Desmond Dekker & the Specials - King of Ska [Varese] (CD)

All Music Guide

It looks from the track listing like a poorly compiled hits collection, but in actuality this is a new album featuring re- recordings of ten of Desmond Dekker's old classics. Ignoring the actual music for a moment, King Of Ska illustrates just how far the might have fallen (the Trojan label, not the singer). The three paragraphs which pass as liner notes are absolutely riddled with errors ("classic hits from the 1950s," being just one of the side-splitters), while a number of songs are hilariously mistitled ("Get Up Edina" is ludicrously turned into "Get Up A Diner"). How has the seminal British label fallen so low? There again, with an album like this, Dekker probably had it coming. At least he had the decency to avoid his best loved classics, but still, you can bet he's decimated at least one of your favorites here. Regardless of genre, virtually everything is arranged in a reggae-lite fashion, with the tedious guitar riff mixed to the fore. Occasionally a spark of life fires up, not...able on the aforementioned "Diner", which sports a joie de vivre which almost equals the original. "The More You Live" survives for the same reason, and is a potent reminder of Dekker's indisputable vocal talent. The problem lies less with the vocalist than with the soul- less arrangements and yawn-inducing production (Dekker shares the blame here with co-producer Leon D. Williams) But it's evident that little thought went into this album by any of the parties involved. Its a senseless release, considering the availability of the original versions. Such a wonderful voice, such a waste. - Jo-Ann Greene, All Music Guide Read more Less