Soon Forward (African Museum, 1979)

A good set from Gregory Isaacs from a time when he was nearing the height of both his creative output and popularity.  The title track, of course, is an instant classic, from its bumping bass line to its inspired melody.  But "Soon Forward" doesn't carry this album.  Also strong are "Lonely Girl," the evocative "Slave Market," and "Universal Tribulation."  "Mr. Brown" is a favorite among many fans, but I find it merely OK.  Much more fresh to me is "Down the Line," probably the best track here after "Soon Forward."  Unlike many of Isaacs' later hits, many of the songs here are not love songs, but rather have a socio-political slant -- not militant, but probably as militant a sound as the "Cool Ruler" can achieve.  I don't know if I have a bad copy (Indeed, the packaging is a step above bootleg.), but the sound on these songs is pretty lousy.  At times, the sound is so warped, it's like Isaacs is singing underwater.  While you can't camouflage the genius of these tunes, it is somewhat distracting and detracting.

More Gregory (Island, 1981)

Although Gregory Isaacs had yet to reach his artistic peak for any one album (He would do it the following year on Night Nurse.), his sound had attained its classic level by the time More Gregory was released.  His smooth vocals and the lush lovers rhythms contained within this set are nothing short of gorgeous.  The only real difference between More Gregory and Night Nurse is that the songs on the former simply aren't as consistently well-written as those on the latter.   Nevertheless, More Gregory has 4 of Isaacs' all-time great tunes on it: "My Only Lover," "Hush Darling," "Once Ago," and "Confirm Reservation," all -- but especially the latter -- foreshadowing the sultry masterpiece to come, "Night Nurse."  The writing is top-notch, and the melodies and music are both romantic and sexy, proving Isaacs' worth as the "Cool Ruler."

Night Nurse (Island, 1982)

Gregory Isaacs' best studio album, Night Nurse is a short but sweet masterpiece.  No doubt you have heard the title cut in one form or another, and if you haven't -- shame on you!  Beautiful, haunting, sexy, and romantic all at once, this song never gets old -- witness it's many reincarnations (some, like Freddie McGregor's version on Carry Go Bring Come and Cottonbelly's remix on Dubmission 2, are better than others, like Lady Saw's "Night Nurse '96.").  The rest of this album has a similarly mellow air, appropriate since Gregory Isaacs is the "Cool Ruler."  Every track is tight, particularly "Material Man," "Not the Way," and "Stranger in Town."  Perhaps the best of the bunch, though -- challenging even "Night Nurse" (blasphemer!) -- is the supple, absolutely gorgeous "Objection Overuled."  Barry White has nothing on this.

Out Deh! (Island, 1983)

A sub-par effort in comparison to Night Nurse, but not a bad album in and of itself.  Like Night Nurse, Out Deh! is short, and it also contains a slow, sultry song very reminiscent of "Night Nurse," "Private Secretary."  But overall, what "Private Secretary" is to "Night Nurse" is what Out Deh! is to Night Nurse: a relatively shallow imitation.  Actually, the first half of this album does hold its own, with the sexy "Private Secretary" and the strong "Good Morning" and "Sheila."  However, the second half features a bland shell of what we were treated to on Isaacs' last album.  Absent are the magical melodies, vocals, and music, leaving behind a fairly generic sound.  Still, generic for Isaacs is still better than a lot of stuff out deh.

Mr. Isaacs (Shanachie, 1988 [orig. released 1977])

A decent set of old '70s tunes from Isaacs, some of which have become mild favorites, few of which will set your pants on fire (whatever that means).  The 4 here that are favorites in some fans' eyes are "Sacrifice," "Storm," "Smile," and "Slavemaster," the latter being the strongest.  My favorite, though, is probably the emotional "Story Book Children," with its captivating chorus, "Why can't we be like story book children?"  In addition, a remake of The Four Tops' "Get Ready" is not nearly as awful as it would seem.  Like Soon Forward, Mr. Isaacs focuses more on social issues than on love songs, though Isaacs still maintains his cool, laid-back demeanor.   His mellow tone, however, is perhaps his undoing on this album, for the music and melodies are so cool and laid-back, they're almost non-existent.

