This generous compilation isn't really a career retrospective, since it focuses almost exclusively on
Black Uhuru's years on the Island label. However, it does take several tracks from the group's Greensleeves and RAS catalog and a
Joe Gibbs single version of "Rent Man." What it all boils down to is an overview of the trio when it consisted of
Michael Rose, Derrick Simpson, and Puma Jones, which is generally considered to be the classic
Black Uhuru lineup (
Rose is replaced by
Junior Reid on two tracks). Fans will have most of this material already, of course, but for the uninitiated this is a good an overview as one could imagine -- all of the most important songs are here, from the inevitable "I Love King Selassie" to "Youth of Eglington" (paired with its dub version from the
Dub Factor collection). "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner" is mixed in showcase style, but with a dubwise appendix that differs significantly from the one on Heartbeat's Showcase album. "What Is Life?" and "Try It" are both presented in their original Jamaican mixes. No track is less than worthwhile, and some of them are among the finest reggae ever recorded. ~ Rick Anderson