Irie Reggae [PA]

Performer: Various Artists
Producer: Kemar McGregor; Marc Roberts; Wayne Brown; Kemar McGregor; Sheldon R. Stewart; Marc Roberts; Norma Fraser; Wayne Brown
Distributor: Allegro Corporation (Dist

Notes: Normally, an album with a title as dorky as Irie Reggae could be expected to contain lots of mediocre, cheaply licensed (if not simply pirated) material from the late '70s or early '80s. This one, from the German Kingston World label, brings together a wide variety of roots and dancehall reggae artists, some of them veterans and some up-and-comers, most having recorded their tracks recently for producer Kemar McGregor. A good number of these are A-list reggae stars: Gregory Isaacs, Glen Washington, Anthony B, Turbulence, and even Leroy Sibbles all put in appearances, as well as youngsters like Perfect and Gyptian. The results are uneven, of course, but strong tracks greatly outnumber the weak ones. On the positive side of the ledger are a fine (if uncredited) DJ-combo cover version of Israel Vibration's "Rudeboy Shuffling" by Dwayne and Gyptian, another excellent combination track by Gentleman and Lukie D titled "Safe and Secure," and a fine one-drop track called "Weh de Love Gone" by Natty King. Less enjoyable is a weak performance by the legendary Leroy Sibbles on "Rock Me" and, sad to say, an excruciatingly off-pitch rendition of "Ready or Not" by Half Pint. The generous album length means that even with its handful of missteps, Irie Reggae still represents good value for the money. ~ Rick Anderson

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