CUT ME OFF. I DON'T CARE.

It wasn't going to be a reggae night, really. But hearing Toots and the Maytals on the road today made gridlock bearable. Enough so that I let one last song run it's course after the beater was already parked. The Maytals were part of my introduction to reggae a long time ago, and there's been no reason for them to drop down on the list, and that's coming from someone who scrutinizes.

They were a really active vocal group, and with the gravely gospel voice of Toots Hibbert capable of making any song their own, be it "Louie Louie" or "Take Me Home, Country Roads". They started before the inception of reggae proper, their song "Do the Reggay" often cited as the earliest use of the term in song. From ska, through rocksteady, and finally just clobbering it at Studio One, under the direction the man, Coxsonne Dodd, they had it dooowwwwn. And they just maintained course for the next few decades. But, man, what a course it was. If it works, don't fix it, right?. Textbook.

~ NOTE: ALL MEDIA IS HOSTED BY THE BLOGS & SITES NAMED BELOW ~

Listen:
Toots and the Maytals - Pressure Drop mp3 at Jordan Hatch
Toots and the Maytals - Sweet and Dandy mp3 at ATumblr (?)
Toots and the Maytals - Do the Reggay mp3 at PixieRadio (?)
The Maytals - It's No Use mp3 at Sir Shambling's Very early.
Toots and the Maytals - Funky Kingston mp3 at Ill Dub
Toots and the Maytals - Time Tough mp3 at 8106
Toots and the Maytals - Louie Louie mp3 at Rob1.J92 (?) This gets weird.
Toots and the Maytals - Take Me Home, Country Roads mp3 at ATumblr (?)
Easy Star All-Stars w/Toots and the Maytals - Let Down mp3 at Antinomian Radiohead cover.
Radiohead - Let Down mp3 at Vague Space