One of Bunny Wailer's last solo albums before he took an extended sabbatical in the early to mid-'80s, ROOTSMAN SKANKING is in many ways the culmination of the first era of his solo career. Consisting of nine lengthy Bunny Wailer originals and a respectful cover of "Cry to Me" by his recently deceased former bandmate Bob Marley, ROOTSMAN SKANKING is possibly Bunny's most consistently strong album. Though he's sometimes a somewhat inconsistent songwriter, Bunny's songs here are uniformly strong, from the sly "Collyman" to the good-timey "Dance Rock" to the anthemic title track. Bunny's always-remarkable voice, high and dreamy but seated in a deep inner strength, sounds amazing in the company of most of roots reggae's best players, including Sly and Robbie and guitarist Earl "Chinna" Smith. Most of ROOTSMAN SKANKING is also available on the compilation ROCK 'N' GROOVE. Minimize