Strictly for Lovers (Reggae Greats) (Island, 1985)

This is easily one of the best lovers rock albums your money can buy, and that's no surprise, since it's a part of Island's Reggae Greats series.  This album is particularly impressive within that series, however, because few of the songs here the well-known classics for which Reggae Greats is known.  The best-known tune may be Aswad's classic "Roots Rockin'," a bubbly, swaying, slow winin' jam that is truly one of the best, most infectious reggae songs of all time.  The rest, of course, aren't quite that good, but Barry Biggs' tender version of the old-fashioned "Wide Awake in a Dream," Ken Boothe's cover of Al Wilson's "Show & Tell," the Tamlins' "Go Away Dream," and a couple of songs by obscure acts Struggle and One Blood, "Rocky Music" and "Get in Touch With Me" respectively (the former being more roots than lovers and the latter being poppy but likeable).  All of the tracks on Strictly for Lovers are nice, though, with Sly & Robbie producing no less than half of them.  This album makes a great one-two punch with Strictly for Rockers.