Released to commemorate the eighth anniversary of Jamaican independence, this 1970 album -- produced by rocksteady legend
Duke Reid -- showcases rocksteady artists
Hopeton Lewis, Tommy McCook & the Supersonics, Hugh Roy,
the Ethiopians,
Earl Lindo,
Alton Ellis,
the Tennors, and
Neville Hinds. The songs are mostly upbeat and celebratory, filled with virtuoso playing and highly charismatic vocal performances, and it's rather a sad irony that the island nation, during the 1970s and beyond, saw as much strife as it did. "Dynamite" by
Tommy McCook is worth the price of admission, for those who don't already have it elsewhere, and "What Does It Take" by
Alton Ellis isn't far behind. The disc closes with the Jamaican National Anthem, which may seem like a waste of a track, although it is interesting to hear as a piece of music. ~ Bruce Eder