The Cables plaintively questioned "What Kind of World" people are living in on their 1968 smash single. Their conclusion: it's a distraught one, but its ugliness was lessened by their Studio One rocksteady masterpiece. The song's gorgeous riddim understandably proved popular, and was revived numerous times over the years, reaching a recycling apotheosis in the hands of
Dean Fraser and
Lloyd "Spiderman" Campbell in the late '90s. The production pair's new version slightly quickened the tempo, giving the piece a reggae freshness and, courtesy of keyboardist Robbie Lyn, a lovely lilt that hinted at calypso. The new version's romantic potential is obvious, and almost all the singers
Fraser and
Campbell set loose on the riddim wrote lyrics in that mold. The exceptions were
Mikey General, who delivered up the superb cultural cut "Children of Zion,"
Mikey Spice's equally stellar religious offering "Forever and Ever,"
Jimmy Riley's glorious romance-gets-religion "Love Is the Key," and
Morgan Heritage, whose sublime "Down by the River" rocketed up the charts, and thus titles this collection. The rest of the set spills one gorgeous love song after another across the grooves, the singers all vying to create the sweetest or most emotive version. Veterans like
Riley,
Freddie McGregor, and
Glen Washington rub shoulders with newcomers, while women are also strongly represented, providing a quartet of excellent tracks. Needless to add,
Fraser wasn't content to sit behind the board, and sultry "Mr. Saxman" adds a further dimension to the set. A wonderful riddim to be treasured time and time again, and one that brought out the best of every artist who rode it. ~ Jo-Ann Greene