Perhaps more than any other Jamaican singer, always had his sights set on the international market, and while he obviously works from a base, his sound -- featuring full productions often cushioned with strings -- completely defines what has come to be known as . Ironically, given that it was his contemporary who broke through to become 's icon, may not have sounded, in the end, Jamaican enough. originally came out in 1975 on the heels of the U.S. release of the soundtrack (which featured a quartet of 's finest songs, including the magnificent ), and rode 's wake onto the lower reaches of the charts. But was a smooth, polished album, with few of the charming rough edges that characterized 's previous work with producer (who died in 1971, shortly after the soundtrack was completed), and while it definitely had a Jamaican lilt, it sounded as much like as it did , and ultimately it was the ragged, -fueled songs of that ended up sticking in the public's memory. Not that lacked solid performances. was at his persecuted, paranoid best, while his version of 's brought out the wounded regret inherent in the song even better than did in his various versions. The set closer, was a great, classic love song, and projected the confident hope that was 's stock-in-trade, pulled along by a great melody and smooth as silk production. seemed poised to become a major star in the States, but it wasn't to happen, and in retrospect, as much as was initially helped by the popularity of the soundtrack, it was also hurt by it, since nothing on the new album was as strong as the -produced tracks. Smooth and melodic, was hardly a creative failure, but by reaching so hard for an international sound, may have ironically overlooked the strong roots base that might have actually delivered the mass audience he deserved. ~ Steve Leggett