Natty and Nice: A Reggae Christmas

Natty and Nice is a fascinating mini-history of reggae observed through the lens of a familiar set of tunes. You can hear how its singing styles evolved from 1964's "Santa Claus Is Skaing to Town" to 1993's "Have a Happy Christmas"; you can listen to the transformations from ska to lovers' rock to dancehall and beyond, and how they all work on classic melodies. And you can hear reggae's reactions to popular culture and mainstream pop: cheap but sweet exploitation, fiery religious polemic, and mutations of well-known lines into patois ("We wish you a Irie Christmas ... great tidings natty dread bring you"). --Douglas Wolk