Reggae Anthology: Henry "Junjo" Lawes-Volcano Eruption

Over the past several years, the brilliant 17 North Parade label (an imprint of VP Records) has been picking up where boutique reissue labels like Motion Records and the lamented Blood & Fire left off, documenting reggae music's classical period in the 1970s and the transition from roots to dancehall styles that took place during the 1980s. Producer Henry "Junjo" Lawes was one of several producers who helped to usher in that transition, guiding roots masters like Wayne Jarrett, the Wailing Souls, and the young Hugh Mundell into the new era while simultaneously fostering the careers of emerging dancehall artists like Cocoa Tea, Barrington Levy, and the exciting (but ultimately commercially doomed) teenage toaster Billy Boyo. This excellent two-disc set (one disc for singers, the other for DJs) offers an overview of some of the strongest material from Junjo's vault: stone classics like Barrington Levy's "Prison Oval Rock" and Yellowman's effortlessly propulsive "Nobody Move, Nobody Get Hurt" and "Zungguzungguguzungguzeng," Tony Tuff's brilliant "Come Fi Mash It" (on the "Three Blind Mice" rhythm), and the wonderful craziness of Eek-A-Mouse's "Anarexol." There are a few disappointments -- Junior Reid's singing is uncharacteristically weak on "Lover's Affair," and John Holt's rendition of the classic "Love I Can Feel" is curiously anemic -- but overall this is a fantastic introduction to one of reggae music's most fertile periods and greatest studio talents. [The package also includes a bonus DVD documentary.]