Engineers: Errol Thompson, Karl Pitterson, Syd Bucknor.

This reggae classic, long heralded as a cornerstone of the DJ genre, was remastered and reissued in 2006. Along with U-Roy, Big Youth was one of the most influential DJs on the Jamaican scene in the 1970s, helping to develop and popularize the tradition of singers "toasting" over records (a tradition that bears a direct lineage to dancehall and rap). Big Youth's 1973 debut SCREAMING TARGET has the passionate vocalist espousing conscious themes over smartly produced roots reggae rhythms in a way that sounds as fresh decades later as it did upon its original release. The reissue contains 14 bonus tracks and crisply remastered sound.

Achieving his first success on wax with "S 90 Skank" for producer Keith Hudson in 1972, Big Youth recorded Screaming Target, his debut full-length, one year later for Gussie Clarke. That album, along with a handful of 45s from the period, was largely responsible for bringing the DJ art form forward after U-Roy's innovations. Here, in place of hip, jive-derived phrases, listeners find Big Youth ruminating on themes that exemplified the new consciousness of the 1970s. The set-opening title track, for instance, finds the DJ promoting literacy and general positivity, Youth-style, over K.C. White's "No No No." Similarly, he chants down slavery and calls for equal pay for equal work on "Honesty." Elsewhere, "Tippertong Rock" is a misspelled reference to the sound system that the DJ got his start on, Lord Tippertone Hi-Fi. Many of roots reggae's most innovative releases emerged from the studios of young producers intent on rivaling established businessmen like Coxsone Dodd, Duke Reid, and Prince Buster, and Screaming Target is no exception. Clarke was but 18 when he began producing and 20 when he oversaw the sessions for this album. The rhythm selection is superb throughout, including Leroy Smart's "Pride and Ambition," Gregory Isaacs' "One One Coco Fill Basket," and Lloyd Parks' "Slaving," and Big Youth's toasts are a pure joy to listen to. Unfortunately, Trojan decided to separate the mix for the 1989 issue, sending Youth's toasts to the left channel and the rhythm track to the right, resulting in a rather unbalanced listening experience, depending upon your proximity to the speakers. That aside, the music on this release is simultaneously a benchmark for reggae in general and the DJ form in particular -- and a classic of recorded music, regardless of the genre. ~ Nathan Bush

Big Youth's 1973 debut is one of the seminal albums of Jamaican DJ music. Building on the groundbreaking innovations of '60s toasters like U Roy, Big Youth changed the face of DJ-ing in the '70s with his relaxed, conversational style and the politically charged themes he premiered on SCREAMING TARGET. The shrieks that kick off the title track command the listener's attention immediately, and belie Big Youth's jazzy, laid-back toasting style. Based on K.C. White's "No No No," "Screaming Target" is a clarion call for Jamaica's youth to educate and better themselves, and typifies Big Youth's marriage of cool, mesmerizing performance with razor-sharp, socially conscious lyrics.

The rest of SCREAMING TARGET follows suit, with superb track selections and producer Gussie Clarke's well-articulated production. Big Youth's toasts ride the rhythms perfectly, and his lazy, half-slurred style radiates a cool, rolling vibe that is balanced by the precision of its delivery and the weightiness of his words. Still on the shortlist of historically important DJ albums decades after its release, SCREAMING TARGET should have a slot in any comprehensive roots reggae collection.