V/A - Ziggy Marley in Jamaica

Ziggy Marley was born in Trenchtown, Jamaica in 1968, the same year Toots & The Maytals released the seminal single Do The Reggay. It might seem like stating the obvious, but it's clear that the son of Bob Marley has been immersed in reggae since his early years. Ziggy Marley often seems unable to escape the influence of his father's music or assert his own personality, and this compilation's fairly obvious track selection is dogged by the big names of 70s Kingstown. Sure, Jimmy Cliff's You Can Get It If You Really Want, 54-46 That’s My Number by Toots & The Maytals, and Bob Marley & The Wailers' Mr Chatterbox are great tracks, but the chances are you've already got them on your iPod, without the endorsement of Ziggy. He does manage to unearth a few more obscure gems, and Carry Go Bring Home by Justin Hinds is pure old-school, with deliciously rough horn riffs. It's not really pushing the boundaries, but if you don't already own a party album to skank to, this could be worth a spin. [Josh Coppersmith-Heaven]