GOLDEN HITS VOLUME 2 is a strong compilation of material from the incredibly fertile period when Bob Marley was working with producer Lee Perry in the late '60s and early '70s. At the time of these recordings, the Wailers had yet to hit upon the hard, rocksteady rhythms that would catapult the group to international success as reggae stars. Instead, the music here is marked by a hybrid of pulsing island polyrhythm and the music being produced by blacks in the United States from the '50s and early '60s (including doo-wop and R&B). The music is fresh, adventurous and extremely accessible. Even at this early stage, the strength of the ensemble's songwriting is superb. There's hardly a dud in the set, and many--"Soul Rebel," "Don't Rock My Boat," and "Mr. Brown," just to name a few--should have been smash hits in their time. This disc is still a well-rounded representation of the Wailers' early work and an outstanding addition to any Marley library.