Reggae & Caribbean Music by Dave Thompson (Backbeat Books, 532 pages, 2002)

Though not strictly focusing on reggae, the title and the photo on the cover of this book (What reggae book doesn't have a picture of Bob Marley on it?) give a good indication that reggae is a major focus.  The layout and content of Reggae & Caribbean Music is pretty unique within the ever-growing reggae book market.  It's divided very clearly into 4 distinct sections, some of which may be more useful to you as a reggae fan than others.  Section 1 of this "Essential Listening Companion" (you be the judge) details the rich tradition of annual carnival celebrations in the Caribbean.  A concise history of each of the English-speaking Caribbean nations is followed by a summary of each of their carnival traditions, including details of the winners of the various "best song/performer" competitions.  Section 2 focuses on close to 100 artists (reggae and non-reggae), providing enlightening biographical and discographical data.  The albums in the impressively exhaustive discographies are all rated on a 1 to 10 scale, and some are given a brief (2 to 5-sentence) review.  Unfortunately, like the Virgin Encyclopedia of Reggae, the albums are rated based on comparisons to the artist's other albums, so that an album that gets a 7 for one artist isn't necessarily considered better than another artist's 5.  I find this frustrating because I just want to know if an album is good or not, not if it's just good for that artist.  While the listings of albums for each artist is pretty extensive, the listing of artists overall seems rather restricted.  I mean, less than 100 artists for reggae and all of Caribbean music combined?  I can't speak for the coverage of calypso, soca, and other Caribbean styles, but as for reggae, notable omissions include Freddie McGregor, Marcia Griffiths, Shabba Ranks, Don Carlos, Yellowman, Sizzla, Half Pint, and the Mighty Diamonds.  Meanwhile, there are a couple of eyebrow-raising inclusions, namely Buccaneer and Billy Ocean.  As far as the ratings themselves, such things are always subjective to the reviewer's taste, so it's hard to complain, but I'd imagine it would be hard to find someone other than the author who thinks that Return of the Super Ape is Lee "Scratch" Perry's best album.  Still, whether you agree with them or not, the reviews are insightful, specific, and to the point.  Also in this section is a compilation of leading Jamaican sound systems over the past 40 years and well-written overviews of the major sub-genres of reggae (and other Caribbean music) and recommended listening in each (Take these recommendations for what they're worth, as the selections that are chosen to represent dancehall include Shaggy's Midnite Lover, Cobra's Milkman, and Terror Fabulous' Yaga Yaga.).  Section 3 is a nice touch, as it features not the artists, but the major producers who have shaped -- and continue to shape -- the sound of the music.  Brief bios and recommended listening are also included.  Section 4 is more impressive than it is useful, as it gathers a nearly 200-page list of essentially every Caribbean single released in Britain between 1957 and 1972.  Wow.  How, um...book-filling...?  Really, it is quite informative, but you basically have to need this info for a specific purpose to actually plod through it.  Frankly, I would prefer the author omit this section and expand Section 2.  The book ends with a list of "10-Star Albums," purportedly the best that Caribbean music has to offer.  Again, I can't speak for calypso, soca, zouk, etc., but as for the reggae selections, there are few surprises; the usual suspects are accounted for.  Then, there's that pesky Return of the Super Ape...