Although he was a Texan,
Johnny Nash did as much as anybody to break Jamaican reggae into the international spotlight in the early '70s.
Nash was among the first to recognize the particular pop potential of
Bob Marley when he recorded versions of
Marley's "Guava Jelly" and "Stir It Up," and his own "I Can See Clearly Now" is the textbook example of how reggae-pop is supposed to be put together. This brief collection has all of these songs, plus the slowed-down pop ska masterpiece "Hold Me Tight" and two
Sam Cooke classics, "Cupid" and "Wonderful World," done up in light Jamaican style.
Nash had a wider palette than
Superhits shows, but most listeners will associate
Nash with his reggae period anyway, and this compilation hits those high points. ~ Steve Leggett