Constant Companions: Matt Johnson's Favourite Albums | Page 10 of 14 | The Quietus

Baker's Dozen

Artists discuss the 13 records that shaped their lives

9. Various Artists20 Reggae Classics

So this one starts with ‘Red Red Wine’, then you get ‘Sweet Sensation’, ‘Love Of The Common People’, ‘Johnny Too Bad’, ‘Pressure Drop’… Now I chose this one because I love the early ska music, more than, say, dub or the more regular reggae. It became a constant companion to me when I was promoting the Infected film and I was travelling across America, city to city, often by myself. It was a strange time, because it was quite a big success, but it was also quite a lonely time.

You’re staying in hotel suites and getting on planes, and for some reason, I had a cassette copy of this album. This was the only thing I was listening to continually. I’d sit back in my plane seat, get a vodka and tonic, take off, and I’d find it comforting for some reason. I absolutely loved this album. I mean, a song like ‘Many Rivers To Cross’, it’s such a beautiful, emotional song. It’s the emotion and the playfulness and the rhythms and the performances. Everything about it, every song that would come on virtually, I would find time for. It just was an important album in a significant period of my life. And this is all I wanted to listen to, this was ground control for me, really bringing me back down to earth and consoling me when I was feeling a bit lonely and confused.

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