Around the mid-1990s, there was a brief musical infatuation with reggae music. A number of groups and solo artists attempted to sing reggae songs with mixed results. My favorite song on The Roots of Rock: Rock ‘N’ Reggae is Joe Cocker’s version of “Many Rivers to Cross.” The best known single of this collection is Blondie’s hit “The Tide is High.” Why Eric Clapton’s cover of Bob Dylan’s “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door” is on this CD is baffling…but I like the song so…okay.
Rock On: 1994, which came out in 1996, provides a snapshot of where musical tastes were 30 years ago. R. Kelly (no relation) was still a Big Star. Big Mountain had a hit with “Baby, I Love Your Way.” Boston was still active with “I Need Your Love.” Richard Marx was still crooning songs like “Now and Forever.”
The musical tenor of the 1990s is apparent on these compilation CDs. You can hear the drop-off from the music of the 1980s. It might be cause by the decline of MTV and the rise of online music streaming services. GRADE: B- (for both)
TRACK LIST:
| 1 | R. Kelly– | Your Body’s Callin’ | 4:35 |
| 2 | Crystal Waters– | 100% Pure Love | 4:37 |
| 3 | Arrested Development– | Ease My Mind | 3:35 |
| 4 | Color Me Badd– | Choose | 4:23 |
| 5 | Changing Faces– | Stroke You Up | 4:31 |
| 6 | A Tribe Called Quest– | Awars Tour | 3:27 |
| 7 | Big Mountain– | Baby, I Love Your Way | 4:26 |
| 8 | Richard Marx– | Now And Forever | 3:32 |
| 9 | Us3 featuring Rahsaan & Gerard Presencer– | Cantaloop (Flip Fantasia) | 4:37 |
| 10 | Boston– | I Need Your Love | 5:29 |
| 11 | Joshua Kadison– | Beautiful In My Eyes | 4:06 |
| 12 | Cracker– | Get Off This | 4:21 |
TRACK LIST:
| Eric Clapton– | Knocking On Heaven’s Door | 4:25 | |
| Blondie– | The Tide Is High | 4:44 | |
| Robert Palmer– | Pressure Drop | 5:29 | |
| Joe Cocker– | Many Rivers To Cross | 3:46 | |
| Joe Jackson– | The Harder They Come | 3:49 | |
| Shakespear’s Sister– | Could You Be Loved | 4:15 | |
| 10cc– | Dreadlock Holiday | 4:32 | |
| Pat Travers Band– | Is This Love | 3:56 | |
| Hothouse Flowers– | I Can See Clearly Now | 4:11 | |
| John Martyn– | Johnny Too Bad | 3:59 | |
| Rita Coolidge– | Do You Really Want To Hurt Me | 4:07 | |
| Garland Jeffreys– | No Woman No Cry | 4:42 |
The quality here is uneven to say the least—but it was around this time, as my kids were being born and growing up, that I stopped listening to much new music and mostly stayed in my listening bubble of 60s/70s/80s stuff. On the first record, my favorite songs are “100% Real Love” (which is very catchy) and “Cantaloop” (which is actually Herbie Hancock’s “Cantaloupe Island” with a hip-hop overlay). As for the Raggae CD, I think they’re really pushing the limits of the definition of Raggae here: one steel drum does not a Raggae record make! That being said, I do like “The Tide Is High”. The inclusion of some of the other songs (especially “Dreadlock Holiday” which, iirc, is about being mugged in Jamaica) is slightly more baffling.
Deb, I’m still scratching my head about the inclusion of “Knocking on Heaven’s Door” instead of “I Shot the Sheriff”–Clapton’s cover of a Bob Marley song.
Back in 1994 my hearing was near perfect, which may go a long way to explain why these compilations do absolutely nothing for me.
Jerry, music in the 1990s became more “synthetic” as more synthesizers and software replaced real instruments.
I’m drawing a blank on all but “The Tide Is High” on the second disc. By 1994 my listening was limited mostly to MOR drive-time stuff.
Fred, “The Tide is High” is the biggest hit on THE ROOTS OF ROCK: ROCK ‘N’ REGGAE.
Such a cool trip down memory lane. Loved how you captured the mix of rock and reggae vibes from the ’90s, really brings back the golden music moments. Thanks for sharing dear.
Ceri, the 1990s was a time of blending music. Glad it took you on a cool trip down memory lane!
First album, I know nothing. I’ve heard of a couple of the singers, including the odious R. Kelly.
Second album is better, but NOT reggae for the most part. Get the soundtrack of THE HARDER THEY COME, with the original version of that song and “Many Rivers To Cross “
Jeff, I have THE HARDER THEY COME around here somewhere. I’ll have to dig it out and give it another listen to hear Real Reggae.
I started working in record stores in the mid eighties and was managing a college town independent store by the early nineties. I definitely saw new music go into a nose dive by this point, both popular and what was then called “college rock,” which became “alternative” and then “indie” (thanks for nothing hipster posers and Pitchfork exclusionists).
I’ve dipped my toe back into the water from time to time and there’s still interesting stuff out there but it all seems to exist in its own mini bubbles. There hasn’t been anything like a “scene” in decades and I think social media, which everyone thought would actually help, in fact both fractured and isolated the music ecosystems even further. Fortunately classical was and remains my first love so I have a lifetime of music yet to discover but you can’t quite tap your toe to it and it isn’t as much fun for driving music.
This collection looks just awful. I imagine the John Martyn track is from his godawful later records.
Byron, I posted these two compilation CDs just to show the State of Music in the mid-1990s. It was all downhill from there…
Surprisingly, Jackie likes reggae. She loves the soundtrack of THE MIGHTY QUINN. She also has BAM BAM IT’S MURDER and Virgin’s MADE IN JAMAICA.
Jeff, Jackie has way more reggae than I have. My most played reggae album is Bob Marley’s hits. I’m particularly fond of “Natty Dread.”
Roots? The roots were planted 40-50 years ahead of this drivel! Okay, I can listen to a couple of them, but the ’90s were a graveyard of bad music in my world!
Bob, a lot of people share your opinion of the music of the Nineties!
IMHO, the best Reggae song to chart in the States is also the first Reggae song to chart in the States (if you don’t count the ska-infused “My Boy Lollipop”): “The Israelites” by Desmond Dekker & the Aces.
Deb, both “My Boy Lollipop” and “The Israelites” are better than anything on THE ROOTS OF ROCK: ROCK ‘N’ REGGAE.