The Island Records Anthology Box Set is a must for any Reggae fans. The box set is divided into three eras; 1959-1973 Ska to Reggae, including artists such as Jimmy Cliff, Don Drummond & the Skatellites and Desmond Dekker. This section portrays the upbeat, happy rhythms of Ska changing to Reggae later in this CD. In contrast Disc 2 gives us the 'Party time, roots and dub' of the 70s with Third World, Dillinger, Steel Pulse and Junior Murvin featuring their work. This disc provides a ride through the classic era of reggae at it height of popularity. The Final disc gives a modern take of reggae from 1980-2005 in 'Jamrock' with electronic elements and different melodies from Gregory Isaacs, Dennis Brown and Damian Marley, showing a transition to a more upbeat tempo. In my opinion the structure of the Island Records Anthology is second to none. The three discs have just about the right number of tracks (approx 20) perhaps with disc 1 having one too many. However the three discs give insight to the changes of reggae over the years and help show which artists were influenced by earlier work e.g. Ska roots and rhythms leading into reggae. The three disc structure dividing up different sounds and eras is in my opinion, highly original especially in this genre. There are one or two surprises e.g. 'My Boy Lollipop' which may shock some however overall the anthology is a summery, upbeat catalogue of great jamaican rhythms for both hardcore reggae lovers and newcomers to the genre to expand their tastes and knowledge beyond the likes of the great Bob Marley. The cover may be a bit subdued and simple but there is no doubt the music inside rates highly against others purely for its range of tracks. The Price tag of £12.99 is good for three discs offering 64 tracks and with three discs to listen to depending on your mood.
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