First, forgive the title and artwork. Yes, it is simply a cheap attempt to cash in on the O Brother, Where Art Thou? soundtrack. What is the connection? Well, where the soundtrack dug down into the blues, bluegrass, and folk fields to find some lesser-known roots, this compilation aims for the same discoveries inside the reggae patch. Yes, it is an incredibly crass and cheap marketing ploy to sucker the legions of fans of the former into buying the latter, but don’t hold that against the music. This is actually a re-release of a DCC compact disc, "Reggae Classics", with a new name and cover. The marketing department does as it will.

This album features twenty eclectic tracks, ranging from classic songs to under-appreciated gems to forgettable and forgotten tunes, born in Jamaican studios from 1971 to 1974. Most consider this a golden era for reggae, a point where rock steady was giving way to the classic reggae sound. Most of the songs on this album are a bit more mainstream than that style, blending elements of American rock and soul music into the ska mix. This collection shuns big names like Bob Marley and Peter Tosh to focus on less famous songs. You’ll find nothing from Studio One here, yet you will discover several Sir Coxsone Dodd productions, as well as several by The Trojan, Duke Reid.

If that last sentence means much to you, then chances are you are the perfect audience for this collection. This is not the compilation to convert newcomers to reggae. It lacks nearly every big name in the genre, although the commercial styles of these tunes are not likely to make those who believe all reggae “sounds the same” run for cover. Rather, this is an odds and sods collection, featuring twenty little-played platters (well, excepting Big Youth’s Johnny Reggae and Ken Boothe’s cover of Bread’s "Everything I Own", which was a number one hit in the UK) for collectors to use in plugging up the holes in their collections. Luckily, many of these songs are fantastic; fans will love Prince Jazzbo toasting over surprisingly successful production tricks in School, Big Youth’s wailing Johnny Reggae and leaving all possible critics’ jaws in the dust, The Trojan’s exquisite production couching Cynthia Richards’ smoking "Aily I", or the Stax-influenced "Westbound Train", featuring Dennis Brown’s soulful vocals punctuated with jarring horns nearly worthy of Otis Redding.

The other tracks are a mixed bag. Some are good (The Stingers’ defensive "Rasta Stop No One", Lloyd Robinson’s "Fire, Fire"). Others will only be of interest to diehard collectors or the easily intrigued (Delroy Wilson and Bob Andy are well-respected veterans, but "Until It’s Done" comes dangerously close to bad plastic soul).

The real ace in this deck, however, is the stellar sound of the album. Producers often ruled the roost in reggae studios, with titans like Dodd and the Duke competing for artists and sales. Their time and effort were the blood and breath in these creations. This album brings the bumpy, rolling thunder percussions, the quick, exclaiming horns, and the halting, clicking guitars to soaring life again. These tunes sound much too contemporary to have been born in Jamaica thirty years ago! (For the record, both producers are great, but Dodd’s bold and adventurous beasts claw above the Duke’s polished yet safe productions on this disc.)

Never owned a reggae album before? Grab Bob Marley’s "Burnin’" or a Desmond Dekker collection. If, however, you have been enjoying this music for years, and especially if any of the producers’ names mentioned here send bells ringing like a morning alarm, you might want to grab this disc and enjoy a few new tasty tunes.

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I Man Bitter - Pluto
School - Prince Jazzbo
No Portion A Gal - Sang Hugh
Rasta Stop No One - The Stingers
Boogie Bump - Pluto
Everything I Own - Ken Boothe
Ram Goat Liver - Pluto
Hold My Hand - The Starlites
Fire, Fire - Lloyd Robinson
Country Living - Eagles
A-So - The Willows
Johnny Reggae - Big Youth
Aily I - Cynthia Richards
Second Chance - Ken Boothe
Until It's Done - Delroy Wilson
As Long As You Love Me - The Maytones
Rasta No Born Yah - Sang Hugh
Westbound Train - Dennis Brown
Silver Words - Ken Boothe
Have a Little Faith - Nicky Thomas