Various Artists - Reggae Anthology: Niney The Observer - Roots With Quality (2009)

Giving the Sanctuary label's 2005 set Blood & Fire some serious competition, Roots with Quality is VP's stab at collecting the work of reggae producer Winston Holness aka Niney the Observer. Niney has forever lived in the shadow of his mentor Lee Perry — and you only need to look at their respective nicknames of "The Observer" and "The Upsetter" for clues as to why — but in the background he created a stunning amount of vital material during the '70s. Besides his own call to arms "Blood & Fire" which opens the set, there's Michael Rose's original version of Black Uhuru's international hit "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner," plus the Junior Byles standard "Weeping," which is a prime example of why the singer was dubbed "the man of many voices." Having Dennis Brown's great protest number "Wolf & Leopards" in its disco mix means Bongo Herman's dank dub is attached, and with Gregory Isaacs' "Slave Master" segueing into Ranking Buckers' "Captives" thanks to the set's love of 12"s, the reggae faithful will jump immediately to disc two. Closing the set is a series of lesser-known but still high-quality tracks from the '80s that fell into obscurity thanks to the public's shift in taste to dancehall music. Sticking with the title's promise of "Roots," Niney's digital/dancehall output — as worthy as it may be — is ignored. Still, Roots with Quality goes well past the Sanctuary set's stop date of 1978, and with great track-by-track commentary, Roots has the ever-so-slight advantage over Blood. ~ David Jeffries

Tracklist:
1.01 - Niney - Blood & Fire (3:01)
1.02 - Big Youth - Whole Lot Of Fire (3:18)
1.03 - Max Romeo, Niney - The Coming Of Jah (2:50)
1.04 - Max Romeo & Lee Perry - Rasta Bandwagon (2:39)
1.05 - Delroy Wilson - Rascal Man [False Rasta] (3:05)
1.06 - Sang Hugh & The Lionaires - Rasta No Born Yah [Extended] (6:19)
1.07 - Michael Rose - Guess Who's Coming To Dinner / Clap The Barber (5:25)
1.08 - Delroy Washington - The Way To Reason (2:50)
1.09 - Reggae Crusaders - Bring The Couchie Come (2:40)
1.10 - Slim Smith - I Need Your Loving (2:26)
1.11 - Gregory Isaacs - Rock On (2:34)
1.12 - Ken Boothe - Silver Words (2:34)
1.13 - Delroy Wilson - My Baby is Gone (2:36)
1.14 - Dennis Brown - Here I Come (2:53)
1.15 - I Roy - Jah Come Here (3:05)
1.16 - Johnny Clarke - Warrior (4:38)
1.17 - Rankin Trevor - Whip Them Jah (4:43)
1.18 - Junior Delgado - Every Natty (2:20)
1.19 - Junior Byles - Weeping (2:38)
1.20 - Tyrone Taylor - Sufferation (7:59)
1.21 - Dennis Brown & Bongo Herman - Wolf & Leopards / Nosey Joe (5:46)
1.22 - Gregory Isaacs & Ranking Buckers - Slave Master / Captives (6:08)
1.23 - Freddie McGregor - Chant It Down [Extended] (3:06)
1.24 - Leroy Smart - Jah Is My Light (3:29)
1.25 - Dennis Brown - No More Will I Roam [Extended] (6:02)
1.26 - Horace Andy - Materialist (6:18)
1.27 - Jacob Miller - Moses (2:11)
1.28 - Glasford Manning - Prophecy Call (2:32)
1.29 - Niney - Mutiny (5:18)
1.30 - The Jewels - I Jah I (3:39)
1.31 - The Ethiopians - Slave Call (4:11)
1.32 - The Heptones - Temptation, Botheration & Tribulation (2:51)
1.33 - Third World - Roots With Quality (3:40)
1.34 - Freddie McGregor - Tease My Love (3:20)
1.35 - Sugar Minott - Lover's Race (2:51)
1.36 - Don Carlos - Mr. Sun (4:06)
1.37 - Barry Brown - Thank You Mama (3:22)
1.38 - Freddie McGregor - Lovers Rock J.A. Style [Extended] (3:07)
1.39 - Jimmy Riley - Sweets For My Sweet (3:07)
1.40 - Leroy Smart, Baby Wayne - Money Friend (3:43)