Fever (Blue Mountain, 1989 [orig. released 1986])

If Tenor Saw put out no song other than "Ring the Alarm," he would still hold a vital place in reggae history.  That 1985 tune, one of about a bazillion that have ridden the Stalag 17 rhythm that helped propel dancehall into the digital era, jumped out from the pack -- partly because it was released near the start of the digital craze and partly because it's so darn catchy -- to become a major hit.  However, you won't find "Ring the Alarm" on Tenor Saw's debut solo album, Fever, as it focuses more on his work for Sugar Minott's Youth Promotion label.  Still, even without that smash, this album is a testament to the legacy that he left in only four short years.  Of the 10 songs on Fever, chances are you've heard 6, 8, or maybe all 10 of these classic rhythms.  He may not have always been the first to use them (as on the Stalag-rhythmed "Fever," the "Sleng Teng"-rhythmed "Pumpkin Belly," and "Jah Guide and Protect Me," which utilizes the bouncy beat from Carlton Livingston's "Chalice in Mind"), but Tenor Saw adopted them, adapted them, and made them into his own signature tunes.  If you know "Ring the Alarm" (which you should), then you know Tenor Saw's style: airy voice, simply-structured (almost indistinct) repetitive melodies with short, barely sung notes, and simply irresistible.  This is definitive old school dancehall, with simple, driving digital bass lines that command you to move.  And, as an added bonus, this 1989 re-packaging gives you dubs of 8 of the 10 songs (the other 2 would've been appreciated also), my personal fave being the wicked dub of "Lots of Sign."   A truly historic set.