The Reggae Box [Box]

Performer: Various Artists
Engineer: Colin York; Doctor Overton Brown; Errol Brown; Errol Thompson; Claude Evans; Barnabas Stanley Brian; Karl Pitterson; Lloyd James; Sidney Mills; Soljie Hamilton; Steven Stanley; Syd Bucknor; Sylvan Morris; Bunny Tom Tom; Byron Smith; Carlton Lee
Producer: Chris Blackwell; Colin York; Paul 'Jah Screw' Love; Heenry 'Junjo' Lawes; Donovan Germain; Dr. Israel; Duke Reid; Richard "Bello" Bell; Justin Yap; Dub Organiser; Winston Blake; Harry Mudie; Claude Evans; George Phang; Glen Brown; Harry Johnson; Bobby "Digital" Dixon; Janet Enwright; Jah Thomas; Karl Toppin; Joel Gibson; Clifton Dillon; Jimmy Cliff; King Tubby; Lee "Scratch" Perry; Leslie Kong; Lloyd Charmers; Lloyd James; Lynford "Fatta" Marshall; Alvin Ranglin; Mikey Bennett; Phillip "Fatis" Burrell; Prince Buster; Prince Jammy; Robbie Shakespeare; Sly Dunbar; Soothsayer; Stuart Brown; Sugar Minott; Augustus Clarke; Augustus Pablo; Third World; Tony Rebel; Winston Riley; Bernard Collins; Bob Marley & The Wailers; Lawrence "Jack Ruby" Lindo; Bunny Lee; Dana G. Smart (Compilation)
Distributor: Universal Distribution

