The Maytones

Their Greatest Hits (Heartbeat 11661-7575-2, 2002)

For whatever reason--maybe because they didn't sport dreadlocks or have a militant name--the Maytones tend to be overlooked when one speaks of the initial surge of Jamaican roots reggae in the 1970s. Also, in a time when the vast majority of reggae groups that emphasized harmony singing were trios, the Maytones were a duo. Leave it to Heartbeat Records, who excel at releasing contemporary reggae as well as crucial reissues, to remind us all of how much more a prominent place in reggae history the Maytones ought to have. Lead voice Vern Buckley and harmony singer Gladstone Grant blend flawlessly over rhythms laid down by an epic cast of Jamaica's finest players. The songs--"Holy Ground," "Judgement a Come," "Money Worries," "One Way," etc., are mostly of the roots and culture variety, though the angelic quality of Buckley's and Grant's voices wrap superbly around a few love songs as well. The disc features some extended dub mixes with guest toasters including the late great I Roy, and the production work of Alvin Ranglin crisply accentuates both singers and players. Fans of such groups as the Mighty Diamonds, the Heptones and Justin Hinds and the Dominoes will love this, but roots reggae adherents in general won't want to be without it. (www.rounder.com/heartbeat)