Cool Ruler [Compilation] – Gregory Isaacs

In the murky waters of reggae releases, there are few darker depths to plumb than Gregory Isaacs' canon. Over the years, the veteran artist has tossed literally hundreds of sets onto the shelves, a bewildering bundle further complicated by confusing titles and reissues under new names. Take this set for example. Cool Ruler brings together in their entirety two of Isaacs' albums from the early '90s -- No Luck and I'll Never Trust You Again. Both sets appeared again later in the decade, Trust as Solitary Confinement and No Luck in a slightly appended form as Hard Core Hits. Why twin these two sets? Who knows? There were many other combinations to choose from, but there you go. I'll Never Trust You Again, Ruler's first 14 tracks, was itself a roundup, bundling together disparate recordings from the late '80s and early '90s overseen by Alvin Ranglin, Niney "The Observer" Holness, Lee Perry, and Pete Weston. No Luck, in contrast, was produced solely by Elon Robinson, with Clevie & Steelie, Danny Browne, and Robbie Lyn laying down the riddims. Yeah, it really is an odd pairing. Still, at a time when Isaacs was spending so much time in the studio that many of the recordings sound like he's sleeping through the sessions, Trust still managed to fill the album with some of the artist's stronger offerings. The romantic title track, "Ghetto Celebrity" (aka "Solitary Confinement"), "Bus' Your Gun for Fun," "You Make Me Feel Good," and the funky "Step Across My Step" are particularly notable among an eclectic selection of songs. With No Luck, Clevie & Steelie's insistent ragga riddims are the focal point, virtually overwhelming Isaacs in their wake. Still, a heartfelt recut of "The Village of the Underprivileged," the bubbly title track, the indeed rocking "Rock On," and the DJ-enhanced version of "Don't Believe in Him" are all worth noting. In total, Cool Ruler provides a grand sweep through this prolific period, offering up some of Isaacs' better recordings in a myriad of modes. ~ Jo-Ann Greene, All Music Guide