Peace & Love offers a collection of tracks from Justin Hinds & the Dominoes' decade-long collaboration with Duke Reid, chronologically spanning the ska, rocksteady, and early reggae periods of Jamaican music. Contrasting catchy melodies and lively rhythms with heavily moralistic lyrics that bemoan the agonies of existence, the typical Hinds track provides proof that misery can be danceable, too. This schizophrenic concoction works best on ska and rocksteady songs such as "Satan," "Peace and Love," and the outstanding "Botheration," where the gospel-like calls and harmonization of the Dominoes often combine with Tommy McCook's pumping sax, giving Hinds' lyrics an energy they lack on the compilation's slower, graver reggae tracks. These latter tunes are, on the whole, less successful, causing the disc to drag somewhat toward the end. Of these, though, "Cock Mouth Kill Cock" and "Oh What a Feeling" do manage to merge Hinds' tenor with a melody that raises his songs above dreary sermonizing. Fans looking for a comprehensive catalog will find several of the trio's most popular songs (such as the omnipresent "Carry Go Bring Come") missing from this collection, but many of these tracks can be found on the equally good Ska Uprising, with no overlap between the two discs. In any case, the selections here are still superb and you're unlikely to find them anywhere else, making Peace & Love an indispensable compilation for ska lovers and an essential component in the collection of any Hinds fan. ~ David Colon, All Music Guide
