Bringing the same incisive, cross-genre perspective he offered in When Rock Met Disco, Steven Blush gives a spirited survey of the crossover of Jamaican, British, and American sounds that changed the face of popular music in When Rock Met Reggae. The inspiration of ska, rock-steady, dub, and reggae-heard on independent recordings played on “soundsystems” from Kingston and Brixton-created a new rock tonality and attitude, spanning from Eric Clapton to The Clash. Meanwhile, the “Two Tone” sounds-traversing The Specials, Madness, and UB40-fueled the ’90s ska revival of Sublime, No Doubt, The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, and beyond. Attentive to the racial, political, and artistic aspects of this intricate story, Blush gives a memorable account of one of the most fertile cross-pollinations in pop music history.
