Although he was enormously popular in Jamaica during the 1970s,
Johnny Clarke is now known primarily among reggae aficionados. This is unfortunate, since his sweet, crooning style is at least as winning as that of other, more commercially successful reggae singers --
Dennis Brown, for example, or
Sugar Minott. His relative obscurity notwithstanding, there are quite a few good compilations of
Johnny Clarke singles available, and if this one isn't the best there is, it's still very good. It includes a fine version of
Peter Tosh's "Top Ranking," one that doesn't pack quite the same snide wallop as
Tosh's, but which improves on
Tosh's generally mediocre singing. "Live Up Jah Man" and "African Roots" are excellent examples of the "conscious" subject matter that
Clarke has always favored, and "Roots Natty" remains one of
Clarke's finest performances. Several of the tracks on this album duplicate those on Front Line's
Authorised Rockers compilation, but the extended mixes and other rarities save it from superfluity. You'll never find
Authorised Rockers on CD, anyway. ~ Rick Anderson