J IS FOR JAMAICA
Toots Hilbert & the Maytals are legendary. From being the first Jamaican musicians to present the word “reggae” to the international audience to being liked by Donald Trump when he appeared in SNL with the band—their history pretty much encapsulates the events of the second half of the 20th century, and steps into the 21st. They’re still going strong and touring the world, but sometimes it’s nice to look back where it all started, and listen to the seemingly simple but exquisite tracks that the band made back in the 70s and that plummeted it to worldwide fame. Funky Kingston from the same year is a more universally acknowledged album, and rightly so, but this album, of collected b-sides, singles and odds and ends has this incomparable tenderness, lo-fi passion. It drips sugarcane juice right into your ear, and good luck getting it out.
