The young Frederick "Toots" Hibberts honed his vocal skills in the church. No surprise then that the music he recorded with The Maytals is largely gospel-tinged and very effectively backed up by the fervent, energetic rhythms of ska, the sound of the era in which much of it was recorded. Concentrating on their most productive period (between 1966 when Toots was released from jail on a cannabis charge and 1974), this collection features most of the group's biggest hits, many of which were successful in the UK as well as back home. It's a pure joy to listen to classics such as "54-46 That's My Number" (famously sampled by the Rebel MC in later years), "Pressure Drop" (covered by The Clash), "Bam Bam" (which won them the Jamaican Festival Song Competition), "Monkey Man" (a much covered hit that went down a storm in the UK) and "Do The Reggay", allegedly the record that coined the name, albeit with a different spelling. There is more than a dash of reggae and roots vibes sprinkled throughout these tracks and Toots's voice shines through the often heavy riddims with a beautiful, soulful clarity that cannot be denied. -Paul Sullivan.

In 1999 Exodus was rightfully voted by Time Magazine the most important album of the 20th century. This is the visionary Bob Marley's masterpiece, a concept album that distils the myriad experiences of both our daily lives and collective unconsciousness into 46 minutes of aural perfection. Exodus has been flawlessly remastered from the original recordings and showcases what is probably the Wailers' tightest recorded performance. The initial notes of the album's opening track, "Natural Mystic", fade up from a deep silence, giving the listener the impression that the music generates from within a continuum of the past, present, and future. The first half of Exodus bears witness to Marley's shift in focus away from the mundane problems of Babylon existence and toward a greater understanding of vital universal truths. The second half features songs like "Jamming" and "Waiting in Vain", which take a gently wistful look at the more interpersonal aspects of human relations. -Rebecca Levine.

Eddy Grant's Greatest Hits follows a deliciously popular recipe-there's nothing quite like a "Greatest Hits" album with some fresh music thrown in. It could be new material or rare outtakes but included here is the smash-hit remix of "Electric Avenue", the toast of Miami 2001. Eddy has had a long, successful career and it is deserving that his latest Greatest Hits should highlight his memorable music from over three decades. Included are dancehall favourites "I Don't Wanna Dance" and "Baby Come Back" which were essentials of any 1980s disco plus the signature tunes "Gimme Hope Joanna" and the original "Electric Avenue". -Georgina Collins.

The beat that got a generation dancing and brought ska back into the public eye. Produced by Elvis Costello, then still a boy wonder himself, the album built on the sound of the Specials' first two singles, and gave the world its first extended look at Two Tone. Inspired writing and arranging (much of it down to founder Jerry Dammers) with Terry Hall as the laconic front man made for a perfect combination, the riddim of ska and the speed of punk. As a testament to its power, two decades haven't lessened its impact. -Chris Nickson.

Jamaican filmmaker Perry Henzell made reggae an integral player in The Harder They Come, his gritty 1973 saga of a renegade Kingston singer who becomes a modern Robin Hood, casting one of the style's earliest stars, Jimmy Cliff, in the lead, and filling this soundtrack-here presented in a remastered version-with classics from Toots & the Maytals ("Pressure Drop", "Sweet and Dandy"), Desmond Dekker ("Shanty Town"), the Melodians ("Rivers of Babylon"), and the Slickers ("Johnny Too Bad"). Cliff himself gets pole position, however, getting in the first ("You Can Get It If You Really Want") and last ("The Harder They Come") words in this first-rate reggae primer, which also features Cliff's enduring "Many Rivers to Cross". -Sam Sutherland Jamaican filmmaker Perry Henzell made reggae an integral player in his gritty 1973 saga of a renegade Kingston singer who becomes a modern Robin Hood, casting one of the style's earliest stars, Jimmy Cliff, in the lead, and filling this soundtrack with classics from Toots & The Maytals ("Pressure Drop," "Sweet and Dandy"), Desmond Dekker ("Shanty Town"), The Melodians ("Rivers of Babylon"), and the Slickers ("Johnny Too Bad"). Cliff himself gets pole position, however, getting in the first ("You Can Get It If You Really Want") and last ("The Harder They Come") words in this first-rate reggae primer, which also features Cliff's enduring "Many Rivers to Cross. " -Sam Sutherland.

Talk about high concept: Dub Side of the Moon features the house band of noted New York reggae label Easy Star covering Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon in the same sequence and in recognisable but reggae fashion. Here, the All Stars turn Floyd's strangely surreal world even stranger and more surreal, adorning the band's dark psychedelic music with slow reggae beats and head-spinning dub-style production that is both inspired and effective. "Money" opens with the sound of bong hits and coughing instead of the cash register, then grooves to a reggae beat as guitar and organ churn out the classic riff-there's even the mandatory sax break in the middle. The group hits it just right on "Great Gig in the Sky", retaining the soaring gospel voice, while the remake of the chiming bells on "Time" reveals a bit of irreverent humour. Tearing away at the alienation of the original, this infusion of new personality makes it all work, elevating the album's concept from the half-baked to visionary. -Tad Hendrickson.