Intensified cover
Released

This 1968 album doesn’t include all of Desmond Dekker’s biggest hits — “007 (Shantytown)” isn’t here, for example — but it does offer “It Mek,” “Rude Boy Train,” and the immortal “Israelites,” the song that catapulted Dekker to fame outside of Jamaica and brought international attention to themes of Rastafarian religious belief for the first time. The Aces’ tensile rock steady groove is fully on point throughout this album, and it’s an essential document of a very exciting time in the development of Jamaican music.

Rick Anderson

Suggestions
Cumbolo cover

Cumbolo

Culture
Sunshine Seas cover

Sunshine Seas

Cyro, New Zion
Let's Do Rock Steady cover

Let's Do Rock Steady

The Bodysnatchers
Travel With Love cover

Travel With Love

Justin Hinds & The Dominoes
Ska Crazy! cover

Ska Crazy!

Neville Staple
Lows & Highs cover

Lows & Highs

Creation Rebel
Duppy Writer cover

Duppy Writer

Wrongtom, Roots Manuva
Volume cover

Volume

Skindred