A well-chosen compilation of 's most popular '80s hits, is a solid set of early favorites, all of them built on the performer's pioneering "singjay" style -- not quite toasting, but not just singing, either -- and his utterly unique vocal talents, foremost being an inimitable high-pitched voice which found him elongating words with mock-Asian dialect and peculiar chants like "biddy beng beng" (a chant so identified with that it's printed on the cover of this album), like some kind of Jamaican . Hits here include the spooky the sly humor and social commentary of and and of course his 1982 breakthrough hit, All are essential, and there's little fat among the remaining tracks as well. This and the follow-up second volume are essential for fans and newcomers alike. ~ Stewart Mason