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"Live at Stubb's: Austin, TX 2/19/05 [Digipak]" (08/23/2005) Reggae Matisyahu, Epic Records (USA)This is an Enhanced CD, which contains both regular audio tracks and multimedia computer files. Personnel: Matisyahu (rap vocals); Aaron Dugan (guitar); Josh Werner (bass guitar); Jonah David (drums); Yoni. Recording information: Stubbs Bar-B-Q, Austin, Texas (02/19/2005). A musical and religious anomaly, Matisyahu (born Matthew Miller) channels his Hasidic Jewish beliefs into deft lyrics unleashed in a surprisingly fierce and proficient raggamuffin style and supported by strong reggae grooves. Here Matisyahu presents his divinely inspired songs live, recorded at 2005's SXSW music festivals, backed by a tight band that is capable of navigating dreamy dub passages ("Fire and Heights") and careening through energetic funk-rock ("Chop 'Em Down").

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"Best of Reggae Hip Hop Remixes" (09/30/2003) Reggae Various Artists, Lightyear

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"Real Sex 2000" (05/23/2005) Reggae Various Artists, VP RecordsThis is a continuous in-the-mix CD compiled and mixed by DJ Richard "Shams" Browne.

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"Ragga Nacion [Edited]" (10/12/2004) Reggae Various Artists, Universal Music Latino

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"Up 2 di Time" (09/14/2004) Reggae Vybz Kartel, Greensleeves Records

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"Songs of Freedom [Box]" (11/16/1999) Reggae Marley, Bob, Island Records (USA)Personnel includes: Bob Marley (vocals, guitar); Aston Barrett (guitar, bass); Earl "Chinna" Smith (guitar); Dean Fraser, Tommy McCook (saxophone); Rita Marley, Peter Tosh, Judy Mowatt, Marcia Griffiths (background vocals). Producers include: Leslie Kong, Clement Dodd, The Wailers, Johnny Nash, Lee "Scratch" Perry. Engineers include: Lee Perry, Carlton Lee, Alex Sadkin. Includes liner notes by Rob Partridge, Rita Marley, Derrick Morgan, John "Rabbit" Bundrick and Timothy White. During his all-too brief life, Bob Marley established himself as one of the giants of modern music; he stands on par with the likes of Miles Davis and Bob Dylan, performers who took established musical forms and revolutionized them, who continually evolved their vision throughout their careers. From his first single, the bouncy "Judge Not," through a loose, live rendition of the haunting "Redemption Song" performed at his last stage appearance, SONGS OF FREEDOM documents Bob Marley's musical legacy better than any previous compilation, and probably, better than any likely to come. Marley was at his peak at the time of his death in 1981, meaning there is no filler or weak material here, only four solid discs of great songs. His philosophical evolution is easily seen: listen to a rude-boy anthem, like the early hit "Simmer Down," next to a later exploration of Rastafarianism, such as "Crazy Baldheads," and eventual statements of pan-Africanism in songs like "Zimbabwe" and "Africa Unite." Musically, Marley's music expanded just as far. He utilizes Stylistics-like harmonies on "High Tide Or Low Tide," incorporates early-80's R&B into the sound of "Could You Be Loved," and even throws a basic blues shuffle into the alternate mix of "Three Little Birds." SONGS OF FREEDOM is exhaustive and beautifully packaged. It is loaded with previously unreleased material, songs from the Ska years, the late-60's Lee Perry productions, and all of the highlights of the Island years. There are extended versions of famous singles like "Exodus" and "Jammin'" so that we can hear dub aspects of the music that only Jamaicans and hardcore fans were previously aware of. Outside Jamaica, reggae begins and ends with Bob Marley. SONGS OF FREEDOM goes a long way to explain why.

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"Dutty Rock [Edited]" (09/02/2003) Reggae Paul, Sean (Reggae), Atlantic (USA)Personnel includes: Sean Paul, Beyonce (vocals); Rahzel, Chico, Sasha, Debbie Nova, Ce'cile, Busta Rhymes, Fahrenheit, Tony Touch, R.O.B.B. (rap vocals); Mark Ronson (various instruments). Producers include: The Beat People, Troyton, The Neptunes, Scott Storch, Delroy Foster. DUTTY ROCK won the 2004 Grammy Award for Best Reggae Album. Sean Paul was nominated for Best New Artist. "Get Busy" was nominated for Best Male Rap Solo Performance. Though he'd released successful singles earlier, Jamaican toaster Sean Paul became a full-blown international dancehall reggae sensation with his 2000 full-length debut STAGE ONE. Picking up where that album left off, DUTTY ROCK dips into hip-hop production techniques in addition to the usual dancehall tricks, providing a unique framework for Sean's visceral, rapid-fire raps. Amid all the modern production, "I'm Still in Love with You" (not the Al Green tune) finds SP dipping into the roots-reggae trickbag, with vocal assistance from Sasha. And unlike some of his contemporaries, he's not without a sense of humor. The introductory skit, which finds him hilariously at odds with an inept heavy metal backing band, posits Sean Paul as the Stan Freberg (ask your grandparents) of dancehall.

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"The Reggae Box: The Routes of Jamaican Music [Box]" (11/13/2001) Reggae Various Artists, Hip-O RecordsRecorded between 1962 and 2000. Includes liner notes by David Katz and Dana G. Smart. Digitally remastered by Gavin Lurssen (The Mastering Lab, Hollywood, California).

