King of Ska [Secret] in Bloomington, MN

Desmond Dekker
was one of the first Jamaican singers to break rocksteady and reggae into the world market when "Israelites" became a surprise international pop hit in 1968, paving the way for other island stars like
Bob Marley
and
Jimmy Cliff
. This offhand and rather random single-disc collection includes two of
Dekker
's most enduring songs, "Israelites" and "007 (Shanty Town)," as well as lesser-known songs like "Rudy Got Soul," but it hardly does more than scratch the surface of
's catalog. ~ Steve Leggett