Toots & The Maytals "Sweet and Dandy" (1969)

Sweet and Dandy
release date: 1969
format: digital (1998 reissue)
[album rate: 4 / 5] [4,12]
producer: Leslie Kong
label: Jet Set Records - nationality: Jamaica

Tracklist: 1. "Monkey Man" (5 / 5) - 2. "Pressure Drop" (5 / 5) - 3. "I Shall Be Free" - 4. "Bla Bla Bla" (4 / 5) - 5. "Just Tell Me" - 6. "We Shall Overcome" - 7. "Sweet & Dandy" - 8. "Scare Him" - 9. "Alidina" (4 / 5) - 10. "I Need Your Love" - 11. "54-46 That's My Number" (4 / 5) - 12. "Oh Yeah"

3rd studio album by The Maytals - the first as Toots & The Maytals, and the first to feature material almost entirely written by vocalist Frederick 'Toots' Hibbert. The album was originally released on Beverley's Records founded and owned by [legendary] Chinese Jamaican producer Leslie Kong, and in 1998 reissued on cd by Jet Set Records.
This album is one of the absolute best ever studio releases of rocksteady and Jamaican ska. "Monkey Man" was a favourite cover song by The Specials and later Amy Winehouse, "Pressure Drop" has been covered by many including Robert Palmer and my personal favourite: The punk reggae version by The Clash. That song is together with the title track "Sweet & Dandy" and "I Need Your Love" music that forecast the genre of reggae.

BEST OF 1962:Jacques Brel "Olympia 61" (1962) (live)

Olympia 61 (live)
release date: 1962
format: cd
[album rate: 5 / 5]

Track highlights: 2. "Les bourgeois" - 3. "Les paumés du petit matin" - 4. "Les Flamandes" - 5. "La statue" - 7. "Marieke" - 8. "Les biches" - 9. "Madeleine" - 12. "La valse á mille temps" - 12. "Ne me quitte pas" - 14. "Le moribond" - 15. "Quand on n'a que l'amour"

Live album by Jacques Brel released by Philips Records and recorded Oct. 27–29, 1961 at l'Olympia in Paris. The album is a marvelous live recording showcasing the skills of Brel at the peak of his career.

1962 Favourite releases: 1. Jacques Brel Olympia 61 - 2. Chet Baker Chet Is Back! - 3. Dexter Gordon Go

Jacques Brel "Marieke" (1961)

Marieke
release date: 1961
format: cd
[album rate: 4 / 5]

5th studio album by Jacques Brel aka "Jacques Brel 5" released on Philips. The album consists of tracks composed by either Brel alone (5 tracks), Brel together with conductor François Rauber (two tracks), or Brel with Gérard Jouannest (8 tracks). The album contains some of his most well-known compositions: "Marieke", "Le moribond", "On n'oublie rien", "Le prochain amour", "Les prénoms de Paris", and "Les singes". The track "Le moribond" was transleated by Rod McKuen and covered by Canadian singer / songwriter Terry Jacks as "Seasons in the Sun" and that version became a big international hit in 1974.