Over the past several years, the French
Makasound label has been unearthing an impressive amount of obscure but top-quality
roots reggae from the 1970s. This particular collection draws on the work of singer, songwriter, and producer
Linval Thompson between 1977 and 1979; the songs compiled here were all recorded at
Channel One and mixed at
King Tubby's studio -- with the exception of the album's real find, a previously unreleased song titled
"Natty Pressure Them," which
Thompson recorded at the
Black Ark studio with
Lee "Scratch" Perry. Frankly, that song is of more historical than musical interest; it's not bad, but not terribly exciting either, with unusually restrained and almost lackluster production from
Perry. But several other tracks shine quite brightly:
"Black Woman" is a fine piece of vintage
lovers rock, and
"Rasta Children" finds
Thompson working in a solid rockers vein. He does a creditable job on the
Ken Boothe classic
"Just Another Girl," and his one-drop sufferer's anthem,
"More Power," is also impressive. A couple of tracks (notably
"Jah Jah a Do It") suffer from poor sound quality, but overall this is a welcome contribution to a solid catalog of lovingly prepared compilations from
reggae's golden period. Recommended. ~ Rick Anderson
