I eat my share of refried beans, at least one can a week. I have a preferred brand, out of nostalgia (they've been around since my youth) and a "if it works don't fix it" level of brand loyalty (I'm too damn cheap to risk a dollar to try another brand). That brand is Rosarita. Rosarita has my business unless they fuck up, and right now they're on shaky ground. I never paid much attention to the recipes on the back of the cans, but about a year ago I happened to notice a recipe for Sopes Verde, using their refried beans as an ingredient. Not my bag, so I kept my eyes peeled for another back-o'-can recipe. I can't be the only one who noticed. It's been all Sopes Verde for the past fucking year. It's inexcusable. Not that I'm going to make any of their recipes (particularly since I'm not one for a lot of ingredients and the hassle of cleaning a million dishes), but it shows a blatant disregard for my recipe making brothers and sisters. What happened to the recipe writer for Rosarita? Someone should put out an APB. Rosarita needs to address this issue.
So, what has this got to do with the Jamaicans "Ba Ba Boom"? I'm getting to that, I'm still on beans. Okay, so when I open a can of beans, I empty the can into a food storage container. For as long as I can remember, be it container or pot, I've always tried to get the whole can of beans out of the can with one giant strategic spoonful. It hardly ever happens. It's like a green flash at sunset, it might happen just a half dozen times in your life. I've tried all sorts of methods and refinements over the years. I'm getting more consistent in coming close (a few two spoonful can emptyings in the past few months) but the single spoon de-canning has eluded me. Until tonight. It was dramatic. Just as the beans at the bottom of the can were confirmed completely out of the can, the opening vocals of "Ba Ba Boom" began playing. It was as if the heavens opened up. Another Festivus miracle (albeit out of season). I was reminded how much I love "Ba Ba Boom". 100% pure rocksteady, from rocksteady's greatest fount, Duke Reid's Treasure Isle Records. I turned it up and forgot all about beans. Until I sat in front of the keyboard.
So, what has this got to do with the Jamaicans "Ba Ba Boom"? I'm getting to that, I'm still on beans. Okay, so when I open a can of beans, I empty the can into a food storage container. For as long as I can remember, be it container or pot, I've always tried to get the whole can of beans out of the can with one giant strategic spoonful. It hardly ever happens. It's like a green flash at sunset, it might happen just a half dozen times in your life. I've tried all sorts of methods and refinements over the years. I'm getting more consistent in coming close (a few two spoonful can emptyings in the past few months) but the single spoon de-canning has eluded me. Until tonight. It was dramatic. Just as the beans at the bottom of the can were confirmed completely out of the can, the opening vocals of "Ba Ba Boom" began playing. It was as if the heavens opened up. Another Festivus miracle (albeit out of season). I was reminded how much I love "Ba Ba Boom". 100% pure rocksteady, from rocksteady's greatest fount, Duke Reid's Treasure Isle Records. I turned it up and forgot all about beans. Until I sat in front of the keyboard.
~ NOTE: ALL MEDIA IS HOSTED BY THE BLOGS & SITES NAMED BELOW ~
Listen:The Jamaicans - Ba Ba Boom mp3 at Smashing Magazine
The Jamaicans - Dedicate My Song to You mp3 at Music ADD
The Jamaicans - Feel the Festive Spirit mp3 at Pixie Radio
4 comments:
Good stuff! I probably should have known about these guys, but have to admit I didn't, until tonight.
Marc
Cool, glad you liked it Marc. If you want a good cross section of stuff from Reid's Treasure Isle label, I recommend "The Story of Treasure Isle". Amazon has it for $20, two CDs, 52 cuts. Though Reid's studio sound wasn't as crisp as later reggae recordings, let the music take over. That compilation has most of the heavy hitters that recorded for him in ska, rocksteady, reggae and DJ modes. Good shit.
Thanks for the suggestion! Like a lot of people, my first exposure to this era of Jamaican music was on the Harder They Come soundtrack, and I have a bunch of other music from those artists (Maytals, Melodians, Desmond Dekker), and some others. But I know there's a lot more good stuff out there, that I haven't gotten to yet. I'll check out that Treasure Isle collection.
Marc
Try some Studio One stuff too. Check the tags to the right, their should be one for Studio One. I know I've posted a LOT of Studio One stuff here over the years. Treasure Isle dominated in rocksteady, Studio One took over when true reggae came in.
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