Various Artists - The Best Of Studio One, Vol. 1 (2015)

Clement "Coxsone" Dodd ran Studio One, one of the best and most influential Jamaican recording studios in the 1960s and 1970s. From its production booth he essentially presided over the transition from rock steady to reggae, and artists as famous as Bob Marley, Burning Spear, and Dennis Brown recorded some of their earliest work under his supervision. This excellent collection of singles makes a solid case for Dodd's primacy among reggae producers of the period: "Melody Life" by Marcia Griffiths and "Party Time" by the Heptones remain two of the reggae's most loved standards; other highlights on this album include Larry Marshall's immortal "Throw Me Corn," "Row Fisherman Row" by the Wailing Souls (presented here in an extended version), and Dennis Brown's excellent version of "Impossible." Best of all may be the Termites' slightly eerie take on the aching "My Last Love."

Tracks:
01 - John Holt - A Love I Can Feel (2:35)
02 - The Lyrics - Music Like Dirt (2:22)
03 - The Cables - Baby Why (2:49)
04 - Alton Ellis - Can I Change My Mind (3:07)
05 - Ken Boothe - Just Another Girl (3:18)
06 - Lone Ranger - The Answer (3:06)
07 - Sugar Minott - Oh Mr. DC (6:06)
08 - Johnny Osbourne - Jah Promise (3:57)
09 - The Abyssinians - Declaration of Rights (3:20)
10 - The Gladiators - Roots Natty aka Roots Natty Roots (3:01)
11 - Michigan & Smiley - Rub a Dub Style (3:09)
12 - The Heptones - Party Time (2:40)
13 - Larry Marshall - Throw Mi Corn (2:23)
14 - Marcia Griffiths - Melody Life (2:22)
15 - Slim Smith - Born To Love (2:48)
16 - The Termites - My Last Love (3:27)
17 - Judah Eskender - Rastafari Tell You (3:22)
18 - The Wailing Souls - Row Fisherman Row (Extended Mix) (5:22)