Club Ska '67 (Island, 1980)

Let me just state for the record that I'm not the biggest ska fan, not in its original Jamaican form nor in its more modern, bastardized "alternative" rock 'n roll form that gained a faddish popularity in America in the '90s.  Of course, this is a collection of the older, better form, featuring some songs that even non-ska fans like myself know and some that we don't.  Thus, this is a decent collection for novices to the genre, the best being some of the more well-known ska tunes: Desmond Dekker's "007 (Shanty Town)," Delroy Wilson's more laid-back "Dancing Mood," and The Maytals' (i.e., The Flames') "Broadway Jungle."  All of the tracks here were recorded between 1964 and 1967, so the sound leaves a bit to be desired.  I try to be impartial, but as with all music, you like what you like, and if you like ska, you will get more out of Club Ska '67 than I did.