Dennis Brown

The 17 North Parade label (mixed in with VP Records) took it upon itself to begin re-releasing some of the outstanding -- but lost -- records from reggae's heyday, chief among them the output of Joe Gibbs' studio, the main competitor to the Channel One sound. With the advent of the 12" album, Gibbs had to move quickly to counter Channel One's move to the format (and its extended play possibilities). To do so, he went to his number one star, the sweet-sounding Dennis Brown. A Little Bit More collects some of the better tracks from the 1977-1983 recordings, teaming Brown up with others in Gibbs' stables: Little U Brown, Trinity, Big Youth. There's an excellent groove on the tracks here, with Brown providing his trademark floating vocals over the top of a lovers rock beat. The cohort spread across various songs adds other elements -- toasting, a more rap-like delivery, a simple backing vocal. For a basic overview of lovers rock, and of the Crown Prince of Reggae himself, this compilation is a fine one to start with. There are other notables in the genre, of course -- but then again, if Bob Marley said Brown was the best singer out there, who's to argue? ~ Adam Greenberg, All Music Guide