Various – Hottest Hits Volume 1

I played the three volumes in this series in reverse order, saving the best for last. From start to finish, this collection is a treasure. I'm pleased with the fat bass, warm vocals, and robust soundstage of this 1977 Jamaican pressing. My copy plays nice and clean, with almost no surface noise, one of the cleanest Jamaican pressings in my collection. If you dig the rocksteady, the three volumes in the HOTTEST HITS series are a great value - I found VG+ copies of all three for $18 or less, and they are chock full of wonderful musical joyful nuggets. Give thanks and praise, indeed. Five stars and a happy face.

i really like this old Rocksteady / Ska / Reggae of the late sixties to early seventies. The music has such a lovely exotic flair, taking influences from the Golden Soul era mixed with that unique Ska Riddim that just moves and grooves along. The many Vocal Trios and Lead Singers wear their heart on the sleeves (i.e. their tongues) and just give me a good time dreaming of long gone days on this tropical island. This Sampler is especially great ! Not a single weak tune in sight it comes with a couple splendid Hit Tunes changed into Jamaican Fashion. "Midnight Hour" and "It's Raining" are Versions of american Soul Hits of those days and just sound better and less old fashioned in this form than the originals. The best songs though are written from jamaican artists and can be found on Side 1. The huge Hit by Dobby Dobson "Loving Pauper" and the timeless Classic by Alton & The Flames "Cry Tough" are milestones in Reggae History. Alton Ellis became famous for his anti rude boy stand in a time when most Reggae Hits had strong Pro- Rudie message like "0072 (Rudi Got Bail..") or The wailers with their countless Rudie anthems. Here Alton warns the Rudeboys of the consequences of their doing and tells them to calm down " How Can a Man Be Strong, Stronger Than The World ?" and "don't You Know you're Getting Old, Don't You Know Your Getting Slow..Cry Tough" etc. The melody is so fantastic and the vocals (Lead & Harmony) are so strong, that this song is my personal favourite this Year. More than 30 years after it's first release in another context it speaks clear to me as it should to any other man.
Most other tunes on this Compilation deal with everyday affairs, matters of the heart and life itself. So this music can't get out of style and the older i get, the more this old Pre-Reggae Sounds mean to me. Much more than most contemporary Clich'e Rasta Topics or Bad Man / Slackness Songs that flood the market.