One of the most
important performers in the history and development of modern reggae, Burning
Spear (real name, Winston Rodney) entered the scene with a huge splash. His first,
hugely influential recordings are compiled on Rockin' Time on Studio One,
and he followed these with Marcus Garvey, one of the great reggae albums
of all time. The original CD reissue of Garvey appended the entire dub
version, Garvey's
Ghost; Rockin' Time, though, is sadly out-of-print. The Spear went
on to cut many, many albums and was a pioneer in both dub and the "rockers" style. Chant
Down Babylon: The Island Anthology was the first package to cover the Spear's
whole career, compiling a multitude of great tracks on two CD's, including rare
dub versions; Hip-O's Ultimate Collection is a more concise - though
excellent - single-disc version of the same material.