Compiled by
the Trojans'
Gaz Mayall, 2000s
King of Ska was the first all-new
Prince Buster compilation in almost 30 years, yet it was sensibly pieced together in the knowledge that almost everybody who was likely to look at it would already have picked up one of the earliest collections. So, no "Al Capone," "Ten Commandments of Man" or "Big Five"; instead, 16 tracks include close to a dozen that aren't simply making their CD debut, they're being heard for the first time since they originally appeared on now-scratchy 45s, back in
Buster's prime. "Don't Throw Stones," with
Buster's ominous pronouncements layered over
the Skatalites' "Perhaps" instrumental, opens the show, to be followed by "Linger On," a tribute to
Buster's hero
Cassius Clay, and "God's Son"'s revision of the familiar "Madness" rhythm (also included here). Already, then, it's a crucial reserve for collectors, but the best is yet to come.