Reggae Legend (VP, 1995)

A no-frills collection of '70s (and maybe early '80s) roots reggae, not all of which I'd call "legendary," but most of which is strong.  This compilation somewhat validates its "legend" status by including several old favorites from legends Dennis Brown and Gregory Isaacs.  Brown's three tunes -- "Whip Them Jah Jah," "Wolves and Leopards," and "Children of Israel" -- are the more well-known, although Isaacs' three -- "Storm," "Sun Shines For Me," and "Mr. Know It All" -- should sound familiar to the seasoned listener.  The most legendary track of the rest of the album is Errol Dunkley's marvelously joyous remake of John Holt's "OK Fred."  Few songs will bring a smile to your face -- and get you singing along -- as quickly as this one.  Some nice, lesser-known cuts are provided by Pat Kelly and George Wright.  In fact, all of the songs here are rock solid, but few -- even the more popular hits -- will churn your butter (whatever that means).  Most of these tunes are understated -- save for maybe "OK Fred" and "Whip Them Jah Jah" -- and so are not necessarily designed to blow you away.   Still, if you don't know most of them, they're worth a listen; even if they're not all "legendary" songs, they're at least important pieces of history.