Strictly the Best Volume 10 (VP, 1993)

This may be my single favorite volume of the Strictly the Best series.   This is the best of the best.  Although there are several remakes here, they are done extremely well (except for Makeda's mediocre rendition of Mary J. Blige's "Real Love").  The first part of the album features a couple of covers of popular reggae tunes: Freddie McGregor's version of Derrick Harriott's "The Loser," here re-titled "The Winner," and Pam Hall's well-done but not unique take on Marcia Griffiths' "Truly."  Then, a pair of unexpected remakes really helps this volume take off: Dennis Brown doing 38 Special's "Second Chance" and Alton Black singing (and improving) Siedah Garrett's bittersweet "Everchanging Time."  Great track after great track follows, most of them slow, grooving love songs (Indeed, the weakest cuts -- "Real Love," "Donna," and "Sexy Thing" -- are all more up-tempo.).  Beres Hammond's "Come Back Home," Sanchez' classic "I'm Missing You," Frankie Paul's cover of Cornell Campbell's "The Sun" (here called "Stars"), and Garnett Silk's "Oh Me Oh My" are all top quality.  But wait, the fun doesn't stop there; if you order now, you also get one of Gregory Isaacs' best tunes of the '90s, "Lead Me," along with Marcia Griffiths' old-fasioned "If You Knew," and "Where Is the Love" by the epic team of Beres Hammond, Tony Rebel, and Sugar Minott.  They cut through steel, they clean your toughest stains, they cover up that embarrassing rash, they're strictly the best.