Various Artists - Montego Records presents AllStar Rockers (Rebel Sound Records)

Henclewood migrated to the United States a while back and currently resides in New Mexico, the reason why he now joined forces with American label Rebel Sound Records. For this 'Montego Records presents AllStar Rockers' compilation Henclewood dusted off some old recordings from his archive (several songs from the track list were already featured on the 2000 Montego Records release 'King Shark & All-Star Friends'), giving the album a great vintage touch. Artists like Half Pint, Johnny Osbourne (1991's excellent 'Every Man Is A Man'), Charlie Chaplin ('Tell Me Why', a version over a revamp of the Darker Shade Of Black riddim, and 'Drive Me Crazy', for which Henclewood did the same with classic Three Blind Mice), Phillip Fraser (the excellent love tune 'I'll Be Lonely', a cover of the 1968 rocksteady classic by John Holt and Joya Landis), Devon Scott and Prince Alla (both voicing over the same riddim for 'Ghetto Cry' and 'Cry Freedom') certainly need no introduction, but we'd honestly never heard of Malakiya, who, with opener 'Stand Up', signs for one of the highlights in the track list, or Fronko. King Shark, together with Charlie Chaplin the only name popping up in the track list twice (with the conscious ode to Haile Selassie 'Thanks Be Onto H.I.M.' and love tune 'Magnetic Woman'), is simply Alphanso Henclewood's alter ego. For musical support Alphanso called on musicians provided like Earl 'Chinna' Smith, Carlton 'Santa' Davis, Robby Lynn, Sly Dunbar and Chris Murdock. Fine compilation that both made us linger for yesteryear and left us thirsting for more!