Sly & Robbie Present Gregory Isaacs (RAS, 1988)

It's rather annoying that the packaging of this album is such that you cannot see the track listing without opening it up (i.e., buying it).  Perhaps that was intentional on RAS' part, since there are only 7 songs here (although most include extended instrumental versions).  While that wouldn't necessarily stop many fans from buying this album, what should prevent them is the fact that most of the cuts on Sly & Robbie Present Gregory Isaacs are listless and run-of-the-mill.  All but one are old '70s tunes, early Isaacs songs produced by the "Riddim Twins," the most well-known being "Soon Forward."  It's nice to get a crisp, clear extended version of this classic tune, allowing the rocking reggae vibes to take full effect.   It's probably just a coincidence, but some of the tracks here have titles similar to other Isaacs songs: "Slave Driver" should not be confused with the superior "Slave Master," and "Motherless Children" should not be confused with the superior "Storybook Children" (both on Mr. Isaacs).  "I'm Coming Home" likewise shouldn't be mistaken for the classic "Coming Home," though the former -- with its sexy, cool lovers rhythm -- is the second-best song on Sly & Robbie Present Gregory Isaacs after "Soon Forward."   Unfortunately, those are the only two cuts that are good enough to warrant having the names Sly, Robbie, and Isaacs attached to them.

Private Beach Party (RAS, 1988)

Private Beach Party is easily one of Isaacs' best albums of the last 15 years of the 20th century, a time period when the quality of his output sank while the quantity strangely rose.  A large part of his decline had to do with the decaying nature of his voice (some say due to cocaine).  Although it's not bad on this album, his vocals are distinctly sharper than on his earlier material, and they would only get harsher and more painful to hear as time went on.  On top of that, like the Will Rogers of reggae, he seemed to not meet a song he didn't like and started cranking out album after album (granted, a lot of releases are repackages of older material), guaranteeing a lot of weak tunes.  Many such songs suffered from a problem Isaacs has always seemed to have: occasionally (and more often recently) his melodies are so subtle, they cease to exist.  Thus, he sounds like he's just rambling, making stuff up as he goes.   This is especially awful with his recently scraggly voice, as he sounds like a homeless person mumbling for spare change.  That said, Private Beach Party is significantly better than most of the stuff he put out during this time because, unlike the popular Red Rose For Gregory, it simply has good songs.  The 3 tracks that are particularly strong are the funky, sexy "Feeling Irie," "Let Off Supm," and the lush, horny (full of horns, that is) "Better Plant Some Loving."  "No Rushing," "Promise Is a Comfort," and the title cut are also good, as Isaacs shows that he can still put it all together, even as late as 1988.

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Willow Tree (Jamaican Gold, 1991)

This is a magnificent collection of some of Gregory Isaacs' greatest hits from the mid-'70s that contains little filler and cuts to the chase with 10 great tracks that show why he is the "Cool Ruler."  His powerful appeal is apparent in the opening two tracks, "Willow Tree" and "Breaking Up."  That he can cover two classics from the legendary Alton Ellis and make his versions possibly ever more well-known and better is a testament to Isaacs' greatness.  Aside from these two, my favorites here are the luscious, Latin-esque "If You Feeling Hot, I Will Cool You" and the extended mix of "My Number One," featuring DJ Trinity.   But all of the tracks are great -- only "Happiness" and "No Speech, No Language" are just OK -- making Willow Tree about as efficient a Gregory Isaacs greatest hits collection as you can find.

Best of Volumes One and Two (Heartbeat, 1992)

This is a nice idea for an album, packaging together the two Best of Gregory Isaacs sets put out by Alvin Ranglin's GG label in the late '70s and early '80s.  The first half of this 20-track collection contains the same classic songs found on Willow Tree re-working of the first Best of album.  The second half, however, is noticeably weaker.  Volume two was perhaps produced to capitalize on Isaacs' blooming popularity, for he had already begun to release music for larger international labels.   Whatever the reason, though it faithfully maintains the overall sound of the first set of tunes, the second half simply has few songs that are as well-written.  Only "A Riot," "Once Ago," and "Border" -- whose lyrics display social commentary conspicuously more prevalent here than on the first volume -- come close to that standard.  "Border" was a hit, but I actually prefer the live version, available on his Reggae Greats album and Reggae Refreshers Volume 2, with the crowd chanting the chorus in unison to goosepimply effect.

