Isaacs

There was a time when Gregory Isaacs and Dennis Brown were the two most popular reggae singers in Jamaica. That and the fact that all of these songs were produced by Gussie Clarke at the legendary Channel One studio appear to be the two reasons for the configuration of this strange but attractive set, on which the two singers alternate songs (except for "Let Off Sup'm," which features both of them). Actually, the most significant unifying feature of this album is the constant presence of Sly Dunbar and Robbie Shakespeare's Revolutionaries band, who play on all tracks, and of the vocal group Tetrack, who sing backup and whose leader wrote most of the songs. The songs are uniformly great – apart from their duet, Brown delivers the excellent "Crazy List," "Judge Not," "Deceiving Girl" and "To the Foundation" (note Sly Dunbar's brilliant drumming on that last track), while Gregory turns in "Live & Love," "Street Walker" and "Innercity Lady." The program may appear skimpy at first glance, but each song is presented in "showcase" format (i.e., with dub version appended), so most tracks last over seven minutes. Highly recommended.

One of the best-known and widely respected Jamaican performers of all time, Gregory Isaacs was a true Kingston rude boy whose blend of hard-hitting roots and sweet romantic reggae captured the hearts and minds of fans over a period spanning more than two decades.