When Riddim Was King – Studio One Records

This one reaches back to Studio One’s deep catalog and lets the label’s classic riddim culture do the talking, with a strong run of voices from Al Campbell, Alton Ellis, Dennis Brown, Bob Andy and Johnny Osbourne moving over a set that feels rooted in late-’60s and ’70s Kingston rather than modern polish. The longer flows of “Unchained (Original Mix)” and Dennis Brown’s “Created By The Father (Ext Mix)” sit nicely beside sharper cuts like Dillinger’s “Natty Kung Fu, ” while Ernest Wilson turns up twice and gives the sequence a little extra weight. Studio One’s role as Coxsone Dodd’s cornerstone operation matters here, because this is the sound of singers working over familiar foundations and making each version count. The release appears in 2007 and runs through 12 tracks, ending with Johnny Osbourne’s “Can’t Buy My Love. ”