Far East Riddim – WWS Records 1979

Five cuts and four names deep, this Far East Riddim session leans on heavyweight late-’70s vocals rather than any fancy studio trickery: Barrington Levy’s “No Fuss No Fight” sets the tone with his early-school urgency, while Barry Brown’s “Far East” digs right into the riddim’s gritty pull. Leroy Smart’s “What’s The Meaning Of Life” and Sugar Minott’s pair, “Jah Jah Children” and “Opressor, ” keep the mood conscious and streetwise, with Minott especially sounding right at home on the rhythm. The tune also sits in that fertile 1979 moment when singers were cutting sharp, message-heavy sides over tough roots backing, and WWS Records keeps the whole thing stripped back and direct.