Reviews (1)

Be Aware
This is actually disc 2 of the Ska Bonanza set. So if you own Ska Bonanza (which is an amazing first wave ska album) you probably don't want this. ... Read more

Album Description

SKASMATIC, a celebration of SKA, is a various artists set featuring top selling artists Luciano (Where There Is Life), Mikey General (Miss Taylor Boy), Sharon Forrester (Silly Wasn’t I, Perfect), Prezident Brown (Heathen Chant, Bun Down Rome), and more.Singles "Wi Jamming", "Wash Wash", "She’s My Lover", "Honey Nuh Cry", and "Someone To Love Me" are already fixtures at Jamaican radio.

FOR CONSUMERS WHO LIKE: Tony Kelly, Wayne Wonder, Sean Paul, Shaggy, Nadine Sutherland, Fiona, Luciano, Elephant Man, Beyonce, Sanchez, Marcia Griffiths, Beanie Man, Ken Boothe, & ALL THINGS REGGAE ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Way..Back!
I think this cd is a must...you love reggae, you love real music, then get this cd. I've listened to every track over and over about 50 times already, it's great all together. I loved each track for different reasons, and you will too, I guarantee it. I'm an Artist my self, a popular one at that, so if you can't take my word for it, then whose can you take? Besides all of that, I know one of the artist personally, and she's bad! Get yours, I got 3!

Whimsical and heartfelt
Aaaahhhhh, The sound of ska. Modern yet old at the same time get the feeling of De Javu especially with Luciano's Wash Away. This album is a definite must buy to any serious ska or Jamaican Music Connoisseur.

Perfect for the Ska Fanatic
I love reggae oldies, and this is new music but with the flava and quality of oldtime ska. I don't know most of the artists, but I really love the music- I recommend it to all who love REAL Jamaican music and culture ... Read more

Reviews (3)

This band found God and wants to tell.
I bought this cd expecting a compilationof various bands .It's really just one band . Where they came up with ska 98 is beyond me, their music is more power pop like than ska although it has some ska like stuff hidden in it . Every song is aboutGod. Have these guys met the Supertones? Well it's not all horrible, I found song #4listed on the jacket as song #3 has its moments. It might be religious but it's not bad. Final stone isn't too bad either.This cd won't part the Red Sea but it doesn't suck either .If you're looking for ska look somewhere else . If you want power pop shades of CIV but not quite as good and you don't mind the religion then buy this cd .

I disagree with monofrworms or whatever
This CD is the best of the best in the ska world. Anyone who thinks ska is an overtrendy music that is expressionless, I disagree. Ska is a freedom of expression that makes people forget all differences and make them dance to the music they love. Ska 98 is a great CD

terrible!
this is the worst cd i have ever heard......ska is so stpuid and trendy now it makes me sick for all of you who i read this you are pitiful for liking ska! stupid trendy idiot. ... Read more

Album Description

50 great ska tracks from the vaults of Trojan Records. Includes cuts by Lord Tanamo, Desmond Dekker, Lee Perry, Roland Alphonso, Jimmy Cliff & Derrick Morgan. Each disc comes in a separate slipcase sleeve & together they come packaged in a full color brilliant box. 1998 release. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Ska 101
Shame on those listeners who have chosen to criticize Trojan for the release of these comprehensive, low-priced, collections of chestnuts.

As another listener pointed out, the sound quality is about what is to be expected given the nature and level of the technology at the time these recordings were originally made. Yes, they're at times a bit primitive, but that's the nature of the beast.

If you want Steely Dan, go find it elsewhere.

Not strictly for purists, the entire series is a fantastic introduction for the neophyte, as well as a tremendous resource for the long-standing aficionados among us.

A better bargain cannot be found. Kudos to Trojan.

If you're getting only three of these to start, I'd recommend "Rocksteady" and "Instrumentals" as well. Hopefully Amazon.com will add the latter very soon.

Bad mastering is Trojan's fault
The music is excellent but...
the sound quality on these cheapo box sets IS a let-down. I have quite a few of them and in some instances i have the same songs on other non-trojan cd:s. Sometimes they definitely sound much worse (no high frequences) and sometimes they just sound different.

A less important fault with this box set is that it includes some rock steady tracks as well. I love rock steady, but this says something about the lack of care that went into this product.

I view these box sets as a road map and an alternative to hard-to-find mp3s. Once I have aquired the majority of tracks on other better compilations then i will sell them all.

Wrong Em Boyo
Yeah. The sound quality isn't any good because no Jamaican recordings have ever been good. The quality of these recordings is suprisingly good considering. The bass comes through very well...check your headphones, the dub recordings are fantastic quality against any recording standards of the time...Allan, pal, if you're going to review something, maybe you should know about it first: these recordings were first laid on wax and recorded by singing into a tin can basically. Bottom line, these recordings are fantastic, Trojan did a great job assembling this and all of their compilations and the sound quality is the best that jamaican music recorded in the 1960's can be.

A good start...
I don't want to say anything bad about this set; the songs are no doubt ska classics and they're delightful to listen to. The discs are varied enough to be coherent, if you can understand that, and I'm sure someone who knows their ska -- I don't -- would rave about the rightness of each selection. It was cool to hear the song that the Clash made into "Wrong 'Em Boyo" on the disc, too, and funny to see it apparently mistitled as "Wrong Embryo." Also, "The Tide is High" IS the song Blondie covered years later... However, I have to admit that the sound quality on these recordings disappointed me a little. Maybe I should have expected something archival and a little murky, but I didn't. There's something positively monaural about some of the cuts, big indivisible chunks of music that don't sound particularly good over headphones, a weakness I also found about the Trojan dub box. Maybe I'll adjust in time, learn to love the roughish feel of these songs... I still enjoy listening to the music, mind you, still am glad I bought this set (and at a very reasonable price, too). Just thought I'd let y'all be forwarned.

A Truly Great Ska Collection
All the hits are here: "Im in the Mood For Ska", "Phoenix City","Carry go Bring Come" and so on......but also a few great unheard of tracks. Each Cd has its own identity and are all great listens. A great buy ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Now this is music.
I only skip one track on this CD, and that's because I never liked Lee "Scratch" Perry. My favorite by far is Desmond Dekker & The Aces' "Kings of Ska." If you want an introduction to ska or reggae, then I advocate this album for your trial version. I love all kinds of genres, and this is an excellent compilation of good ol' school ska/reggae bands. Just scroll back up and look at the artists. It doesn't get any better than this guys.

keep on skanking to that nutty sound
this is a great ska CD with a lot of good jamaican ska stuff but also the british 2-tone, it really is a "dance-craze" record, you gotta buy it caus with this music you can keep on skanking to that nutty sound! ... Read more

Album Description

Classic floor filling Ska from the Skatalites, Jackie Opel, King Sporty and The Skatalites, The Angelic Brothers, AlAnd The Vibrations, Ferdie Nelson and Ivan Yap and manymore. ... Read more