Heartbeat Reggae Now! (Heartbeat, 1993)

"Roots With Quality" is an appropriate inclusion on this compilation, for that is what is at its core.  Although some dancehall-oriented tracks are thrown in, it is the roots that elevates this album.  This is a showcase for the quality material that Heartbeat had put out through the early '90s, a time when the label seemed to really hit its stride.  Sampling Heartbeat albums from some of the biggest artists in the business, Heartbeat Reggae Now! showed that the label was a force to be reckoned with.  The two best -- and probably best-known -- tunes are Dawn Penn's hit remake (courtesy of  producers Steelie & Clevie) of her "You Don't Love Me" and the Abyssinians' "Declaration of Rights," from the seminal Satta Massagana.  But the fun doesn't stop there, as Michael Rose chimes in with the cool but militant "Clap the Barber," Third World's aforementioned "Roots With Quality," and the album itself starts out with four strong cuts: Dennis Brown's "Can't Take Another Day," Burning Spear's "I Stand Strong," and two great old-fashioned tracks, Jah Messengers' "Dancing Time" and the Meditations' "Tan Deh."