Reggae — All Formats  

Joe Gibbs and Errol Thompson more than live up to their title as the Mighty Two just as this heavy compilation more than lives up to the title of nothing but scorchers! Gibbs and ET showcase their mastery of all styles here, veering from hard and heavy roots to sweet lover's numbers and even a few bouncing tracks aimed a the dancehall! Top notch singers and dee jays are all featured over throbbing rhythms at the hands of Gibbs' Professionals crew, with 28 tracks in all, including "Two Sevens Clash" by Culture, "Babylon Too Rough" by Gregory Isaacs, "Cool Out Son" by Junior Murvin, "Boxing Around" and "No Man's Land" by Cornell Campbell, "Just Like A River" by the Mighty Diamonds, Left With A Broken Heart" by George Nooks, "Funeral" by Prince Alla,"Rockers A Nuh Crackers" by Glen Washington, "Jah Bring I Joy In The Morning" by Bobby Melody, "Burn Babylon" by Sylford Walker, "Keep On Knocking" by Jaco Miller, "Virgin Girl" by Eek-A-Mouse, "Hello Carol" by Enos McLeod, and "UptownTop Ranking" by Althea & Donna.

The birth of ska – served up in a host of hard-edged classics from the early years – great Jamaican tracks that sound a lot more like soul music than most later incarnations of the genre – no surprise, given that many of these cuts were crafted from the strong influence of American radio on the Kingston airwaves! The rhythms are definitely what you'd call ska, but the vocals often have a deeper approach than we're used to in later work of the genre – heavily tilted towards the soul and R&B side of the spectrum, especially when more than one singer is featured on a track – and often mixed with razor-sharp instrumentation that packs the punch of a vintage funky 45! Titles include "Valley Of Green" and "Take Your Time" by Jackie Opel, "Men Alone" by The Deacons, "Lonely & Blue Boy" by Ferdie Nelson, "Sweet Dreams" by Bibby & The Astronauts, "Snake In The Grass" by Larry Marshall, "Ten Virgins" by The Angelic Brothers, "Everyday" by The Avalons, "My Darling Josephine" by Joe G Henry, "Dream For Tomorrow" by Al & The Vibrators, "Fresh Out Of Love" and "Someone" by The Jetts, and "Never Too Young To Learn" by Andy & The Avalons. 40 tracks in all!