Volume 1:

Volume 2:

Volumes 1 & 2:

Lonely Lover (Rhino UK, 1994)

The tunes gathered on Lonely Lover are nice examples of Isaacs' classic pre-laryngitis (or whatever his problem is) '70s sound: smooth, cool, troubled, lonely, horny.  Some of these songs -- like "Sinner Man," "Coming Home," the poignant "Way of Life" -- are more well-known than others (and more readily available than others), but all are solid.  "Since the Other Day," for instance, features a superb bluesy guitar, while "Hold Me Tight" is a masterful sparsely-vocaled, piano-driven re-working of the standard recorded previously by Anne Murray (yes, Anne Murray), among others.  A similar piano-dominated dub-like remake of Jimmy Cliff's "Hard Road to Travel" is included, but "Hold Me Tight" is the jewel of this crown.

Looking Back (RAS, 1996)

A supremely enjoyable grouping of songs from Isaacs' '70s heyday, this album collects a good number of relatively hard-to-find hits -- ones that aren't always included among his staples, yet that are as good as anything he's ever done.  Looking Back is filled with strong melodies that echo reggae's roots (partially, at least) in '60s R&B music.  Indeed, many of these tracks are adapted, and Isaacs pulls the most out of them by selecting songs well-suited to his smooth lovers style.  Just about every song here is good, and many are excellent, my favorites being "Way of Life," the sultry "Promise Me," the funky organ-ed "Write Myself a Letter," and the gorgeous, heartbreaking "Lonely Soldier."

Sinner Man (Snapper, 1998)

This far-reaching two-CD set covers most of the extensive career of the magnificent Gregory Isaacs.  Included are some of his rare early works, before he was known as "Cool Ruler" or "Lonely Lover" or even Gregory Isaacs: "Don't Let Me Suffer" was recorded in the late '60s with the group The Concords, while 1970's "Each Day" was released under the name Joel Marvin.  These tracks have a rock steady vibe unlike the cool, relaxed lovers rock for which he would later be known.   Beyond a novelty appeal, however, these early tunes don't carry much of an impact.   Much better are the more well-known hits, such as "Loving Pauper," "Coming Home," "Way of Life," "Since the Other Day," "Never Be Ungrateful" (AKA "Promise Me"), and the title track.   Unfortunately, since this collection covers much of Isaacs' career, it also contains some of his less-than-stellar latter-day tunes, which, as the liner notes politely state, "illustrate how Gregory's voice and delivery has changed over the years."  Indeed.  Trimming this collection down to a 15-track CD instead of two would be both easy and preferable.  As this collection stands, the image of Isaacs' career is diminished somewhat by the inclusion of the inferior material.  And most of the songs on Sinner Man that are good can easily be found elsewhere (Lord knows there are enough Gregory Isaacs albums out there.).

The Best of Reggae Live (Gator, 2001)

I have never been a big fan of live albums, reggae or otherwise (so if you are, go ahead and add a point to whatever rating I give any live album).  I mean, why would I choose sound and vocals that are of inferior quality to the polished studio versions of the same songs (Marvin Gaye's "Distant Lover" not withstanding)?  Well, although this album didn't change my taste, I must admit that the sound here is excellent, and although it's not included here, Gregory Isaacs has in the past provided one of the best examples of the positive impact of a live recording in his live version of "Border" (available on the compilation Reggae Refreshers Volume 2).  On that tune, the impact of the crowd singing along on the chorus provides an ethereal high.  There is nothing quite so evocative on The Best of Reggae Live, but you do get classics like "Soon Forward," "Night Nurse," "Stranger in Town," and "Private Secretary."  "Mr. Brown," "Top Ten," "Red Rose for Gregory," and "Tune In" are also popular, but I'm not a big fan of the originals, so the live versions didn't move me a whole lot.  There are a good number of cuts here, but most of them are little more than two minutes long, so overall the album isn't a lengthy one.  Still, you get more of the staple songs fans want to hear here than on Dennis Browns' The Best of Reggae Live.

