Rating: NNN
Anyone familiar with the many reggae revisions of country and western tunes won’t be at all surprised to learn that England had a thriving disco-reggae scene during the early 80s, pumping out inventive recuts of U.S. mirror-ball classics. The Hustle! collection presents a dance-floor-friendly survey of the sub-genre and serves as an intriguing introduction. Not every attempted reconstruction surpasses novelty status — Xanadu and Sweet Lady should’ve left Rapper’s Delight to the Sugarhill Gang — but the Blood Sisters’ sweetly soulful spin on Anita Ward’s Ring My Bell and Carol Cool’s fab remake of Diana Ross’s Upside Down make this eight-track primer worth checking.
