This Is Desmond Dekkar

Desmond Dekker

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This Is Desmond Dekkar Review

by Jack Rabid

Although newcomers should be directed to Trojan's 1997 best-of, The Original Rude Boy, among the many retrospectives, fans of Dekker and original Jamaican ska, rocksteady, and founding reggae are well served by this narrowly focused CD. Ostensibly a reissue of his 1969 U.K. LP of 1966-1968 recordings, which had been rushed out on the heels of his breakout number one hit there that March, "The Israelites" (more surprising, the song hit the U.S. Top 10, exposing American masses to reggae, too!), this CD takes the collection's 12 cuts and adds 19 more from 1966-1968. At 31 songs and 80 minutes, it makes for a thorough, pleasing guide to the Jamaican legend's productive rocksteady mid-period. A renowned writer who again became a British star when the Specials covered This Is Desmond Dekker's classic opener, "0.0.7 (Shanty Town)" (a 1967 U.K. number 14 later made famous in The Harder They Come soundtrack), this presents a wealth of his finest compositions, all set to the soothing midtempo style so prominent in later-'60s Kingston. Relaxing but never mellow, and often addressing the island's "Rude Boy" gang violence and poverty, Dekker uses his pleasant but deep, high-ranged voice and languorous timing to complement the swaying, offbeat rhythms. Dekker may have given the world Bob Marley (by introducing his nobody coworker Robert to his producer in 1961), but his own canon remains significant too, and this is a highly agreeable slice at a great value.

Track Listing

Title/Composer Performer Time Stream
1 Desmond Dekker 02:32 SpotifyAmazon
2 Desmond Dekker 02:43 SpotifyAmazon
3 Desmond Dekker 02:15 SpotifyAmazon
4 Desmond Dekker 02:45 SpotifyAmazon
5
Desmond Dekker 02:46 SpotifyAmazon
6
Desmond Dekker 02:10 SpotifyAmazon
7 Desmond Dekker 02:42 SpotifyAmazon
8 Desmond Dekker 02:44 SpotifyAmazon
9 Desmond Dekker 02:20 SpotifyAmazon
10 Desmond Dekker 02:18 SpotifyAmazon
11
Desmond Dekker 02:58 SpotifyAmazon
12 Desmond Dekker 02:55 SpotifyAmazon
13 Desmond Dekker 02:22 SpotifyAmazon
14 Desmond Dekker 02:15 SpotifyAmazon
15 Desmond Dekker 02:30 SpotifyAmazon
16
Desmond Dekker 02:29 SpotifyAmazon
17 Desmond Dekker 03:12 SpotifyAmazon
18
Desmond Dekker 02:00 SpotifyAmazon
19 Desmond Dekker 02:55 SpotifyAmazon
20 Desmond Dekker 02:08 SpotifyAmazon
21 Desmond Dekker 02:08 SpotifyAmazon
22 Desmond Dekker 02:59 SpotifyAmazon
23 Desmond Dekker 02:29 SpotifyAmazon
24 Desmond Dekker 03:16 SpotifyAmazon
25 Desmond Dekker 02:23 SpotifyAmazon
26 Desmond Dekker 03:25 SpotifyAmazon
27 Desmond Dekker 02:21 SpotifyAmazon
28
Desmond Dekker 02:15 SpotifyAmazon
29 Desmond Dekker 02:10 SpotifyAmazon
30 Desmond Dekker 02:10 SpotifyAmazon
31 Desmond Dekker 02:34 SpotifyAmazon
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