Musical Youth

Musical Youth burst on the scene in 1982 with "Pass the Dutchie," their bright, watered-down version of the Mighty Diamonds' "Pass the Kutchie," and while there is no denying that the Youth's refreshing take on reggae-pop was as infectious as candy on a stick, they were really more of a novelty act than an ultimately creative one. Still, boiled down into a best-of set like this, this is music perfectly made for a summer's drive with the top down, and the group's covers of Desmond Dekker's "Shanty Town (007)," John Holt's "Tell Me Why," and the Techniques' "Never Gonna Give You Up," while they don't equal the original versions, bring out the pop sheen in all of them. The Stevie Wonder-penned "Whatcha Talking 'Bout" sounds a bit dated now, but its good-natured breeziness is still effective and winning. This set is probably all the casual fan would ever really need. ~ Steve Leggett, All Music Guide