The Rough Guide to Reggae (World Music Network, 1997)

A companion to one of the preeminent overviews of reggae, Reggae: The Rough Guide, the album, maintains the high standard set by the book.  Organized in more or less chronological order, this set traverses from the early days of ska, through the "Golden Age" of roots and the UK lovers rock scene, an into the modern dancehall sound.  Trying to cover a single genre in one CD is certainly an arduous task, but Rough Guide makes a nice stab at it.  The compilers manage to choose songs that manage to be representative not only of the individual performers’ sound but also that of the sub-genre, whether it be ska, rock steady, lovers rock, dub, dancehall, or "ragga."  Furthermore, they achieve the elusive goal of selecting a mixture of well-known standards that beginning listeners need to know ("Tide Is High," "Rivers of Babylon," "Slavery Days") to somewhat lesser-known gems that more experienced reggae fans would not necessarily be tired of hearing ("Too Late," "Great Stone" "This a Lover’s Corner").  While there are many landmark omissions (including the total absence of one Bob Marley), I appreciate the fact that the compilers didn't always go for the obvious choices.  Instead of "King Tubby Meets Rockers Uptown," we have Augustus Pablo's "Too Late."  Instead of "54-46" or "Pressure Drop," we get The Maytals' "Broadway Jungle."  Of course, these unorthodox choices don't always work.  I would much rather hear Gregory Isaacs' "Night Nurse" or "My Number One" than his later flaccid dancehall number "Rough Neck."  (Granted, it was a hit, but if they were going for that sound I would've preferred the similar "Rumours.")  A couple of songs that I was particularly pleased to see are Triston Palmer's vintage dancehall jam "Entertainment" -- which you don't see included in as many genre overviews as it should be -- and Lucky Dube's "Slave," which showcases the international appeal of reggae.  Speaking of international, since Rough Guide was put together in England, there's perhaps a disproportionate representation of British tunes in the quartet of "Warrior Charge," "This Is a Lover’s Corner," "We Can Work It Out," and "Cockney Translation" (I could've done without the latter.).  Additionally, one could argue against the inclusion of only one modern ('90s) digital dancehall ("ragga") tune, Bounty Killer's "Living Dangerously" (the Buju Banton track being a Marley-esque throwback).  Still, as a whole, Rough Guide is as billed: a rough but reliable introduction to the reggae sound.