Review

A snapshot of a genre in transition — and the man who helped it change.
Having spent many of his early years on the hardscrabble streets of West Kingston, it was more or less inevitable that Henry "Junjo" Lawes would eventually find himself making a crust as a political enforcer for Michael Manley's People's National Party. However in 1978, at the age of 18, this young man began to find some salvation in music.

Starting as a singer with the Grooving Locks, Lawes soon crossed over into the role of producer. His distinctive and infectious work quickly established him as the hottest name on the block, straddling the established spiritual sounds of roots reggae and dub and the "slack" sexuality of the emerging "ragamuffin" dancehall style. Releasing material on the island's Volcano label and the UK's Greensleeves imprint, Lawes racked up an impressive catalogue of hits between 1979 and 1983, including Eek-A-Mouse's "Wa Do Dem," Wailing Souls' "Firehouse Rock" and Michigan & Smiley's "Diseases."

This success coincided with the rise of the reggae 12-inch. Despite not proving popular in Jamaica itself, "discos," as they became known on the scene, were much in demand in the US and British markets for two reasons. In addition to the improvement in clarity and sonic depth afforded by the format, the extra playing time also provided scope for the kind of rhythmic experimentation heard here on such tracks as Barrington Levy's Prince Jammy-engineered "Look Youthman" and General Saint & Clint Eastwood's Scientist-helmed "Another One Bites The Dust."

Sadly, Lawes' time at the top ended around the time of Jammy's own digital dancehall revolution. Worse still, he never truly escaped the ghetto, being deported from New York in 1991 after serving a jail term, then tragically shot dead in Harlesden, in northwest London, in 1999. As such, this collection of extended edits is both compelling and evocative, showcasing a transitional moment in reggae history and one man's vital contribution to it.