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Reggae Anthology: The Channel One Story

Channel One became Jamaica's dominant studio during the mid-'70s, ushering in the "roots" and "rockers" sound, styles that moved away from soul and R&B covers in favor of urgent, heavily political tunes and thudding, heavy tunes with more prominent bass lines and flickering, faster guitar accompaniment. The two-disc Reggae Anthology: The Channel One Story (VP) begins with the fantastic "I Need A Roof," arguably the Mighty Diamonds' greatest song, and then spreads out over the two CDs to include solo vocalists, trios, and toasters, as well as the earliest stars in the '80s dancehall movement. From the Diamonds, Tamlins and Revolutionaries to John Holt, Don Carlos, Sugar Minott and later Frankie Paul and Sammy Dread, almost every major figure in reggae made the trip to Channel One from 1974 until 1984. This collection represents much of the best work done during that decade.