Essential Gregory Isaacs, The

When an artist has been as prolific as Gregory Isaacs -- he has recorded literally dozens of albums in his three-decades-plus as reggae's "Cool Ruler" -- it's probably a bit foolhardy to expect any one compilation to truly contain all of his "essential" output. Isaacs worked with numerous producers over the years and his music has been issued by a plethora of labels around the world, in nearly as many different configurations. Thus, although this two-disc compendium from the U.K. is indeed packed with 34 prime cuts of vintage Isaacs, it can in no way claim to be the definitive Isaacs package -- it would probably take another ten CDs to fully represent all of the confounding twists and turns in Isaacs' career. Nonetheless, it's a very solid, enjoyable listen. The set wastes no time getting to the good stuff: The opening cut, "Night Nurse," the title track from the 1982 album of the same name, is not only Isaacs' best-known hit, it's one of reggae's greatest-ever songs. Its easygoing pace and nasal tone exemplify Isaacs' vocal style at his peak, and its flirtatious, double-entendre lyrics -- though they come off as innocent and almost naive in the raunchy post-dancehall era -- still have an air of titillation to them. But "Night Nurse" is a ringer -- it's the most recent track on the album, the rest of which is entirely devoted to recordings Isaacs made during the '70s. Many of his earliest landmark hits are here, some released originally on Isaacs' own African Museum label ("Thief a Man") and others cut with producer Alvin Ranglin ("Love Is Overdue," "The Border") for the latter's GG's company. But because the set limits itself almost exclusively to recordings licensed from the Sanctuary Music Group, forgoing material from labels for which Isaacs recorded from the mid-'80 onward, it necessarily neglects virtually everything the singer cut as his style and outlook matured (although admittedly, by the '90s, his voice was fairly well destroyed). On a related note, Ian McCann's liner notes, though they provide a fine, info-filled capsule bio of Isaacs, discuss aspects of his discography that are not showcased in the set, at the expense of many tracks that are. The Essential Gregory Isaacs can get away with its title because it does contain essential vintage Isaacs, but it's only one piece of a much larger puzzle. ~ Jeff Tamarkin|