Reggae Pulse 5: Protest Songs (Trojan/Sanctuary, 2005)

The year hasn't truly begun until we have a Reggae Pulse release, has it?  With five releases in four years, the series has gone through love songs, pop songs, and Christmas songs, and now they've come up with the theme most uniquely suited to the reggae genre: protest songs.  While reggae originally began as a party music, it steadily built up a reputation -- and deservedly so -- as not only a topic-driven sound, but also a vehicle for actual sociopolitical change.  To this day, reggae remains probably the most inherently socially conscious music in the world.  Reggae Pulse 5 celebrates this legacy with a variety of tunes, ranging from '70s roots to '80s dancehall to 21st century roots revival.  The four tracks from 2005 are covers of '60s American protest folk songs: Barry McGuire's "Eve of Destruction," John Lennon's "Working Class Hero," Buffalo Springfield's "For What It's Worth" (which Freddie McGregor had previously covered in the form of Slim Smith's "Watch This Sound" on Jamaican Classics Volume 3), and Buffy Saint-Marie's "Universal Soldier."  As icing on the cake, there's even Bob Dylan's "Blowin' in the Wind."  For those who remember these tunes, the reggae versions will likely strike a nostalgic chord, but otherwise, they're a bit hokey and dated.  The remainder of the album features a wealth of iconic tunes, including Peter Tosh's "Get Up, Stand Up," Tenor Saw's "Ring the Alarm," Delroy Wilson's "Better Must Come," Dennis Brown's "Revolution," Half Pint's "Greetings," and Third World's "96 Degrees in the Shade."  There's no denying the greatness of these songs, but as with the first Reggae Pulse, they may be too familiar for reggae fans to truly enjoy.  Reggae newbies, however, should get to know these songs now.