Most Wanted: Classic Cuts 1978-1984

Performer: Wailing Souls
Engineer: Barnabas; Ernest Hoo Kim; Errol Brown; Errol Thompson; Scientist; Soldgie
Producer: Heenry 'Junjo' Lawes; Joseph Hoo Kim; Linval Thompson
Distributor: Ryko Distribution

Notes: Personnel: Dwight Pinkney, Earl "Chinna" Smith, Eric "Bingy Bunny" Lamont, Radcliffe Bryan, Andy Bassford, Winston Bope Bowne (guitar); Dean Fraser (saxophone); Ronald "Nambo" Robinson (trombone); Errol "Tarzan" Nelson (organ); Gladstone Anderson, Tony Asher , Ossie Hibbert, Ansel Collins, Winston Wright, Wycliffe "Steely" Johnson, Bernard Touter Harvey (keyboards); Keith Sterling (synthesizer); Style Scott, Lincoln Valentine, Sly Dunbar, Basil "Benbow" Creary, Carlton "Santa" Davis (drums); Christopher Blake "Sky Juice", Noel "Scully" Simms, Uziah "Sticky" Thompson (percussion). Liner Note Author: Harry Hawke. Recording information: Channel One; Joe Gibbs; King Tubbys. Photographers: Timothy O'Sullivan; George Williams ; Jack Barron. Greensleeves' 2007 release Most Wanted: Classic Cuts 1978-1984 isn't the definitive Wailing Souls compilation, but with the band's discography sprawling across labels, decades, and many flavors of reggae, a one-disc wrap-up is a bit too much to ask. Most Wanted focuses on the transitional years of 1978-1984, just missing their seminal 1977 hit "Bredda Gravalicious," but displaying their evolution from rugged roots music to more mature roots and on to dancehall. "Bredda"'s successor, "War," is here, and like every other cut save "Fire House Rock," it's presented in its desirable 12" mix, which in this case stretches the infectious groove past the five-minute mark. Even better, "Kingdom Rise & Kingdom Fall" is rightfully epic at over ten minutes and "See Baba Joe" makes it to almost nine with its easy-strolling dub tacked on. Almost all of these extended mixes are previously unreleased on CD and extremely hard to find in any format, so it's a bit odd that Greensleeves doesn't crow about it on the cover, deciding instead to market this as a mere "best-of." For hardcore fans, this is the logical follow-up to Pressure Sounds' The Wailing Souls at Channel One, and it would be just as revelatory if didn't overlap that set by a couple tracks. ~ David Jeffries

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