Easy Star’s Lonely Hearts Dub Band

While some Beatles fans may consider it sacrilegious, there’s no question that the Easy Star All Stars’ reggae version of Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band is an absolute blast. It opens with a warning shot: their version of the title track opens with the “Stalag 17” rhythm as an intro, then proceeds to deliver that song in a respectful heavyweight version before segueing right into a sparer, nicely dubbed-up arrangement of “With a Little Help from My Friends” featuring the magnificent singer Luciano. And that’s pretty much how it goes from there, with other stellar vocalists like Max Romeo, Sugar Minott, and the Mighty Diamonds all making appearances as well.