V.A. 'FM Ska - Classic Rock Goes Jamaican' 7" ltd. purple vinyl

Ska Boots are back with another tenuously reggae-linked EP for our listening pleasure. On 'FM Ska' the label celebrates Jamaica's influence on 70s rock. First up we get J. Geils Band "Give It To Me", which borrows from Desmond Dekker's "007 (Shanty Town)", but does something really fresh with it, creating a jaunty reggae-rock mash-up that predates the Clash by four years and Two Tone by six. Next is 10cc 1978 reggae-pop smash "Dreadlock Holiday" (hmmm, moving swiftly along...). Over on side B there's Mudcrutch (early Tom Petty) and "Depot Street", which has some reggae-fied guitar work, but is otherwise very much Tom Petty. Lastly blue-eyed soulsters Daryl Hall & John Oates join metals by a fusion of alloys which have relatively low melting points on "Soldering", a cover an Alvin Ranglin track. Crazy full colour art in photobook collage style!

A1. J. Geils Band - Give It To Me
A2. 10cc - Dreadlock Holiday
B1. Mudcrutch - Depot Street
B2. Daryl Hall & John Oates - Soldering