Customer Reviews

Very Best of

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Of course, mention reggae music to nearly every human on the planet and the first name out of their mouths is Bob Marley. But if there's gotta be a #2 slot, then let it go to Frederick "Toots" Hibbert. He's the very embodiment of the word "journeyman". Influenced as much by classic sixties soul as by the bluebeat of his native land, Toots scored a series of funky, soulful, genuinely skanking hits in Jamaica and overseas. Total fans looking for a detailed and loving anthology are directed to TIME TOUGH, a double CD retrospective released in 1997 that touched on all the right bases. Those looking for a more concentrated dosage can line up here without guilt. If you regularly play the heck out of your Bob Marley LEGEND disc, then you'll equally play the heck out of this one, too. All the coolest cuts are here: "Bam Bam" (which was sampled and covered by Chaka Demus & Pliers), "54-46 That's My Number", "Reggae Got Soul" (where Kingston, Jamaica meets up with Atlanta, Georgia!), "Funky Kingston" and his remarkable remake of Otis Redding's "Dreams To Remember" (which, you may recall, was used as the music bed for a series of Club Med TV spots). The ultimate marriage of roots, rock, reggae on a disc that'll quickly become a fave! "54-46" may have been his number, but 10/10 is the number you can assign this set! Recommended!

While this is a very good collection, the double CD Time Tough: The Anthology includes all the tracks here, but does a better job of covering the whole Toots spectrum, and the sound quality is quite a bit better. So while I agree with the positive reviews here, you get a lot more bang for the buck with "Time Tough". And TT gives you a lot more of his latter work, when love and spirituality infused his work and raised reggae to a higher plane. Go on and spend the extra $10, you won't be sorry (like I was when I bought this then still had to go out and buy "Time Tough" to get a sampling of ALL the Toots and the Maytals I came to love through buying most of his LPs in the 70's and 80's.

Bob Marley may be the king but Toots was the originator. He was one of the first musicians to use the word Reggae to describe this popular Jamaican musical style. My only complaint with this compilation is that it omits the song, "Premature" from the LP, Reggae Got Soul (Lyrics: "Let the girl go home, let her go back home ..."). It's a great tune and one of his biggest international hits. Otherwise, this CD is a keeper.

This is real reggae music. Every track is jamming, and there are 19 tracks clocking in at 68 minutes on this album. I bought this because I loved "Monkey Man" off of a compilation CD. It took me three listens to the whole CD to like and appreciate all of the songs. I'm not a reggae fan, but I enjoy anything with harmony and/or melody. I play this CD anywhere, and anytime. I think "Never Get Weary" is my favorite track right now. My least favorite track is "Dreams to Remember" because I like Otis' more, but it's still kicking. Toots puts his all in his music. Give this CD a listen to see if you concur.

This is an exceptional summary of one of the great pioneers of Reggae music, Toot and the Maytals. The song included here, DO THE REGGAY, has even been credited with giving the music it's name. Toots Hibbert and his compatriots created some of eary Reggae's great highlights including 54-46 WAS MY NUMBER, PRESSURE DROP, MONKEY MAN and SWEET AND DANDY. This collection shows the versitily of the Maytals to include raw Ska (BROAWDAY JUNGLE, BAM BAM), funk(FUNKY KINGSTON) and Memphis soul(REGGAE GOT SOUL and the great cover of Otis Redding's I'VE GOT DREAMS TO REMEMBER). THE VERY BEST OF TOOTS AND THE MAYTALS is a great introduction to one the the giants of Reggae music.

because if you bought Toots - LIVE,

you'd realize what you're missing by sitting at home listening to that disc, instead of standing in the audience dancing until you are drenched in sweat, and have to drag yourself away from the music to buy another Red Stripe.

Toots makes great music... but there is nothing... NOTHING like seeing and hearing the guy in the flesh. He is a jamaican reggae version of James Brown... and he just makes you want to party and dance. Buy the live album (the white one with black writing... avoid the live in london double disc)... it captures a tiny bit of the energy he creates when he performs.

buy the studio discs at your own risk. He releases a lot of them with old material. The old guy has to make money you know? I Love im.

I was lucky enough to see both Bob Marley & the Wailers and Toots & the Maytals on the same double bill at the Beacon Theater in NYC back in the '70's. Until then I had heard neither. While Bob Marley was phenomenal. He did more with simply folding his arms than most rockers do flailing all around the stage & smashing guitars. But the true revelation was Toots & the Maytals. They didn't stop until they rocked the house. Listening to this "Best of" collection brings that night home to me. If you've never experienced Toots & the Maytals, buy this collection, and give it a listen. You won't stop dancing and swaying. I promise.

Length:: 2:48 Mins

I've been collecting what I consider to be good reggae since the movie:The Harder They Come (includes Soundtrack CD). My favorites off this album are 'Pressure Drop' and 'Sweet and Dandy', but everything is listenable. I don't like most reggae so nineteen songs from one artist with no losers says a lot about the artist.

Some may say that means it's commercial - first of all I don't think it is other than in the sense you don't have to be an enthusiastic reggae fan to enjoy it. In the second place, 'commercial', except in the really crass cases is usually a musical term for 'sour grapes', in my old but otherwise uninformed opiion.

This band represents a the lost genre of roots reggae music and brings all the positive vibes u could ask for. With original classics such as pressure drop and the harder they come are real roots reggae songs that you wont hear anymore. If your looking to catch a real live reggae performance come see these guys get irie with some roots at wakarusa this year out in arkansas. check out the link below for more info

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it's called "the very best of..." for a reason folks! don't get me wrong, bob marley is great, but if he is your only window into the world of reggae, then i feel bad for you because you are missing out on this true legend!