This quote from his wikipedia entry is a quote from one wise motherfucker:
'"Drugs are a debasing weapon. It was the greatest college ever, but the most expensive school fee ever paid – the Cocaine High School. I learnt everything, and now I've put it on the side."' posted by item at 7:50 AM on October 25, 2010
For the longest time, I thought I didn't like reggae music. As it turns out, I just wasn't too fond of that one over-played Bob Marley best-of compilation that's issued to every college dormitory on the planet. Gregory Isaac's music was instrumental in making me see my short-sightedness. He will be missed. posted by .kobayashi. at 11:04 AM on October 25, 2010
Reggae has always been at least as much about the producer as the performer, and so true reggae fans will talk about producer Lee Perry's work at the Black Ark in the mid-70s, or Duke Reid's rocksteady productions or the Channel One studio sound, often even more than talking about the artists who sang and played on those records. (Rock music has seen only a little of this by comparison, as with Phil Spector or Joe Meek.)
But every now and then, there will be a seemingly perfect meeting of a producer with just the right touch at the right time, and an artist whose songs and persona melds perfectly with the producer's ephemeral magic.
For my money, the most perfect pairing like this in reggae was the work produced by Alvin GG Ranglin for Gregory Isaacs. GG's production was smooth and pure, but somehow rootsy and organic. Metronomic, yet heartfelt and emotional. Isaacs' songs were poetic and romantic pure, but still hinted at humour and a sly sexual suggestion. On paper, they must seem rather plain, but his delivery showed a complex range of emotion and underlying cause. I imagine that back in the day, they must have formed the soundtrack for many a romantic interlude.
Amazingly, the quality of Isaacs' music didn't diminish for years, when rampant drug abuse took its toll on his once silky voice. In sheer numbers, Isaacs must have recorded more really fine tunes than just about any singer in any genre (such was his prolific output for at least two decades, and the consistent quality of most of it.)
His relative obscurity is hard to understand, given the many reggae singers who mined a similar vein not nearly as well, and for a much briefer period of time.
My boyfriend's name was Gregory. He introduced me to Reggae (and Issacs) and I just fell in love with it. He'd make me compilation tapes and it had "Night nurse" on it.
After my boyfriend passed away in the a motorcycle accident, "Night nurse" with it's lyrics "There's a patient by the name of Gregory", made me a bit emotional when I'd hear it, especially when I'd see Issacs in concert. Now this song will be even a little more poignant for me.
posted by pwally at 6:53 AM on October 25, 2010