Very few performers have controlled their destiny subsequent to that first twenty year period in which the Jamaican music scene captured the imagination of the international music community. Sly and Robbie have obviously done well for themselves - and probably made a good deal of loot supporting Sinead O'Connor a few years back. But Dr. Alimantado - who I've been told by reliable sources, was born for a purpose - has been able to keep his catalog in relative availability while turning a dollar in the process. Even if his name isn't the most famous in reggae, some of his singles should rank amongst that top tier.

Beginning his recording career at an early age, the good doctor didn't release a long player until almost a decade after his first singles. And for a good portion of the '70s, Alimantado's work wasn't really available outside of his island nation. But as his singles slowly made their way to the UK and the States, some notable musicians became vociferous supporters of his music. Apart from Johnny Rotten name checking him, the Clash saw fit to include a reference to him on their track "Rudie Can't Fail." The brief mentions of Alimantado didn't really make his career, but they certainly didn't hurt.

The Best Dressed Chicken in Town collected a good deal of his singles out put from the '70s. And even if it wasn't a proper full length, the album served to expose the singer to an international audience in a professional manner. The style that he utilized on those singles, though, was a straight deejay stylee. There was a modicum of singing, but for the most part, it seemed as if Alimantado was stringing together abstract visions to cement a loose narrative on each of the 14 tracks. It was still a unified effort and with a sprinkling of Rasta ideology throughout, the disc was received by not just the secular folks, but the religious as well.

The '80s saw the performer revise his approach to music, though. And on the 1986 (or '88 dependent upon what reference you consult) Wonderful Time, Alimantado was in full singing mode. While not his strong suit, on occasion it works out well for listeners. Of course the tracks that find him chanting come off better - "Green, Green Grass" for instance. But those are few and far between here. The production, for whatever reason, still sounds rooted in '70s classicism despite the disc's release date.

That disc, being around twenty some odd years old now, might be difficult to track down on vinyl, but a good portion of the Alimantado catalog is available via the Doctor's label - Keyman Records. In the act of maintaining his catalog, the singer has been able to direct his future. This year marks the thirtieth anniversary of The Best Dressed Chicken in Town. And to celebrate the landmark disc, Alimantado's label has seen fit to re-release the album. Reaching back to revisit the classic won't change anyone's opinion of the genre, but it is a trail marker in the evolution of the medium.