Consumer Guide Album

Burning Spear: Harder Than the Best [Mango, 1979]
Because reggae is long on groove and short on tune, you sometimes wish you could extricate one from the other, which in a way is what this compilation does: combines the four most haunting cuts from a landmark debut with other highlights plus a dab of dub, as much as I and I need. Political and possessed, with Winston Rodney's hypnotic vocals floating, darting, and echoing over the mix, this one's a gift from the mysterious forces of commerce that shouldn't be passed up. A