If you pick this one up along with the current BLOOD AND FIRE sampler doing the rounds, believe me you’ll be a happy camper, especially as the pair should only set you back around £15: a pittance for such boundless spiritual enlightenment.
Because, as Reggae goes, TROJAN Records don’t know the meaning of the term "Let you down" and this new cut-price compilation features 20 persuasive reasons why ignoring the 1970s Jamaican heyday for one second is…well, a leetle bit stupid, Matey Peeps.
Admittedly, "…Sampler 2002" holds precious few surprises for the seasoned campaigners out there, as the tunes featured here (ranging from 1965-1978) are tried ‘n’ tested pioneering party favourites a go-go, with the emphasis very much on Ska. But then, who’s gonna complain about a slew of skankin’ heroes like THE SKATALITES ("Guns Of Navarone"); THE HARRY J ALL STARS ("Liquidator" – which I personally discovered through THE SPECIALS like most suburban white kids); JIMMY CLIFF ("Wonderful World, Beautiful People") and, of course, DESMOND DEKKER’s "Israelites"?
Unsurprisingly, the emphasis falls on the island’s top production houses/ sound systems of the era, with most of the featured cuts flooding from the Coxsone Dodd, Joe Gibbs or Lee "Scratch" Perry stables.
Nonetheless, there are a few cuts here that previously avoided your correspondent’s radar, such as BRUCE RUFFIN’s sophisticated take on JOSE FELICIANO’S "Rain" (1971) and RUPIE EDWARDS’ 1974 "Ire Feelings", the only major crossover hit here with a prevalent undertow of Dub. Besides, however familiar, it’s great to collect landmark hits like BOB MARLEY’S "Small Axe", DENNIS BROWN’S "Money In My Pocket" and DONNA AND ALTHEA’S "Uptown Top Ranking" under one umbrella.
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To be fair, if you’re searching for obscure B-sides, out-takes from the BLACK ARK etc, well, don’t bother, because you’ll not find ‘em nestling here and, especially later on "…Sampler 2002" does lean a little too heavily on the commercial Lovers Rock element with the likes of JOHN HOLT and SUSAN CADOGAN, but only a terminal fool would try to deny the vocal genius of THE PIONEERS ("Let Your Yeah Be Yeah"), THE MELODIANS and KEN BOOTHE, although reprising this latter’s "Everything I Own" only ensures you’d like to sten gun DAVID GATES and BOY GEORGE, if you didn’t before. What? You really hadn’t thought about it?
So, while this quick sliver of Jamaican class can hardly compare with the drool-worthy TROJAN box sets, it’s still a marvellous hit-stuffed pocket compendium lovingly handed down by a label that’s become almost a Jamaican Smithsonian. Besides, at seven notes or thereabouts, what are you waiting for?
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