Gregory Isaacs – Mr. Isaacs (LP)

This is the LP review, with very informative extended liner notes on the inner sleeve. Mr. Isaacs was recorded in 1976 at Channel 1 studios and produced by Ossie Hibbert, who issued a pre-release of the album under the name The Greatest. The whole set – mostly roots material – features Gregory Isaacs at the height of his considerable powers and illustrates perfectly why – along with Big Youth, Dennis Brown, Cornell Campbell and Johnnie Clarke – Isaacs ruled the Jamaican dancehall of the 1970s.
The album is widely regarded as one of Gregory’s all time best sets, offering six undiluted original roots and culture tunes as well as three covers. The backing is provided by The Soul Syndicate and The Revolutionaries. Gregory’s vocal delivery remains on par throughout the whole album, excelling on roots tunes such as the striking opening tune Sacrifice and Storm, a tune that has gone on to be versioned frequently over the years. Handcuff is one of his most brilliant cuts here with beautiful backing vocals by The Heptones. It tells about a herb arrest during the 1976 State of Emergency that the government announced after some 160 people had been killed in political violence since the beginning of the year.