Don Letts presents 'Dread Meets Greensleeves: A Westside Revolution' (Greensleeves) Released 06/10/08

His day job might be a filmmaker (check out the excellent Clash doc ‘Westway to the World’ or the great Gil Scott-Heron biog ‘The Revolution Will Not Be Televised’), but Don Letts is also an expert compiler of mixtape CDs. Now, joining earlier trawls through reggae and hip hop history, Letts has been let loose in the archives of the mighty UK label Greensleeves to mark the 30th anniversary of the indie reggae giant.

Unsurprisingly for anyone familiar with ‘Dread Meets Rockers Uptown’ or ‘The Mighty Trojan Sound’, Letts’ previous treks through the reggae back catalogue, ‘Dread Meets Greensleeves’ is filled to the brim with top-notch riddims. This Greensleeves comp lands with a distinct difference from most reggae revival projects, though. Unlike many labels devoted to Jamaican music, Greensleeves’ interest in the island nation’s musical output doesn’t end with the mid-80’s arrival of the digital era. The label remains more interested in unearthing new talent than recycling obscure cuts from bygone decades. As such, ‘Dread Meets Greensleeves’ charts the entire evolution of Jamaican music during the last 30 years, making this an enlightening listening full of surprise discoveries even for listeners with an in-depth knowledge of reggae.

The two discs take on different eras of reggae. The first half’s 15-track cruise through some outstanding cuts from the 1970’s roots era and early dancehall days is pure dynamite. Containing both bona fide classics (Augustus Pablo’s dub landmark ‘King Tubby Meets Rockers Uptown’) and underappreciated gems (Ras Michael’s ‘None of Jah Jah Children No Cry’), whilst managing to navigate a cohesive course through a wide range of styles, ranging from righteous roots indignation (Wailing Souls’ fiery ‘War’) to smooth lover’s rock (Beres Hammond’s ‘She Loves Me Now’), it features solo singing stars (Johnny Osbourne, Junior Delgado), top-ranking toasting DJs, dub pioneers and sweetly harmonising vocal groups. You really couldn’t wish for a better introduction to the label’s wares – or reggae in general. Just one complaint: where’s Dr. Alimentado’s haunting masterpiece ‘Born for a Purpose’?

Disc 2 moves away from the organic roots stylings which remain to many the definite, uncontested peak of reggae. Take the time to get used to the initially clinical, even crude sounding digital ragga and dancehall beats, though, and there’s plentiful proof here of the continuing creativity of Jamaican artists and producers. The best bits – Wayne Smith‘s celebration of getting blasted on ganja ‘Under Mi Sleng Teng’ and its hectic recent update by Alozade & Hollow Point, for example – are easily equal to the vintage cuts featured elsewhere, whilst the hip hop-flavoured strut of the contemporary tracks showcases what’s going on in Kingston at the moment. It’s not all about bragging and boasting about material wealth and mic prowess either, as artists such as Sizzla highlight that consciousness, social commentary, striving for improvement and reggae remain a potent mix, even if the musical backings have moved on radically since the days of Bob Marley.