Notes: Recorded between 1962 and 2000. Includes liner notes by David Katz and Dana G. Smart. Digitally remastered by Gavin Lurssen (The Mastering Lab, Hollywood, California). Personnel: Steven "Cat" Coore, Bob Marley (vocals, guitar); Michael "Ibo" Cooper (vocals, keyboards, marimba, percussion); Dr. Israel (vocals, programming); Desmond Dekker (vocals, background vocals); Dave Barker, Derrick Morgan, Divaship, Donald "Tabby" Shaw, William "Bunny" Clarke, Junior Menz, Barry Llewellyn, Jackie Robinson, John Holt , Justin Hinds, Leonard Dillon, Max Romeo, Norris Weir, Brenton Dowe, Tommy Cowan, Toots Hibbert, Winston Rodney, Bernard Collins, Sydney Crooks (vocals); Danny Browne (guitar, keyboards); Bertram Ranchie McLean, Dalton Browne, Dwight Pinkney, Earl "Chinna" Smith, Eric "Bingy Bunny" Lamont, Eric Frater, Ernest Ranglin, Harry Haughton, Bobby Aitken , Radcliffe Bryan, Geoffrey Chung, Glen Browne, Al Yasha Anderson, Hector Williams, Cleon Douglas, Winston Bowen, Julian Marvin, Lloyd "Gitsy" Willis, Lyn Taitt, Alva Lewis, Peter Tosh, Tony Chin, Barry Reynolds, Willie Lindo, Noel Sowell Bailey, Hux Brown, Robert "Billy" Johnson, Bunny Rugs (guitar); Lennox Brown (alto saxophone, tenor saxophone); Jackie Mittoo (alto saxophone, keyboards); Dean Fraser, Mark West, Headley Bennett, Herman Marquis, Lester Sterling, Carl Bryan (alto saxophone); Dirty Harry Hall, Bobby Gaynair, Roydel Johnson, Dennis Campbell, Glen DaCosta, Roland Alphonso, Tommy McCook, Val Bennett (tenor saxophone); David Madden, Oswald "Baba" Brooks, Raymond Harper, Johnny "Dizzy" Moore, Dick Cuthell, Bobby Ellis (trumpet); Don Drummond, Vincent "Trommie" Gordon, Ronald "Nambo" Robinson, Ron Wilson , Rico Rodriguez, Carl Masters (trombone); Ansel Collins (organ, keyboards); Handel Tucker (keyboards, percussion); Earl "Wire" Lindo, Franklyn Waul, Tyrone "Organ D" Bownie, Lawrence Lewis, Gladstone Anderson, Glen Adams, Ian "Willy" Winter, Harold Butler, Joe White, Keith Sterling, Leslie Butler, Neville Hinds, Richard Ace, Robert Lyn, Sidney Mills, Aubrey Adams, Augustus Pablo, B.B. Seaton, Theophilus Beckford, Wally Badarou, Winston Wright, Wycliffe "Steely" Johnson, Bernard Touter Harvey, Errol "Tarzan" Nelson, Paul "Wrong Move" Crossdale, Bobby Kalphat (keyboards); Cleveland "Clevie" Browne, Fish Clarke, Joe Isaacs, Max Asher, Fil Callender, Albert Malawi, Hugh Malcolm, Arkland "Drumbago" Parks, Leroy "Horsemouth" Wallace, Lincoln Style Scott, Lloyd Knibbs, Neville Grant, Santa Davis, Sly Dunbar, Winston Grennan, Paul Douglas , Lloyd "Tinleg" Adams, Mikey "Boo" Richards, Basil "Benbow" Creary, Melbourne Miller, Carlton "Carlie" Barrett (drums); Herman Davis, Bongo Les, Christopher Blake, Irvin Jarrett, Lee "Scratch" Perry, Ruddy Thomas, Winston Riley, Alvin "Seeco" Patterson, Noel "Scully" Simms, Larry McDonald, Denzel Laing, Uziah "Sticky" Thompson (percussion); George Dekker, Tony Anderson , Judy Mowatt, Marcia Griffiths, Michael Bennett , Rita Marley (background vocals). Audio Remixer: Hugo Dwyer. Recording information: A-Class, London, England; Anchor Recording, Kingston, Jamaica; Aquarius, Kingston, Jamaica; Basing Street, London, England; Channel One Studios, Kingston, Jamaica; Compass Point Studios, Nassau, Bahamas; Dynamic Sound Studio, Kingston, Jamaica; Federal Recording Studios, Kingston, Jamaica; Harry J. Recording Studio, Kingston, Jamaica; Island Studios, London, England; Jamaica Broadcast Company (JBL), Kingston, Jamaica; Jamaica Recording & Publishing Studios, Kingston, Jamai; Jammy's, Kingston, Jamaica; Joe Gibbs Recording Studio, Kingston, Jamaica; King Tubby's, Kingston, Jamaica; Mixing Lab, Kingston, Jamaica; Musicworks; Penthouse, Kingston, Jamaica; Randy's Studio 17, Kingston, Jamaica; Sliekshan Recording Studio, Kingston, Jamaica; Sonic Sounds, Kingston, Jamaica; Stone Love, Kingston, Jamaica; The Black Ark, Kingston, Jamaica; Treasure Isle, Kingston, Jamaica; Tuff Gong, Kingston, Jamaica; West Indies Record Label, Kingston, Jamaica. Director: Dub Organiser. Photographer: Ebet Roberts. Arrangers: Harry Mudie; Lloyd James; Stuart Brown; Sugar Minott; Tommy McCook. It's hard not to think that Hip-O's The Reggae Box will be the definitive word on the genre, not just because it spans four discs, but because Hip-O has open access to the Island vaults, and Island is to reggae as Sun is to rockabilly, meaning it's the defining force and leading light. With that as a base and with cross-licensing as a secret weapon, this could have been a stunner, but instead it just is a very good history that tends to lean toward the contemporary instead of the classic. At first, this doesn't seem to be a problem, particularly because the first disc runs through pre-reggae and early-reggae classics at an engaging clip, something that continues through the second disc. Then, things begin to bog down with good, but not classic songs, and it becomes easy to notice that some big, big songs by the likes of Bob Marley, Black Uhuru, Lee "Scratch" Perry, and Peter Tosh are missing, among many others. What here is hardly bad -- and as a rough history, it's pretty terrific -- but it's hard not to be slightly disappointed that it isn't definitive, given its ambitions and possibilities, especially when compared to the tremendous 1992 set The Story of Jamaican Music: Tougher Than Tough. Still, this is a good, even educational listen, and few sets come as close as this to being truly comprehensive. Still, it's not as comprehensive as it could have been, and it's hard not to wish that it was more sweeping than it is. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

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