[.ca] Rockin' Steady: Best of

From Amazon.com:
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

This is the best reggae CD I've ever heard.:
I had to control myself at work because the minute I put this CD into my personal CD player, the beat was booming and Desmond's voice is melodical and beautiful. It is an excellent collection of songs to listen and dance to. This was worth the investment in my collection of old school reggae.

Simply the Greatest Dekker CD Worldwide!:
1992's "Rockin' Steady: The Best Of Desmond Dekker" is by far the best compilation ever done on Desmond Dekker. As opposed to the slip-shod, random, England-centered Trojan releases, "Rockin' Steady" is mainly based on Jamaican and American sources. That means including the 'B' side of the UNI "Israelites" 45 ("My Precious World--The Man") and the best cuts from Dekker's UNI 'Israelites' album, in the proper sequence. The CD booklet is a goldmine of information, much it derived from Jamaican newspapers and US Reggae experts. The artwork recalls Jamaica's classic BEVERLEYS label, which released most of these songs. All in all, a SUPER job by Rhino Records.

Paving the way for Toots.:
I don't know when the word reggae came into common use, or who really was the first reggae artist, but it has been well argued that Dekker was up near the front. Not as dark as Marley, nor as rocking as Toots, Dekker's contribution to island music may have been the development of a really funky driving groove. I am not always a fan of Rhino's over cleaning of old analogue masters, but in this case, it was very necessary. According to the Rhino-typical detailed liner notes, much of the work on this CD comes from a tiny 4-track "studio" in the back of an ice cream shop. Here's a note for music fans: Desmond Dekker is THE Desomond in the Beatle's song "Ob La Di Ob La Da." Apparently Paul was a huge fan of Desmonds. Anyway...this CD is a load of fun. Is it reggae? Not really. Did Dekker influence Toots and later reggae artists? Almost certainly. This is one of my most played CDs. Great for a long drive. Oh! Here's a fun note: If you enjoy this restrained cut of "The Isrealites," you will really like the hot dance version Dekker cut for Stiff Records, available on the Rhino (again!) Stiff Box.

Missing a few of the best:
This is a great Dekker collection, with some of his best like "007", "Fu Manchu", and, of course, "Israelites". Well worth buying. A minor quibble is that it does include some songs which are far from his best - "Reggae Recipe" and "Rude Boy Train" should have been axed in favor of classics like "Sabotage", "Beautiful & Dangerous", and "Pretty Africa". Still a great buy, though.

Good Intro to Desmond:
What a talent. This covers some of his more famous material. Chk it out. Every reggae fan should have 1 Desmond Decker disk in their collection.

• Honour Your Mother and Father - Desmond Dekker
• This Woman - Desmond Dekker
• 007 (Shanty Town) - Desmond Dekker & the Aces
• Keep a Cool Head - Desmond Dekker & the Aces
• Unity - Desmond Dekker & the Aces
• Wise Man - Desmond Dekker & the Aces
• Mother Long Tongue - Desmond Dekker & the Aces
• Fu Man Chu - Desmond Dekker & the Aces
• Israelites - Desmond Dekker & the Aces
• It Is Not Easy - Desmond Dekker & the Aces
• Intensified Festival 68 - Desmond Dekker & the Aces
• It Mek - Desmond Dekker & the Aces
• My Precious World (The Man) - Desmond Dekker & the Aces
• Rude Boy Train \o*\c - Desmond Dekker & the Aces
• Mother Pepper \o*\c - Desmond Dekker & the Aces
• Pickney Gal - Desmond Dekker
• You Can Get It If You Really Want - Desmond Dekker
• Licking Stick \o*\c - Desmond Dekker
• Reggae Recipe \o*\c - Desmond Dekker
• Warlock - Desmond Dekker