The Maytones - Solid Gold Showcase (2008)

A Jamaican vocal duo comprised of singers Vern Buckley and Gladstone "Son" Grant, the Maytones' pleasant rural roots harmonies made them one of Jamaica’s hidden treasures in the 1970s, and sides like "Funny Man," "Boat to Zion," and "Africa We Want to Go" are gems in any reggae playlist. The duo split in 1980 when Buckley relocated to Canada, only to re-form in the 2000s. This compilation is a mixed bag, with the first eight tracks recorded in 2006 and 2007 in Jamaica and Canada for Music Life Production, while the final five tracks are sort of a “best-of” drawn from the duo’s three classic 1970s LPs, Boat to Zion (1978), One Way (1979), and Keep the Fire Burning (1980). It doesn’t make for a perfect fit, but Buckley and Grant sing so well together that it probably won’t matter to true fans of the duo -- any Maytones is better than no Maytones.