| · Q: Can aging music icons revitalize a fading reggae legend? A: Only if they smoke as much pot as Willie Nelson.
The reputation of Toots and the Maytals hasn’t been diminished by the passage of time, but the entire reggae genre has been flagging in popularity over the last decade. Recent visits to Calgary by dancehall greats like Burning Spear and George Clinton smack of padded retirement accounts, and this new compilation of questionable collaborations would seem to slide into the same category.
Everyone from Bonnie Raitt and Keith Richards to No Doubt have jumped on this 15-track bandwagon, covering classics like "Monkey Man" (which was retooled by The Specials way back in 1979) and "Pressure Drop" (previously immortalized by The Clash and here given a lacklustre treatment by Eric Clapton). Diluted hits courtesy of Shaggy and Trey Anastasio may not make this an album to remember, but what does endure is the cross-cultural tribute that is being paid to Toots Hibbert. What better stamp of approval could a reggae artist receive than to have their work reaffirmed by Bunny Wailer. The absolute highlight of this album sees Toots, Boots (Collins), and (The) Roots gel together for the colossal "Funky Kingston."
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