I’ve been hooked on the Trojan sound ever since I heard Harry J’s gun tune “Liquidator” and The Upsetters’ bad boy shuffler “Return Of Django” on GTA: London 1969. This Is Trojan chronicles the UK label’s mighty reign over Jamaican music through all its iterations, from ska and rocksteady to skinhead reggae and even early dancehall. This collection focuses on the label’s golden period of the 60s and 70s, when Trojan imported tunes by the boatload for the UK youths, punks, mods and skins that simply couldn’t get enough of the sound of Jamaica. In addition to the two aforementioned tunes, the set includes stellar early cuts by John Holt, Dave & Ansel Collins, Ken Boothe, Lee Perry, Desmond Dekker, The Maytals, The Paragons, and more. Every single track is a corker, but most will be familiar with Althea & Donna’s Joe Gibbs-produced classic “Uptown Top Ranking” (which will slay any party to this day), Symarip’s Doc Marten-lacing anthem “Skinhead Moonstomp” and Bob & Marcia’s “Young Gifted & Black” (which, oddly enough, inspired The Smiths' “Girlfriend In A Coma”). This is your one-stop shop for hours and hours of Carnival / Brooklyn block party heat. 60 tracks spread across six 180 gram vinyl LPs, with only five tracks pressed per side to maximize fidelity and volume. Housed in deluxe high-gloss hardcover box with thick-spined matte jackets and full-color inner sleeves featuring original artwork. Recommended.

• 60 tracks from the Trojan catalogue
• housed in thick-spined outer jackets
• full-color printed inner sleeves
• encased in high-gloss hardcover box
• limited edition
• music label: Trojan Records 2017

reviewed by peanut dust 08/2017