Cocoa Tea

This collection of King Jammy productions is a pretty hit-and-miss affair. There are some great moments, as one would expect given Cocoa Tea's enormous talent and the generally high quality of the material he cut at Jammy's in the late '80s and early '90s. Among the high points are the hit single "Who She Love" (a trio effort recorded with DJs Home T and Shabba Ranks) and the jaunty Africa anthem "Can't Let My Homeland Down." But the album is marred by several monotonous and ill-conceived tracks, including the boring "Rub a Dub Man" and a really awful version of the Buck Owens classic "Crying Time" (on which Cocoa Tea attempts to sing the song's melody over a one-chord accompaniment, resulting in truly painful dissonances). Despite the occasional bright spot, this album is probably an essential purchase for completist fans only. ~ Rick Anderson, All Music Guide