Jackson Lovers

There is no reggae tradition more venerable than that of taking American soul and R&B hits and giving them the Jamaican treatment -- in fact, reggae emerged from just that practice, as Jamaican artists imitated American ones in the 1950s and 1960s and gradually found a style of their own that incorporated R&B, mento, and calypso elements. So what might look on the surface like a purely opportunistic money move in the wake of Michael Jackson's tragic death is in fact something a bit more complex -- and besides, these songs were not recorded quickly in order to catch the wave of renewed interest in Jackson's work, but actually date back to 2008, and while a few of the featured tracks seem less than fully developed, many are excellent. The album's theme isn't entirely appropriate: although many of the featured songs are romantic fare that fit well into "lovers rock" arrangements ("Human Nature," "You Are Not Alone," "The Girl Is Mine"), others feature both rhythms and lyrical themes that are entirely unsuited to that reggae subgenre: the world did not need a smooth lovers version of either "Thriller" or "Don't Stop `Til You Get Enough," for example. There are also several moments on this disc when most listeners are likely to be forcefully reminded of what a really amazing singer Jackson himself was: Tarrus Riley's version of "Human Nature" is fine, but he never approaches Jackson's vocal brilliance; on the other hand, Lukie D and Tony Curtis do manage to make "The Girl Is Mine" their own, and Nicky Tucker's straight reggae version of "Man in the Mirror" is excellent as well. The most heartbreaking inclusion is the bonus track, a 1980s-vintage recording of "Never Can Say Goodbye" by the late Dennis Brown. Everything here is worth hearing, and some of it is brilliant. ~ Rick Anderson