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Despite popular perceptions, Jamaica's first international superstar was not Bob Marley but an idiosyncratic music arranger named Prince Buster. Buster's pre- and post-ska musical stylings were so left of center (sometimes his rhythmic structures focus on the after-beat rather than the downbeat) that he's largely thought to have created his own reggae subgenre called blue beat (named after his label of the same name). Fabulous mixes some of Buster's well-known cuts with some not-so-famous ones that fly all over the musical map as far as soundscapes go. On the more obscure numbers like "Texas Hold-Up," the wicked horn section wails away over a shuffled syncopated beat, while on the bass-heavy "Freezing up Orange Street," the organ and saxophone are mixed to spar off against one another. Down-tempo ballads like "Julie" keep this collection balanced, while Buster's more ubiquitous up-tempo rhythm tracks like "Al Capone" and "Judge Dread" expose listeners to his more uncensored political positions regarding race and sex. While his hit "Ten Commandments" is included on this collection, the sexist manifesto it espouses would generate an even more heated set of responses from women than it garnered back then (the third commandment asks for the woman "to kiss and caress me, and honor and obey me, seven days a week and twice on Sundays"). In the end, those who think that Shaggy was the creative genius behind "Oh Carolina" (Buster actually produced the original version for the Folkes Brothers) need to purchase this collection and get schooled on this ska legend. --Dalton Higgins

Rating : - Prince Busters Guns Don't Argue
Cecil Bustamente Campbell - better known as Prince Buster - could be called the James Brown of ska and of ska's child, reggae. It was Buster's musical exuberance that almost single handedly formed the second ska revolution - the Tutone revolution in England in the late `70s.

This collection of songs captures some of Busters best work from the `60s. "Madness" (later adopted as the name of the English ska band) and "Al Capone" (later remade by The Specials) are rudeboy anthems in the same vein as the Wailer's "Simmer Down" and Desmond Dekker's "007 (Shanty Town)." Other rudeboy pleasers are the classic "Too Hot" and hilarious "Judge Dread" (both later fabulously redone by The Specials, and the latter name adopted by the immortal Judge Dread). But Busters best quality is his ability to switch gears musically with mercurial ease. "Pharaoh House Crash," "30 Pieces of Silver," and "Blackhead Chineman" deplore the exploitation of the poor and weak at the hands of the greedy. Buster's randy side is shown on "Big Five" and "Rough Rider." Also in the same boat is the classic "Wreck A Pum Pum" wherein Buster not only shows his randy side, but does so in a very blue manner. Aside from lust, Buster shows his gentler, sentimental side for the ladies on "Julie On My Mind" and a remake of "My Girl." And then there's the over-the-top anthem of male braggadocio "Ten Commandments" and the braggadocio of "Earthquake" wherein Buster proclaims that he is Jamaica's musical parallel to Mohammed Ali. However, ever-present throughout his body of work is a sharp sense of humor.

"Fabulous Greatest Hits" is the best Prince Buster collection to date. It is a comprehensive album great for the first time listener. Unfortunately, it does miss a good number of the prolific Buster's best songs, "Whine & Grine" and "Firestick" come to mind. Other collections are often filled with is lesser-known songs and/or a lot of dub versions. So, if you want to hear a true original of ska, and granddaddy to reggae, you should check out Prince Buster - you won't be let down.