*** Toots and the Maytals

TIME TOUGH: THE ANTHOLOGY

(Island Jamaica)

Frederick "Toots" Hibbert's irrepressible first quarter-century recording career (1963-'88) belongs in the annals of soul and R&B as well as reggae. Toots's 1968 "Do the Reggay" is the work of a Jamaican gospel soul man who transcends blues with good news, and who casually helped invent the clipping ska sound and skanky reggae that would transform world pop. On the first CD (1963-'79), stomp-happy sing-along dance favorites like "Sweet and Dandy," "Pressure Drop," and Toots's immortal evocation of James Brown, "Funky Kingston," sidle up to rarer treasures like the ebullient "Monkey Man" and the rootsy original version of "Six and Seven Books of Moses."

The second CD can't match the melodic brilliance or overall energy of these early classics. Steering away from the dub and dancehall of the '80s, Toots throws in his hand with soul trends of the day, and that leads to flat studio productions like "Spiritual Healing," an answer to Marvin Gaye's "Sexual Healing." Soon though, Toots is back with a real band for his 1988 Toots in Memphis sessions. His rowdy turn on Otis Redding's "Hard To Handle" ranks with this reggae giant's best work.

-- Banning Eyre

(Toots and the Maytals play the House of Blues next Thursday, November 21.)