George Phang

This is the second in a four-volume series of two-disc sets documenting the exemplary work of the frequently overlooked producer George Phang, who helped to usher in the dancehall sound in the late 1970s and early '80s. Working with a relatively small stable of singers and toasters and an even more limited cast of session players (generally centered on the bass/drum duos of Sly Dunbarand Robbie Shakespeare or Clevie Browne and Steely Johnson), Phang made his name by turning loose young talent like Peter Metro, Half Pint, and Charlie Chaplin on updated versions of roots reggae and rocksteady rhythms from the old days. Power House Selectors Choice, Vol. 2 is the strongest set in the series, featuring stellar material from dancehall dons Frankie Paul (singing sweetly over a dubwise mix of the "Heavenless" rhythm), Pinchers (on a fine update of the "First Cut Is the Deepest" rhythm titled "Don't Distress"), and Half Pint (represented here by his classic hit "Level the Vibes"). There are clunkers, as always, and as usual they tend to be provided by Little John -- a singjay who would later mature into a fine talent but who, during this period, seemed almost completely incapable of singing in tune. But the clunkers are few and the clustering of these tracks into rhythm-specific sections is both academically interesting and musically satisfying; seeing how each of these artists managed to make an instrumental track his own will give any reggae fan new appreciation for the level of artistry that characterized this fertile period in the music's history. ~ Rick Anderson, All Music Guide