By GRAHAM REID
(Herald rating: * * )
The former frontman for the 60s band the Equals (a later version of whose hit Baby Come Back is included here) set out on a staunch solo career of frontline reggae in the 70s but balanced it with pop ballads and enjoyable radio
hits throughout the 80s.
His pioneering use of synthesizer in reggae now sounds a little tame and many of the 16 tracks on this, yet another hits collection, are pleasantly anodyne but also a bit bloodless.
Among the tracks here are his most popular moments which still stack up reasonably well: Gimme Hope Jo'anna about South Africa's apartheid system, Do You Feel My Love, Walking on Sunshine and Electric Avenue, which comes with a thumping dancefloor remix.
But Grant was never the most powerful or distinctive of singers — despite the occasionally tough lyric, the voice always seemed to lack the requisite passion — and at this distance these songs, most from the late 70s to mid 80s, lack resonance and bite.
Add to that the meagre packaging (no liner notes or career overview) and you have a collection which can hardly be counted as essential. So unless you were a big fan, non-essential.
Label: Warners
