The Serious Reggae Album Volume 1 (Classic Sound, 1996)

Thus begins the Serious Reggae Album series, a group of compilations of mostly '70s to mid-'80s roots reggae -- not all of which is great, but which provides great exposure to a variety of artists at a great price. Volume 1 is fairly typical of the set: about half mediocre, half good, at least one song truly great -- The Heptones' simple, old-fashioned "Diana." As I said, though, one of the best things about these collections is the fact that they allow you to listen to acts that you normally would overlook (or not even find), such as Anthony Johnson, here performing a version of the R&B classic "Wildflower" titled "She's Faced the Hardest Times," or Crucial Vibes, who sing the solid "Control Yourself." Even the well-known artists who appear generally sing songs that aren't their staples, such as The Paragons' lovely "The First Time I Saw You" and Dennis Brown's "Lover's Paradise." When you factor in the fact that I paid around $3 for each volume of the Serious Reggae Album series (granted, they were on cassette), you'll see that the benefits it of these albums certainly overpower the weak tracks that pepper them.

Track Listing
1. Diana -- The Heptones
2. One Step Forward (Two Steps Back) -- Leonard Dillon
3. Stick By Me -- John Holt
4. She's Faced the Hardest Times -- Anthony Johnson
5. Control Yourself -- Crucial Vibes
6. Let Me Rock You -- Yellowman & The Paragons
7. Lively Up Yourself -- Bob Marley
8. The First Time I Saw You -- The Paragons
9. Lover's Paradise -- Dennis Brown
10. Do It Sweet -- Jackie Edwards
11. Trick in the Book -- Cornell Campbell
12. Have I Told You Lately That I Love you -- George Faith