Sweet & Dandy : The Best Of Toots & The Maytals

Although the original incarnation of Toots & the Maytals (Toots Hibbert, Nathaniel "Jerry" McCarthy, and Raleigh Gordon) parted ways in 1981 (Toots continues to tour with a revamped version of the Maytals), they managed between the years 1964 and 1974, the period covered by this two-disc retrospective from Trojan Records, to assemble one of the most highly charged and distinctive bodies of work in the history of Jamaican music. Led by Toots' Kingston-by-way-of-Memphis lead vocals, and the ragged call-and-response background singing of McCarthy and Gordon, the trio created gospel-fueled reggae classics like "54-46 Was My Number," "Monkey Man," "Sweet and Dandy," "Pomps and Pride," "Funky Kingston," and the immortal "Pressure Drop," all of which carried the stomp and wallop of the best and most enduring soul music of the day. Later gems like "In the Dark" and "Time Tough" kept the stomp and added wise and insightful lyrics to create classic songs that still ring solid and true 30 years later. This set has all of these essential tracks, and aside from not including the wonderful "Broadway Jungle," it's a competitively good collection. ~ Steve Leggett|