In 1972, the great harmony trio
the Heptones were helping to usher in the transition from rocksteady to reggae. Having recorded huge rocksteady hits for
Coxsone Dodd's Studio One, they now went into
Joe Gibbs' studio with the
Now Generation band (which included guitarists
Mikey Chung and
Geoffrey Chung, keyboardist Robbie Lyn, drummer Mikey "Boo" Richards, and other luminaries of the period) and recorded a landmark of early reggae music. The album isn't perfect -- the vocals are a bit weak on the vintage sufferer's anthem "Our Day Will Come," and "The Magnificent Heptones (3 in 1)" is a waste-of-time hits medley that is inexplicably presented on this reissue in both regular and dubwise mixes. But the vast bulk of the album is excellent: "Be the One" is a pitch-perfect slice of classic roots and culture, followed by an unusually spacy dub version titled "The Road Is Rough"; "Save the Last Dance" is a gloriously cheesy pop cover in the grand tradition of rocksteady and early reggae; and "Freedom to the People" is nicely paired with a great DJ cut on the same rhythm featuring
U-Roy. This might not be an utterly essential addition to every reggae collection, but no serious reggae fan will want to be without it. ~ Rick Anderson