Rebel Music: An Anthology of Reggae Music (Trojan, 1989 [orig. released 1979])

Rebel Music is a great compilation covering the formative years of 1968 to 1976, as Jamaican popular music transformed from the more up-tempo rock steady to what is today broadly termed reggae.  The first half of this double album comes out like gangbusters, with 4 classics: Bob Andy's "You Don't Know," Derrick Harriott's "The Loser" -- with its old-fangled piano sound -- Freddie McKay's R&B-melodied "High-School Dance," and Val Bennett's cover of Dave Brubek's jazz instrumental "Take Five," here entitled "The Russians Are Coming."  Also outstanding on this half are The Heptones' "Hypocrite," Leroy Smart's "God Helps the Man," and Little Roy's "The Hardest Fighter."  The second half is a bit weaker, but still solid nonetheless, featuring the slow, funky instrumental "Melody Maker" by Keith Hudson, "Concentration" by Dennis Brown, and a pair of tunes from Horace Andy: "You Are My Angel" and "Satan Side" with Earl Flute (AKA Earl "Chinna" Smith).  The best track on this half -- and possibly on the entire album -- however, is Lloyd Parkes' gorgeous, haunting "Slaving," with its chorus of voices echoing the plight of the blue collar worker.  The only part of Rebel Music I could do without are the 5 or 6 "toasting" songs by U Roy, Big Youth, and the like, but if you like that style more than I do, you'll like this collection even more.  Even if you don't like toasting, though, it still won't ruin this marvelous album.