Randy's, run by the Chin family out of a storefront at 17 North Parade in Kingston, was one of the great reggae studios of the 1970s. It produced more than its share of great rhythms, among them some of the seminal examples of Augustus Pablo's "Far East" sound and early vocal performances by Dennis Brown and Junior Byles. Randy's is also where the great producer Errol Thompson got his start, engineering under the supervision of Clive Chin. (Thompson would later leave Randy's to make history with Joe Gibbs.) But for all of its historical significance and for all of the great music it produced, Randy's never gained the same level of international notoriety as that enjoyed by Channel One, Dynamic, and Studio One. This collection makes a strong case for the injustice of that situation. It features excellent performances by the likes of Alton Ellis (a fine early version of "Too Late"), Black Uhuru (the rough and lovely "Going to Zion"), and a single by an obscure vocal trio called the African Brothers, which included a young Sugar Minott. Granted, it also features the forgettable vocals of one Senya (who sounds eerily like a female Hugh Mundell), but her tracks only serve to accentuate the quality of everything else. Recommended. ~ Rick Anderson|

Rovi