Respect to Studio One (Heartbeat, 1994)

An ambitious double album that attempts to catalog the greatness of Studio One -- and, for the most part, it succeeds.  Although there has been too much superb material released on the Studio One label to be confined to even these 33 tracks (well, 32 and an intro), the classic level of quality here cannot be denied.  The sound here is, of course, dominated by rock steady, early reggae, and ska, with even some early dancehall tunes as well.  Reggae fans will undoubtedly know many of the tunes, but they will also probably find some gems that they do not, such as perhaps the instrumentals "Wire Higher" by Jackie Mittoo and "Psychedelic Rock" by Sound Dimension.  "Psychedelic Rock" has been used and re-used since then, but often times with reggae, it's hard to discern which is the original song.  Other such classic rhythms pepper The Heptones' "Pretty Looks Isn't All," Michigan & Smiley's "Nice Up the Dance," Carlton and the Shoes' "Love Me Forever," Alton and sister Hortense Ellis' "Breaking Up Is Hard to Do," Freddie McGregor's "Bobby Bobylon," Johnny Osbourne's "Sing Jah Style," and Willie Williams' "Armagideon Time."  Of course, I can't overlook greats like Horace Andy's "Skylarking," Delroy Wilson's "Run Run," Ken Boothe's "Moving Away," and The Viceroy's "Yaho."  As you can see, the great material is endless, and there is enough here to suit the needs of beginning listeners and veterans alike.