Desmond Dekker

Desmond Dekker was one of the first Jamaican singers to break rocksteady and reggae into the world market when "Israelites" became a surprise international pop hit in 1968, and as this three-disc set released by Shakedown Records shows, his high, expressive tenor has lost none of its vitality since. Disc one consists of re-recordings of several of his best songs, including "Israelites" and "007 (Shanty Town)," done in 2004, while the second disc captures some of the same songs from a live London show from 2002. The third disc is a DVD featuring a nearly 50-minute interview with Dekker filmed in July of 2004. Die-hard fans will want Sing a Little Song for the video segment especially, but casual listeners are probably better off picking up one of the single-disc collections that feature the original recordings of these songs. ~ Steve Leggett, All Music Guide