Ultimate Reggae [UTV]

1	54-46 Was My Number / Toots & the Maytals 3:11
2	The Harder They Come / Jimmy Cliff Single Version 3:07
3	I Can See Clearly Now / Johnny Nash 2:44
4	Marcus Garvey / Burning Spear 3:23
5	1865 (96 Degrees in the Shade) / Third World Single Version 3:44
6	Equal Rights / Peter Tosh 5:54
7	Police and Thieves / Junior Murvin 4:11
8	Sponji Reggae / Black Uhuru Single Version 3:40
9	Wa Do Dem / Eek-A-Mouse Single Version 3:55
10	Love Has Found Its Way / Dennis Brown 4:29
11	Night Nurse / Gregory Isaacs 4:01
12	Zungguzungguguzungguzeng / Yellowman Single Version 4:09
13	Greetings / Half Pint 3:35
14	Murder She Wrote / Chaka Demus & Pliers 4:04
15	Mr. Loverman / Chevelle Franklin 5:39
16	Boombastic / Shaggy Sting Remix 4:21
17	Untold Stories / Buju Banton 4:34
18	Who Am I / Beenie Man 3:17
19	And You Be Loved / Damian "Junior Gong" Marley 4:21
20	Heads High / Mr. Vegas Kill 'em with It Remix 3:28

Barnes & Noble

Kick-start any summer fete with this selection of reggae hits. A veritable one-stop shopping trip (when combined with that copy of Bob Marley's Legend everyone owns), Ultimate Reggae takes care of the biggest of the big, all in one place. That ranges from such pop masterpieces as Jimmy Cliff's triumphant "The Harder They Come" and Johnny Nash's "I Can See Clearly Now" to dancehall gems such as Yellowman's "Zungguzungguzungguzeng" and more recent hits from Beenie Man and Buju Banton. For good measure, the Sting remix of Shaggy's "Boombastic" recasts the song in the mold -- and mode -- of Marvin Gaye's "Let's Get It On." Your party guests will eat it up. Mark Schwartz

All Music Guide

UTV's Ultimate Reggae is something of a successor to previous reggae compilations issued by different branches of the Universal Music Group of labels, notably 1998's Pure Reggae and 1999's Reggae Party, at least in the sense that, if you wonder why a particular classic reggae track, such as Desmond Dekker & the Aces' "Israelites," is missing, it may be found on one of the earlier collections, which were chosen by the same compilers. Still, this one differs from those predecessors in its breadth. As is true of the Ultimate collections assembled by sister label Hip-O, this one attempts to justify its title by licensing tracks beyond the already extensive Universal catalog, so that, for example, Johnny Nash's "I Can See Clearly Now," Third World's "1865 (96 Degrees in the Shade)," and Peter Tosh's "Equal Rights," all of which are owned by Sony, are included. The most obvious exclusion is anything by Bob Marley & the Wailers, reggae's greatest act. Since Marley's catalog is under Universal's purview and tracks were included on the previous compilations, his absence here is inexplicable. The use of "And You Be Loved," by his son Damian "Jr. Gong" Marley, which features a sample of "Could You Be Loved," does not make up for the loss. That very large problem excepted, however, this is a good chronological sampling of 30 years of reggae, dating back to early-'70s tracks by Toots & the Maytals and Jimmy Cliff, including good selections from major figures such as Burning Spear and Gregory Isaacs, and bringing things up to date with Buju Banton and Shaggy. William Ruhlmann