Max Romeo has spent his career both avoiding and embracing the legacy of his first single, the explicit
"Wet Dream," which was virtually ignored when it was released in Jamaica in 1966, but thanks to the skinheads, became a huge and lasting hit in England, where it served as a sort of anthem to the dream life of thousands of young males. When pressed,
Romeo insists the song is about fixing a leaky roof, but few outside of the Carpenter's Union could possibly believe him. Produced by
Bunny Lee over a hold-me-Jack rhythm,
"Wet Dream" gave
Romeo a reputation and a recording career, and thankfully, he made the best of both. This collection can't truly be called a "best-of," since it contains nothing from his greatest album, the classic
War Ina Babylon, produced by
Lee "Scratch" Perry, but it does provide a nice overview of everything else, collecting three early tracks with
Perry (including the baffling
"Three Blind Mice"), several with
Bunny Lee, and two with
Niney (including the wonderful
"Rasta Bandwagon").
Romeo turned increasingly to righteous themes as his career proceeded, but he has never truly escaped the reputation for slackness that
"Wet Dream" earned him, and when
dancehall hit Jamaica, with its attendant love of shock tactics, the crasser side of
Romeo was due for a revival, illustrated on this collection by the inclusion of 1995's
dancehall remake of
"Wet Dream," produced by
Tapper Zukie.
Romeo's
War Ina Babylon remains an essential purchase, followed closely by
Open the Iron Gate, while this anthology gives you everything else. ~ Steve Leggett
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