Can't Stop a Man: The Ultimate Collection

Performer: Beres Hammond
Artist: Buju Banton; U Roy; Marcia Griffiths; Big Youth
Distributor: Fontana Distribution

Notes: Personnel: Beres Hammond, U-Roy, Zap Pow, Buju Banton, Marcia Griffiths, Big Youth. Producers include: Willie Lindo, Joe Gibbs, Zap Pow, Beres Hammond, Donovan Germain. Recorded between 1976 & 2002. Includes liner notes by Rob Kenner. Liner Note Author: Robby Kenner. Recording information: Hammerstein Ballroom. Photographers: Marlon "Ajamu" Myrie; William Richards; Anders Jones; David Corio. Can't Stop a Man collects some of Beres Hammond's biggest Jamaican hits, beginning with his first, "One Step Ahead" from 1976, a song produced by Willie Lindo. Moving chronologically through to 2003's sweet and infectious "Dancehall Vibes," which features Big Youth and is one of the highlights here, this two-disc set is a wonderful introduction to this woefully underappreciated singer and writer. With a voice that combines Marvin Gaye's subtle phrasing, Sam Cooke's easy charm, and the soulful power of a David Ruffin, Hammond has a talent for graceful, easy-flowing lovers rock, but he has also effortlessly managed to work light dancehall and hip-hop elements into his work, giving him an uncommon longevity in the ever-shifting sea of styles that is the trademark of Jamaican music. Key tracks here include "Last War," "Who Say" (with Buju Banton),"Sugar You Want," and "Rockaway," a fond reminiscence of the island's roots era. Lovingly packaged, Can't Stop a Man includes track-by-track annotation and discussion. ~ Steve Leggett

One of the finest Lovers Rock artists to follow in the wake of the original late-'70s/early-'80s boom, Beres Hammond found popularity as a reggae artist by continuing to sing in a more traditional soul-driven vocal style, as opposed to the commercially viable dancehall patois that dominated contemporary reggae. After struggling to make a name for himself in the 1980s, Hammond hit it big in the '90s--especially in the U.K.--with a series of hits that saw him pairing with dancehall stars such as Buju Banton, Shabba Ranks, and Shaggy.

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