Reggae Rocks: The Tide Is High (Bongo Boy, 2001)

Reggae Rocks is a real blast.  This is a reggae album that even non-reggae fans will enjoy, simply because it's so fun to listen to the different takes on songs you know (well, most of 'em).  Henry K, who produced the two popular reggae tributes to The Grateful Dead, Fire on the Mountain Volumes 1 & 2, does a good job of selecting songs that you wouldn't necessarily think of as conducive to the reggae format -- from The Rolling Stones' "Start Me Up" and "Satisfaction" to Chuck Berry's "Johnny B. Goode," Tears For Fears' "Everybody Wants to Rule the World," The Steve Miller Band's "Fly Like an Eagle," and more -- most working quite well (the only exceptions being Bob Dylan's "Blowin' in the Wind," which I'd prefer not to hear in any format, and The Beatles' "We Can Work It Out," which suffers more from Steel Pulse's pop-tinged approach than from the incompatibility of the song with a reggae rhythm).  Of course, there are some songs that seem more suited to reggae (generally slower tunes with simple, catchy melodies): Led Zeppelin's "D'yer Mak'er," The Beatles' "Here Comes the Sun," The Eagles' "Hotel California," Hall & Oates' "Sara Smile," Stevie Wonder's "Master Blaster (Jammin')" (essentially a reggae tune to begin with), and "The Tide Is High."  The latter, as you likely know, was originally a '60s rock steady ditty from The Paragons before it was remade into a hit by Blondie in the '80s.  Reggae artists have a long track record of covering rock 'n roll and R&B tunes, but many people forget that the flow of inspiration has gone the other way also, with Eric Clapton covering Bob Marley's "I Shot the Sheriff," The Clash doing Junior Murvin's "Police and Thieves," The Rolling Stones doing Half Pint's "Winsome" (as "Too Rude"), Ace of Base doing Aswad's "Don't Turn Around," and everyone from Joe Cocker to The Animals to Oleta Adams doing Jimmy Cliff's "Many Rivers to Cross."  Reggae Rocks proudly extends this tradition of mutual influence with a gleeful exuberance that's certainly infectious.  As with all remakes, though, if you don't like the original, chances are you won't care for the tribute, but who doesn't like "I Heard It Through the Grapevine," "Master Blaster," "Hotel California," and "Blowin' . . . " well, to each his own.  Personally, my greatest joys came from "Master Blaster," "D'yer Mak'er," "Sara Smile," Chrisinti's version of Green Day's "Time of Your Life," Johnny B. Goode" (in which Yami Bolo adapts the chorus nicely for a more suitable flow), and the legendary Toots and The Maytals' wonderful renditions of "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" and "Start Me Up" (the latter making a great ska jam).  There's little of substance on Reggae Rocks, but after all, it's just good ol' rock 'n...reggae.