Rocksteady: The Roots of Reggae
The musical journey of ska to rocksteady to reggae charts a course through great social upheaval, exposing along the way extraordinary talent and some of the most enduring tunes ever written. Bader's lovingly crafted film examines this terrific history by reuniting some of the greatest exponents of the rocksteady sound.
Slowing the crazed Ska beat to a smoky and full-bodied rhythm, rocksteady produced some true classics including
The Tide is High (later covered by Blondie),
Rivers of Babylon (later a monster hit for Boney M) and introduced the world to artists of the caliber of Bob Marley and the Wailers, Desmond Dekker & The Aces, The Paragons, and The Maytals.
This fine documentary examines the development of the sound through a brilliant array of archival footage and stories from the artists, culminating in a reunion performance in front of an enraptured crowd. Along the way we spend time in the studio with many of the great performers such as The Tamlins, Stranger Cole (who also narrates the film), Dawn Penn (whose version of
You Don't Love Me, No, No, No is electrifying), saxophonist Deadley 'Deadly' Bennett and a galaxy of others as they re-cut some of their great rocksteady standards.
A constant aural pleasure and made for the big screen with big sound,
Rocksteady is a wonderfully personal, warm and beat-laden experience that gives the sound plenty of air to breathe and room to move.
