Roots Reggae (The Early Jamaican Album) [Box] (CD - 2005)

Includes the complete albums THE SENSATIONAL MAYTALLS (1965), SWEET & DANDY (1969), MONKEY MAN (1970), THE MAYTALS GREATEST HITS (1971), STOOT SLATYAM (1972), ROOTS REGGAE (1974).

This superb six-disc box set is the quintessential collection of early recordings by Toots & the Maytals. One of reggae's defining acts (reputedly the first to use the word, in a song entitled "Do the Reggay"), the Maytals blended rocksteady, soul, ska, and gospel into harmony-heavy, groove-saturated perfection, with a great deal of help from the killer pipes of lead vocalist Toots Hibbert.

The Maytals continued to perform throughout the 1980s, 1990s, and 2000s, yet the group's most definitive music was recorded in the '60s and '70s. ROOTS REGGAE covers that material (including work recorded for legendary producer Leslie Kong), and includes classics like "54-46 That's My Number," the driving "Funky Kingston," and two gems from the film THE HARDER THEY COME: "Pressure Drop" and the percolating "Sweet and Dandy." Brilliant, buoyant, and full of life, ROOTS REGGAE is a sublime slice of classic reggae, and a sure-fire bet for any fan of the genre. minimize