The mellifluous Cornell Campbell was greatly influenced by American soul singers, especially Curtis Mayfield, and had a reasonably successful career (as a solo act and harmony-group singer) performing ska and rock steady in the 1960s and early 1970s. However, his career peaked in the mid-1970s after he hooked up with producer Bunny Lee and dub pioneer King Tubby. This set collects 11 remarkable singles from the period, and the contrast between Campbell's sugar-sweet vocals and Tubby's bold dub experimentation makes for compelling listening. With Bob Marley changing the face of Jamaican music at the time, it's not surprising that Campbell moved away from lover's rock and toward Rastafarian themes. The "Gorgon" series is what Campbell is best remembered for, but his reworking of the age-old American spiritual (and civil rights beacon) "I Shall Not Remove" is equally powerful. With star musicians like Tommy McCook, Carlton Barrett, and Robbie Shakespeare offering support, this is landmark Jamaican music, and a clear illustration of the alchemy that occurred when old-school Jamaican soul music came together with modern mixing technique and Rastafarianism to forge roots reggae's classic period. --Marc Greilsamer