Soul Shakedown

The JAD label finally put an end to collectors' nightmares with a series of sets rounding up the entire Bob Marley & the Wailers catalog from the early reggae age. During this period, 1967-1972, the group recorded with a clutch of different producers, but only a fraction of those recordings saw the light of day at the time. Over the years, the material began seeping out, with the band's work with Lee Perry in particular bundled onto ever more towering piles of low-budget compilations. Many of these sets gave no details on the tracks within, leaving fans frustrated and baffled. JAD cleaned up the confusion once and for all, although the shelves continued to groan under a continually growing pile of Wailers cut-rate compilations. For the more general fan looking for a good roundup of the best of this period, Soul Shakedown is one of the better sets to be found. Concentrating on the most popular numbers, the compilation is chock-a-block with Lee Perry productions, alongside five excellent Leslie Kong numbers and a pair overseen by Johnny Nash/Danny Sims. These latter ones are the weakest of the set, but are still of historical interest, a potent reminder of the Wailers' desperation to reach the big time, and the other 18 tracks more than make up for their inclusion. This stellar album may prompt more than a few buyers into searching out more. There's certainly plenty out there to choose from, but for beginners this is a great start. — Jo-Ann Greene.