"The Biggest Dancehall Anthems 1979-82" (Greensleeves, 2002)

An unmatched collection of the biggest, most-legendary hits forged when a rugged new mood and a tough, stripped-down, new sound came to dominate the music of Jamaica. A sound that they named Dancehall.

Dancehall was just what it claimed to be: a music to take Jamaicans back to the ghetto dances, back to the birthplace of all that was great in reggae, back home - where it remains to this day.

Dancehall was the swinging sound of the ghetto: more importantly, it was a sound driven by the ghetto's youth; a sound to capture the mood of the day; a sound that took you far beyond the front line.

By the late 1970's Jamaican music was ripe for re-invention: the revolutionary zeal of Rasta had declined into orthodoxy and convention while Lovers Rock sometimes seemed tepid and pale.

Dancehall emerged at a time when many international record companies were trying to water Reggae down with a romanticized, pastoral 'roots' sound that was a million miles away from the fire of Tubby's, Randys, Studio One or any of the great Jamaican studios.

As much as anyone, these new artists were represented by Barrington Levy and the new ghetto producers were epitomised by Henry "Junjo" Lawes. When 'Shine Eye Gal' hit the stores, it moved like a runaway train. The core sound of this new revolution was a distillation of Junjo's production magic, The Roots Radics' rhythms and the whole Channel One vibes with Junjo at the helm and Scientist on the mix.

As much as anything Dancehall represented a change in flavour, a new mood for a new generation of artists. Here was a sound that arrived straight off the plane, fresh out of the ghetto. It was here: flash, brash, independent and on our streets TODAY. It was all happening faster than before and the established stars of the day were quick to catch the vibes. Alongside the new stars like Toyan, Yellowman, and Eek-A-Mouse artists like John Holt, The Wailing Souls and Johnny Osbourne would see their careers scale new heights over the thunderous drive of the new Dancehall vibe.

From http://www.reggaeplanet.com/p/dancehall-anthems-cd/