Ultimate Collection (Hip-O, 2001)

Perhaps the most comprehensive overview to date of Gregory Isaacs' hits, Ultimate Collection contains most of the songs for which he is most known (Of course, you can always add more, like "Soon Forward," "Mr. Brown," and "Willow Tree.").  The tracks here range from some of Isaacs' earliest hits, like 1974's "Love Is Overdue," to some of his later ones, like the '88 digital smash "Rumours" (Unfortunately, he's released little noteworthy since '88, although he had minor success with tunes like "Lead Me," "Body Language," and "Mind Yu Dis.").  The great majority of the work, though, is from his "Golden Age" of the 1976 to 1983, plucking tunes largely from the albums Mr. Isaacs, More Gregory, Out Deh!, and Night Nurse and featuring producers like Alvin Ranglin, Niney the Observor, Sly & Robbie, and even Lee "Scratch" Perry, with notable backing by Roots Radics and Soul Syndicate.  The great tracks are too numerous to mention, but my personal favorites include "Night Nurse," "My Number One," "Confirm Reservation," "The Border," and "Good Morning."  On Ultimate Collection, you get the full range of Gregory Isaacs, from smooth lover man to socially conscious everyman yearning for a better life -- each performed in his inimitable "cool" style (although he may occasionally sound like he has a clothes pin on his nose).  This album isn't quite perfect, but it's as close to an ultimate Gregory Isaacs collection as you're gonna find today.   

Mr. Isaacs (Blood & Fire) (Blood & Fire, 2001)

*GUEST REVIEW*
Mr. Isaacs, as reissued by Blood and Fire, is an Ossie Hibbert-produced album dating from 1977. It's Gregory's fourth album and now comes attached with four bonus tracks. Apart from a few covers such as "Get Ready" by The Temptations, it's essentially a ghetto roots album. This is a reasonable vocal reggae album, but it's a little lacking in the hook department for the first four tracks. "Slavemaster" has the best riddim, but the best vocal is left to the toasts of Dillinger on the "Slavemaster" dub. He manages to capture and retain listener interest more than Isaacs. Other highlights include the subtle but effective "Set The Captives Free" and bonus track "Mr Brown."

- ragudave

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All I have Is Love: Anthology 1968 to 1995 (Trojan, 2001)

*GUEST REVIEW*
Anthologies, or "best of" collections, can have something unnecessary, in particular for the fans of an artist who has most of everything of the artist anyway. I did not have this, however, with this anthology of the legendary Gregory Isaacs. I must state that while I would call myself a reggae -- especially roots reggae -- fan, and there are reggae artists of which I (strive to) have all I can, Gregory Isaacs is not one of them. I like him and his music overall, but just less than other reggae artists. I know or have some albums of him and went through periods of listening to Isaacs more, but the lovers rock influence, in my opinion, is at times bland music or mediocre songs, and maybe his voice (even before its later deterioration) did not catch me as much as, say, The Wailing Souls, Culture, or The Mighty Diamonds. I opine, however, that Isaacs made some great, even classic songs ("Too Late," "Poor and Clean," and "Material Man" come to mind.), and some very good albums. This anthology is more or less chronological, and is as far I can tell a good selection of his songs from his earliest recording, the nice early reggae "Another Heartache" in 1968, to the 1990s, varying from a lovers rock to a roots sound. The strong emphasis is on the 1970s, with only a few songs from earlier or later decades. Listening to song after song made me understand more and more the specific appeal of Isaacs, and his own, distinct style, as part of which the lyrics are important: the "lonely lover" concept. A lonely man trying to get by in a cruel world, with only love and Jah as support. There are good songs, also several I did not know, showing songwriting talent and good singing and music. "Look Before You Leap," "Way of Life," "Reasoning With the Almighty," and "Promised Land" especially stand out, while the second CD of later tracks (overall a bit less of quality in my opinion than the first CD) has great, classic songs with "Thief a Man," "Slave Master," and several other good and nice ones, which further show an interesting change in style with time. Not all obvious choices, but that can relate to the Trojan catalog. I'm glad I got to know some of these songs.

