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The Mighty Striker Shoots at Hits [Digipak]

Various Artists
1 disc

1. Jamaica - Honey Boy
2. Give Me Love - Cornel Campbell
3. I Don't Want to Be Left Outside (Original 12" Version) - Horace Andy (12" version)
4. Israelites Leave Babylon - Roy Shirley
5. Natty Roots Man - Barry Brown
6. Peace and Love in the Ghetto - Johnny Clarke (Extended Mix)
7. I'm Still in Love - Hortense Ellis
8. Keep on Running - Delroy Wilson
9. Maga Lion - Ronnie Davis
10. Sexy Sandy - Jackie Edwards
11. Love in My Heart - Leroy Smart (Extended Mix)
12. Lead Us Jah - Barry Brown
13. I'm Just a Man - Ronnie Davis
14. Riding for a Fall - Delroy Wilson
15. Henry - Jackie Edwards
16. Rockers for Me - Johnny Clarke
17. Rockers Don't Lead That Way - Ras Murray
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Additional Info

Manufacturer Part Number (MPN): 015
Credits

Producer Bunny Lee; Bunny "Striker" Lee
Engineer
Audio Remasterer: Moritz von Oswald.
Translator: Gareth Davies .
With the death of Joe Gibbs in early 2008, Bunny "Striker" Lee was left as one of a very small surviving handful of legendary first-generation reggae producers. His production career started just over forty years earlier, and while this fine 17-track retrospective doesn't go all the way back to those early rocksteady years, it does offer a fine overview of some of his best work during the roots era, gathering together recordings made between 1973 and 1979. Lee's stature during this period can be gauged in part by the quality and popularity of the singers who came to his studio: on this collection they include Horace Andy, Cornel Campbell, Delroy Wilson, and Leroy Smart, as well as a handful of lesser-known artists. There are one or two tracks whose inclusion is a little bit puzzling: Barry Brown's "Natty Roots Man" is a tedious one-chord exercise, and the lyrics to Johnny Clarke's "Rockers for Me" sound a bit like they were improvised in the studio. But most of what's included here is very good, in particular Horace Andy's brilliant "I Don't Want to Be Left Outside" (aka "Zion Gate," presented here in an excellent showcase version) and Clarke's optimistic rockers-style "Peace in the Ghetto." And Leroy Smart's "Love in My Heart" (also presented showcase-style, with a fine dub version appended) is a treat as well. Everything else varies from good to excellent. Highly recommended. ~ Rick Anderson