Bob Marley may have been the man who took reggae to the international audience and became Jamaica's greatest musical star, but it was
Toots Hibbert who gave reggae music its name (so what if he spelled it "reggay"), and he led one of the tightest and most soulful bands the music has ever known. Even more important,
Toots has a voice that's nothing short of a force of nature, radiating passion, conviction, and pure joy on even the most banal material (if you never believed that
John Denver's "Take Me Home, Country Roads" could be soulful, listen to
Toots' version of it and prepare to be amazed). In their prime,
Toots & the Maytals may well have been reggae's greatest act (at the very least they're in the top ten), and the intense, soulful groove of their finest performances is nothing short of awe-inspiring.
Funky Kingston is arguably their best album, featuring a handful of the band's best (and best-known) songs (including "Pomp and Pride," "Time Tough," and the still astounding "Pressure Drop") and a cover of "Louie, Louie" that must be heard to be believed. Tough, vital music that contains some of the most powerful, hypnotic grooves ever committed to tape; if you think reggae is all aimless ganja-fueled noodling, you really need to hear this. ~ Mark Deming