The Best of Desmond Dekker: Rockin' Steady
While he's generally classed as a ska artist, Dekker's biggest hits, which he recorded with producer Leslie Kong, were prime examples of rock steady and early reggae. But what hits! "Israelites," "007 (Shanty Town)," "It Mek" wrapped the cool riddims around some glorious pop music to become international hits, all led by Dekker's high distinctive voice. To be fair, when you get past the prime period, not everything here is USDA, but most of the tracks here are juicy enough to get you salivating. And when he was great, Dekker was up there with the giants; 30 years later, the best still sounds wonderful.--Chris Nickson