This came out in 2004 – or at least that’s when I got it. Here’s what I said about it back then (with some minor editing):
Sure, a little love is good. But a little respect is just as important.
Reggae pioneer Frederick (Toots) Hibbert deserves plenty of both — and that’s just what he gets on True Love, a truly stellar new duet disc designed both as a deserving tribute to his legend and a way to reintroduce him to contemporary audiences. Following the lead of Santana, Hibbert hosts a who’s who of icons and acolytes who drop by to pay their respects to the man who coined the term reggae nearly 40 years ago. And with a VIP guest list that covers the musical waterfront, there’s something for almost everyone here. For the popsters, there’s No Doubt cranking up the skanking Monkey Man and Ryan Adams crooning Time Tough. For the oldsters, there’s Eric Clapton lending some wah-wah licks to Pressure Drop and Keith Richards adding his ravaged rasp to Careless Ethiopians. For the hip-hoppers, there are Bootsy Collins and The Roots putting the funk in Funky Kingston, and Shaggy taking Bam Bam to the dancehall. There’s even something for the country fans in the form of Willie Nelson’s slow-burning Still Is Still Moving To Me (I can only imagine how thick the smoke was in the studio that night). Sure, the purists will turn up their noses; never mind. What matters is that even if you never dug Toots before, you’re guaranteed to love him now. And respect him.
