Dennis Brown - Lips of Wine - The Roots of Dennis Brown (2007)

While Dennis Brown's discography certainly didn't need another compilation and Trojan has contributed to this problem as much as anybody, the label's 2007 collection Lips of Wine: The Roots of Dennis Brown is still a wonderful set. The title is misleading since a cover of "Wichita Lineman" is hardly a roots reggae tune, and some tracks from the late '70s come from a veteran singer with plenty of hits under his belt. What the collection is, then, is some of the smoother, deeper, and more soulful cuts from the man's output that sound a lot like what a Dennis Brown fanatic might put together if you asked for a "moody" mixtape and limited them to the Trojan vaults. The effervescent title cut is the key track, with "Baby Don't Do It" running a close second. The empowering and revolutionary "My Mama Say" is always welcome, and heartbreak and bitterness are rarely blended as well as they are on "You're No Good." The essay from David Katz is helpful and insightful, but Trojan has done it again with their track lists. The "Why Seek More" listed on the back is actually "Give a Helping Hand," which Trojan references with an "aka" notation in the booklet. Had they checked the version of "Why Seek More" on their wonderful 2005 compilation Money in My Pocket they might have noticed this error. Still, this is mostly killer with a little interesting filler, just don't make it your only Dennis Brown compilation.

Tracklist:
1.01 - Dennis Brown - Lips of Wine (2:43)
1.02 - Dennis Brown - Don't You Cry (2:53)
1.03 - Dennis Brown - Baby Don't Do It (3:00)
1.04 - Dennis Brown - Stick By Me (3:17)
1.05 - Dennis Brown - Let Love In (2:04)
1.06 - Dennis Brown - Song My Mother Used to Sing (3:15)
1.07 - Dennis Brown - Pretend (3:42)
1.08 - Dennis Brown - Wichita Lineman (4:03)
1.09 - Dennis Brown - I Didn't Know (2:35)
1.10 - Dennis Brown - Run Too Tuff (2:45)
1.11 - Dennis Brown - Lightning and Thunder (3:10)
1.12 - Dennis Brown - Why Seek More (Give a Helping Hand) (3:04)
1.13 - Dennis Brown - Go Now (3:24)
1.14 - Dennis Brown - Rock With Me Baby (2:46)
1.15 - Dennis Brown - Show Us the Way (2:41)
1.16 - Dennis Brown - My Mama Say (aka Truth and Rights) (2:52)
1.17 - Dennis Brown - Love Jah (3:06)
1.18 - Dennis Brown - Live After You (2:24)
1.19 - Dennis Brown - Moving Away (2:39)
1.20 - Dennis Brown - You're No Good (2:30)
1.21 - Dennis Brown - Only a Smile (3:18)
1.22 - Dennis Brown - Tenement Yard (3:48)
1.23 - Dennis Brown - Have You Ever (3:47)
1.24 - Dennis Brown - Hold On to What You've Got (4:39)
1.25 - Dennis Brown - Wildfire (4:41)