Review

Dreader than dread.
Producer Leonard Chin was another reggae notable fortunate in numbering Augustus Pablo among his collaborators. “Dreader than dread” might prove the best possible characterization for Santic’s diverse output. Rappers and DJs such as Jah Lloyd and the scathingly witty I-Roy are featured in this anthology, side by side with hit tunes from soulful Freddie McKay (“I’m A Free Man”) and Paul Whiteman, whose “I Don’t Want To Lose You” may have been the song that defined the Santic sound. That track featured Pablo’s melodica, as do several instrumentals credited here to the enigmatic keyboard genius.