Down in Jamaica: 40 Years of VP Records

Jamaican record producer Vincent Chin began in the jukebox trade, establishing the iconic Randy's Records shop at 17 North Parade in downtown Kingston during the 1960s, which was run by his wife, Patricia. An upstairs recording studio was in operation from 1968, being home to a landmark Wailers recording produced by Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry, as well as Augustus Pablo's influential debut L P, but turbulent local politics forced a move to New York in the mid-1970s, leading to the launch of VP Records, currently one of the world's largest distributors of Jamaican music.

This attractive box set collects 82 tracks over four CDs, profiling the evolution of Jamaican music during the last 40-something years, bolstered by four 12-inch EPs and four seven-inch singles, as well as a large-format booklet detailing the company's history. Disc one is pure pleasure with late-roots nuggets by Dennis Brown, Gregory Isaacs and Johnny Clarke, as well as proto-dancehall material from Barrington Levy, Frankie Paul and Don Carlos. Disc two highlights tough 1980s dancehall from Half Pint and Cocoa Tea, plus early 90s consciousness from Garnet Silk. Disc three strides closer to the new millennium with Morgan Heritage, Luciano and Junior Kelly, plus hardcore detours from Elephant Man and Lady Saw, while disc four closes things of with quality new roots from Tarrus Riley and Duane Stephenson, alongside pop reggae from Sean Paul, Maxi Priest and Christopher Martin. The 12-inch reissues are super fine, with Errol Holt's ‘Heart in Danger’ and Freddie McKey's ‘Lonely Man’ truly outstanding. And the seven-inches are equally great, with The Congos' Black Ark classic ‘Fisherman’ appearing with a special dub mix.

The material collected here will bring back many great musical memories for reggae devotees and there is plenty to discover for novices and enthusiasts alike, rendering the whole package highly recommended.