Two Sevens Clash: 30th Anniversary Edition (Dlx)

Before purchasing this album, I'd not heard Culture since I was in college. A buddy of mine used to spin a couple of their discs of which this, I now know, was one. I can do without the five bonus tracks which are basically remixes of selections from the primary track list that I'll probably never listen to again. But the core album itself is really slammin' from start to finish. Very solid, upbeat and still quite fresh sounding. The liner notes and photos in the booklet that comes with this 30-anniversary edition are enjoyable too. If you're a reggae fan, you won't be disappointed by this record.

OK I haven't bought the new release of Two Sevens Clash, but I like owned the original Ja. LP and the earlier CD and will buy this one because it is like the finest reggae album except maybe Blackheart Man (Bunny) or East of the River Nile (Augustus Pablo)--except buyer beware since the song Two Sevens Clash foretells the ending of the world on 7/7/77 and in case you haven't noticed this did not happen.

This does lessen the impact of the song; on the other hand, you don't have to hide in your house on that day.

Revision:

I now own this 30th anniversary edition and am astonished. The songs are in a different order than on the earlier CD release, and amazingly it matters. The changed (I suspect, corrected) order of these songs tie the songs together thematically--this is actually a concept album and a good one!!! Wow! This is VERY rare in Roots reggae...

I have listened to the original Two Sevens Clash CD a whole lot and didn't know if buying a new version would be worth the money. First off, the remastering of the CD is wonderful and worth the price alone, even if you already own the original. Second, the additional five songs are absolutely brilliant and sound awesome. I-Roy is in top form on the two tracks he appears on.

Joseph Hill and company are so good that it is hard to put into words. This is reggae at its best. It's not hard to understand why the great Bob Nesta Marley had a lot of admiration for the music of Culture. This release of Two Sevens Clash is an essential album by an essential reggae group. If you have any interest in reggae music whatsoever I highly recommend getting this album.

Most of my exposure to reggae has been by listening to Bob Marley. It seems that there is more to reggae than just him, so my next foray into reggae was through the soundtrack to "The Harder They Come" by Jimmy Cliff. This album has similarities to both of them but there are differences.

Overall, I thought this was a very well written album. I like the songs and the music is very catchy. One nice thing I like about the music for reggae is that it is happy (even though the subject may not be). My only complaint with this album is the odd size.