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"Catch a Fire [Remaster]" (06/12/2001) Reggae Marley, Bob, Island Records (USA)Bob Marley & The Wailers: Bob Marley (vocals, acoustic guitar); Peter McIntosh (guitar, piano, organ, background vocals); Aston Barrett (bass instrument); Carlton Barrett (drums); Bunny Livingston (congas, bongos, background vocals). Additional personnel: Wayne Perkins (guitar); John Bundrick (Clavinet, organ, synthesizer); Tyrone Downie (organ); Robbie Shakespeare (bass instrument); Winston Wright, Chris Karen, Francisco Willie Pep (percussion); Marcia Griffiths, Rita Marley (background vocals). Recording information: Dynamic Sound Studio, Kingston, Jamaica; Harry J. Studios, Kingston, Jamaica; Randy's Studio 17, Kingston, Jamaica; Island Studios, London, England. It is nearly impossible to imagine a time when reggae was not part of the cultural currency. Though Bob Marley and the Wailers cannot be said to have invented the style, they certainly brought it to the world stage, and this album was the torch that lit the way. CATCH A FIRE hit with the force of a revelation when it was released in 1973, and though Chris Blackwell tailored its sound with a rock audience in mind, the album was still unlike anything that had ever come down the pike. Ironically, even given its relatively full production and electric guitar solos, CATCH A FIRE sounds more organic and rootsy than any of the Wailers' subsequent releases. While the percolating rhythms and burbling bass lines of the Barrett brothers, and the sweet, impeccable harmonies of Peter Tosh and Bunny Wailer soothe and move, CATCH A FIRE also introduces the conscious, politically minded themes that would remain at the center of Marley's songwriting for the rest of his career. "Concrete Jungle," one of the towering standout tracks, addresses the trap of inner cities, while "Slave Driver" and "400 Years" take on racial/historical issues. Yet Marley's penchant for gorgeous love songs is evident here too on his all-time classic "Stir It Up." Even after everything that followed, and the cult of idolatry that formed around Marley, this remains soulful, message-driven music that goes straight to the blood. Utterly essential.

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"Reggae Hits Vol. 31" (12/03/2002) Reggae Various Artists, Jet Star (USA)

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"Timeless Classics" (04/13/2007) Reggae Marley, Bob, St. Clair

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"Beat This! The Best of the English Beat *" (09/11/2001) Reggae English Beat, London/SireThis is a Hyper CD, which contains regular audio tracks and also provides a link to the artist's website with the help of a web browser. English Beat: Dave Wakeling (vocals, guitar); Rankin' Roger (vocals); Andy Cox (guitar); Saxa (saxophone); Dave Steele (bass); Everett Morton (drums). Includes liner notes by Malu Halasa. All tracks have been digitally remastered. A key element of the late-1970s/early-'80s UK ska revival, the English Beat nevertheless always had more pop smarts and a wider stylistic palette than compatriots like the Specials and the Selecter. As BEAT THIS! THE BEST OF THE ENGLISH BEAT makes clear, ska wound up being just one color in the band's musical paint box. Early on, the Beat showed a knack for re-imagining '60s pop tunes in patented two-tone style (Smokey Robinson's "Tears of a Clown," Andy Williams's "Can't Get Used to Losing You"). "Click Click" reveals the influence of punk, while "Doors of Your Heart" shows the group's skill with a straight reggae groove. The Motown-flavored chug of "Sole Salvation" and the jangly pop of "Save It for Later" show how the band was maturing towards the end of their tether, Dave Wakeling's lyrics growing ever more literate and Elvis Costello-esque as the music expanded. Unfortunately, though, the Beat eventually had to die so that offshoots General Public and Fine Young Cannibals might live. Lucky for us, we have BEAT THIS! as a memento of the English Beat's glory days.

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"Dutty Rock [PA]" (09/02/2003) Reggae Paul, Sean (Reggae), Atlantic (USA)Personnel includes: Sean Paul, Beyonce (vocals); Rahzel, Chico, Sasha, Debbie Nova, Ce'cile, Busta Rhymes, Fahrenheit, Tony Touch, R.O.B.B. (rap vocals); Mark Ronson (various instruments). Producers include: The Beat People, Troyton, The Neptunes, Scott Storch, Delroy Foster. DUTTY ROCK won the 2004 Grammy Award for Best Reggae Album. Sean Paul was nominated for Best New Artist. "Get Busy" was nominated for Best Male Rap Solo Performance. Though he'd released successful singles earlier, Jamaican toaster Sean Paul became a full-blown international dancehall reggae sensation with his 2000 full-length debut STAGE ONE. Picking up where that album left off, DUTTY ROCK dips into hip-hop production techniques in addition to the usual dancehall tricks, providing a unique framework for Sean's visceral, rapid-fire raps. Amid all the modern production, "I'm Still in Love with You" (not the Al Green tune) finds SP dipping into the roots-reggae trickbag, with vocal assistance from Sasha. And unlike some of his contemporaries, he's not without a sense of humor. The introductory skit, which finds him hilariously at odds with an inept heavy metal backing band, posits Sean Paul as the Stan Freberg (ask your grandparents) of dancehall.

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"Real & Personal *" (03/14/2006) Reggae Papa San, Gospocentric RecordsPersonnel include: Papa San (vocals); Paul Richards (bass guitar); Fiona Robinson (background vocals).

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"Irie Reggae Hits: Best of Dancehall" (05/23/2006) Reggae Various Artists, Time/Life Music

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"The Other Side" (01/13/2004) Reggae Dube, Lucky, HeartbeatPersonnel: Lucky Dube (vocals, keyboards); Skipha Shabalala (guitar); Richard Sekgobela, Thutukani Cele (keyboards); Isaac Toto Molantoa (bass); Isaac Mtshali, Vusi Khumalo (drums); Doods Molefi, Andile Nqubezelo (percussion); Marilyn Nokwe, Stella Khumalo (background vocals).

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"Riddim Driven: Nine Night" (05/23/2005) Reggae Various Artists, VP Records