me Be The One - and I like them both a lot. Clearly these are 'grey market' comps and I have no idea about the origin of these tracks. Can anyone shed any light of these?

nobody wears a brimmed hat better

basking in the cool perfection of "cool down the place" rn

^never gets old

every gregory isaacs album i've heard is awesome but i feel like soon forward in particular should be way more well-known than it is

more gregory is also *as* good as night nurse. miraculous

i'm in heaven when gregory isaacs sings

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ywkDBhIHXnA

one of my fave Gregory joints, he covers all the bases

night nurse record = A+++++++

― deej, Saturday, August 18, 2007

Needs a few more pluses there but yes. Def top 5 reggae album.

Night Nurse making this morning much better.

Just got back from 5 days in the Caribbean and we listened to nothing but Gregory Isaacs the entire time. Bliss.

good