Silk was a rare breed in reggae: a young singer who clearly made music to uplift his (and others') spirits, not with an alternate agenda in mind. While most of his posthumous collections have been rehashing of his standard material, somehow it never seems to get old.
Artists Only! latest Garnett Silk release, Legends of Reggae Volume Five certainly doesn't break any new ground, but the selection is about as perfect as possible. With the serious "Complain" (where Garnett chats, showing his roots as young DJ Bimbo) and "Like a Mother to Me" and the upbeat "Splashing Dashing" and "Pleace in Your Heart," the collection covers most of the bases.
One track I don't remember hearing before is "The Rod," an inspirational tune where Garnett sings about music being "the rod and we are Moses / leading God's children to the promised land." One of my favorite Garnett cuts closes out the album: "Every Knee Shall Bow" featuring Cocoa Tea and Charlie Chaplin, both inna fine form along Garnett at his most spiritual.
The main nit is that at 42 minutes, this album is entirely too short. I would have loved to see another 5 or 6 cuts included, perhaps Garnett's "Deliver Us" (the version with Half Pint and the Tamlins), the incredibly touching "Mama," "So Divine," or "Lord Watch Over Our Shoulder." In any event, this collection is still well worth picking up, as these are some of Garnett's best cuts and hearing them all in one place is as soul-stirring as it's ever been.
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