- Michel Conci

Open the Door (RAS, 2004)

It would be an understatement to say that Gregory Isaacs' vocal capacity has declined over the years, and some might have feared that this was a death knoll for his career (I can't say that I wasn’t necessarily one of them), but what Isaacs lacks in vocal dexterity he has more than made up for in resilience.  While his '90s works were hit-or-miss affairs (which tends to happen when you release, like, 200 albums in a decade), Open the Door presents a 21st century Isaacs, re-invigorated and inspiring memories of his past greatness.  A good deal of the credit has to go to producers Mafia and Fluxy, who craft lush lovers riddims and even a few more edgy, more rootsy numbers, which seem to inspire Isaacs to come up with even catchier melodies.  The album starts off a bit slow and will require a little patience from listeners -- although it does contain solid lovers tracks like "Forgive Me" and "Have I Sinned" (not a remake of the Donnie Elbert R&B classic covered by the likes of Ken Boothe, Lloyd Charmers (see History of Trojan Volume 2), and Mary Ann (Strictly the Best Volume 6) -- although it's similar), the latter a sterling example of how Mafia and Fluxy's infectious music -- inventively playing modern digital blips off of the traditional sound of a wedding bell -- elevates an otherwise standard track.  Around the half-way point of Open the Door, Isaacs' songwriting catches up to the producers' sterling work: "Never Knew Love" is immediately engaging and melodic, a remake of his own classic "Promise Me" (see Looking Back) benefits from a wicked new rhythm, while "Down the Line," "Josephine," and "Sametime" all recall the best works of Isaacs' '70s and '80s heyday.  Smartly, dubs of these appealing final 3 cuts are included, "Sametime Dub" in particular proving to be a punishing feast for bass lovers.  All in all, while Isaacs' releases have been spotty over the past few years, Open the Door is more than a safe choice for fans -- it's perhaps his best studio album in almost a decade.

Gregory Isaacs Sings Dennis Brown (RAS/Sanctuary, 2004)

Following Dennis Brown's 2003 posthumous compilation Dennis Brown Sings Gregory Isaacs, the vice versa album was a logical follow-up.  A touching display of the pair's enduing friendship, Gregory Isaacs Sings Dennis Brown presents an immaculately chosen range of songs to represent the Crown Prince of Reggae's career.  Isaacs, though his vocal capacity has diminished over the years, showed earlier in 2004 on Open the Door that he can still carry an album.  However, comparing his voice now to that of Brown when he sang these songs in his heyday, the difference is painfully obvious.  Isaacs's versions are listenable, but if you're familiar with Brown's, you probably won't want to listen to them more than once or twice.  Beyond the vocals, the music is a solid blend of roots and lovers rock, although it may at times be a bit too faithful to the originals.  Tracks like "West Bound Train", "Love Has Found a Way", "How Could I Leave", "Cassandra", and "If I Had the World", for instance, add little musically to the Brown versions.  Still, for fans of both singers, curiosity alone provides good enough reason to check this album out.  And if you're not familiar with these tunes, this album is still good enough to turn you on to the genius of Dennis Brown.

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Live in San Francisco (2B1, 2006 [orig. released 2003])

A casual glance at the track listing of this concert album can be deceiving. Only 11 tracks from an artist with as much material as Gregory Isaacs? Well, technically yes, but if you look closely, most of them are medleys of two, three, four, even five songs wrapped into one, so actually he covers 24 songs in these 11 tracks. From what I can tell, this set was recorded way back in 1987(!), so there's nothing here later than his Red Rose for Gregory album...but since he hasn't really had any hits since then, who cares? The song choice is excellent, delivering most of what fans would long to hear live (Of course, you'd need a double live album to even approach a comprehensive coverage of his career.). Just look at track #1 and tell me that isn't a good time waiting to happen right there: "Number One," "Stranger in Town," "Tune In," "Soon Forward," and "Private Beach Party"? Awesome stuff. Sure, it would be great to hear the entire songs, but given the time constraints of concerts, I'm sure you'll agree that medleys are better than omissions. I particularly enjoy the mix of "Night Nurse" and "Private Secretary," two sultry lovers rock tunes that I've always felt belong together...in a ménage a trois? Another interesting selection is Isaacs' cover of Beres Hammond's "Tempted to Touch," a surprising treat. Diehard fans will no doubt wish this album included hits like "Top Ten," "Willow Tree," "Sad to Know You're Leaving," or "Mr. Brown," but hey, next time go to the concert and yell it out, "Freebird"-style, and maybe you'll get your wish.