Killer Rocksteady, some of the best!
rocksteady | Seattle, WA USA | 10/14/2004
(4 out of 5 stars)
"While the first CD of this set contains most of Derrick Morgan's hits from the Ska period of the early 60s, it is the second CD that shows this artist at his peak in the later 60s. Derrick uses lyrics borrowed from Jamaican folk music paired with the intense beat of the rocksteady period to make the best music of his career. I'm particularly fond of his duets with George Agard (check out "Me Naw Give Up"). You have two of the best Jamaican singers of the time over some of the rawest, most insistent rocksteady ever recorded, driven by scratchy guitar and heavy basslines, this music sounds raw compared to the more polish releases by groups like the Melodians and the Maytals. The duets with Paulette are very affecting as well ("You Never Miss Your Water"). Crucial sounds from an era of Jamaican popular music that deserves to be more widely heard."