Gregory Isaacs

Although the common picture of him is a cool lover in a white suit, Gregory Isaacs arrived on the international scene by mixing sensual lovers rock with cultural numbers that were snide, stinging, and simmering with the tension of slow-burning revolution. Covering the years before he delivered his career-defining Soon Forward, Sanctuary's excellent version of Extra Classic takes the original album (itself a collection of singles), cleans up the sound, and adds a treasure trove of dubs that were thought lost for good. Soon Forward might be Isaacs' end-to-end classic, but Extra Classic is the album that made Isaacs a U.K. star, thanks in no small part to the punks who identified with the album's edgier numbers. "Warriors," "Mr. Cop," and "Black a Kill Black" are some of the richest numbers in Isaacs' catalog, all contrasting the Cool Ruler's smooth delivery with urgent lyrics, creating one the most entrancing and seductive call to arms imaginable. "Loving Pauper" is an early example of Isaacs as the king of heartbreak, "My Religion" influenced loads of pro-Rasta numbers to come, the bleak "Jailer Jailer Bring Me Water" converted many to the church of Gregory, and every other number included in the main program somehow plays a middle to major role in his legacy. These numbers have appeared coupled with lesser tracks or laid out haphazardly numerous times before, but Sanctuary's edition of the album corrects these issues while offering a fantastic bonus. The dub sides they've rescued from oblivion show a lot of sonic wear and tear, but they demand that Isaacs the producer be reconsidered. Besides "Mr. Cop," which Lee "Scratch" Perry either produced or engineered -- Sanctuary claims "produced" but that's been up for debate -- Isaacs is the man at the controls for everything else. His dub style is subdued but focuses on groove and uses reverb to thicken the bass. The righteous "My Religion" gets a dub version with the title "Temptation," a wry move that would seem entirely out of character later in his career, but this is hungry Isaacs. He would literally and figuratively lose his teeth later and sleepwalk through his live and on-record performances, but Extra Classic brings reminders of when his work was vital, revolutionary, and inspired -- and fleshes that work out with lost sides hardcore fans will devour. ~ David Jeffries, All Music Guide