Music : True Love

Rating: - "I assure you that parts of it are excellent!"
...as the Curate famously said of his egg to the Bishop. And that's the story of this album really, infuriatingly uneven.

The premise is the now familiar Santana-style omnibus where Toots invites a star-studded array of guests around to 'his place'. 'His place' being the very well from which ska, rocksteady and reggae (Toots is credited with inventing the term) all flowed. And rather like Ant and Dec at Buckingham Palace, some of the guests are unfortunately just never comfortable in their new surroundings.

Things get off to an inauspicious start with Willie Nelson sounding (as Katie Zerwas pointed out) like a drunk in a karaoke bar and completely fluffing his entrance on 'Still Moving to Me'. Toots does his best to rescue proceedings but Nelson does the perfect impression of a country hasbeen. The contrast will have you squirming in your seat and the producer who put this first deserves to be shot.

At its best however the album truly soars. My own favourite is 'Bam Bam', the track that, according to Toots, was misconstrued as a pro-PNP political statement by the paranoid JLP government of the day and led to him being framed and subsequently incarcerated on charges of possession. Who would have bet on this unlikely combination of Toots, randy rapper Shaggy and Rahzel, the human beatbox to pull this off? However, they fuse perfectly to inject this laid-back, lilting rocksteady classic with hugely infectious driving dancefloor energy. I guarantee you won't be able to sit still.

On this track as indeed on all it is Toots, however generously he tries to let his guests take the limelight, who emerges as the real star. Pushing sixty at the time of recording, his rosiny voice has never sounded better. He nails his entrances and never hits a bum note, each line dripping with real emotion. The man got soul!

Honorable mentions also go to the Specials' Terry Hall, who slots efforlessly back into the ididom to spruce up the 1963 hit 'Never Grow Old', Bootsy Collins who really puts the 'Funky' back into 'Kingston' ("Toots, Roots and Boots", geddit?), and Rachael Yamagata who really fuses perfectly with Toots on a smolderingly sexy 'Blame On Me'.

As much as I love this album though I can't help lamenting what it might have been with a slightly more even supporting cast and more sensitive production. As it stands it offers glimpses of heaven but is maddeningly uneven.

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Rating: - True Toots!
There's no denying or resisting the trademark growl and gravel-rattling tonsils that are Toots Hibbert, here assisted by a panoply of celebrity acolytes on Toots' 'pension album'. It could have been dire, an old geezer propped up by patronising young (Keith Richards young?!) whippersnappers, and every now and then it does feel like some of them are having a laugh... but some stand-out tracks are worth the ticket price alone.

'Time Tough' with Ryan Adams is effortlessly magnificent. 'Sweet and Dandy' featuring Trey Anastasio is an infectious summer uplifter. 'Careless Ethiopians' with the aforementioned Stones guitarist is surprisingly wonderful, with Keef in almost angelic voice! Throughtout, Toots holds the key and commands with the voice that inspired so many in the 70s.

Elsewhere, the classic 'Pressure Drop' includes Eric Clapton on guitar... OK, but blown away by Jeff Beck's typically angular and unpredicatble playing on '54-46 Was My Number'.

One gripe - how can you improve on the original 'Funky Kingston'? Answer: you can't, and they haven't. Bootsy Collins simply sounds daft on this cover. The original, with Toots' amazing performance, stunning ensemble playing and it's simply astounding drumming, is untouchable.

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Rating: - Best album of 2004
From the man that coined the term 'reggae', Toots Hibbert, comes this fantastic summer album. I dare you not to dance as you listen to some of the greatest reggae songs ever. These new versions breathe new life into such classics as '54-46 was my number' and 'Funky Kingston' - the good news is, it really works well. Toots has such a great voice and it really shines through, the production is well up to scratch and the 'guests' add a really interesting twist. Just listen to 'Love Gonna Walk Out On Me' with Ben Harper - pure class. It's one of those albums you feel like buying in bulk and giving out to friends! How about it Amazon - bulk purchase discount! Seriously though, if you like reggae, it's a must have.