Like rock, hip-hop and any other style of music, reggae has evolved. From its ska-meets-rock early days to the electronic-based dub and dancehall dialects to the myriad of sounds that fall under the reggae umbrella today, there is no one way to play reggae.

Various Artists Down in Jamaica: 40 Years of VP Records (VP Records)

This 94-track set, spread out over four CDs, four 7"s and four 12"s, provides a bare-bones overview of the evolution and flowering of reggae over the last four decades. There are tracks from names even novices know (Shaggy, Shabba Ranks, etc.) and plenty from those known only to those who are immersed in the sound.

I'm neither, and I found wonder in almost every track. VP Records is the largest label in Jamaica, which gives it a great catalog. That size means that VP wasn't always on top of the newer stuff bubbling up, but if a sound stuck for any length of time at all, you can bet it found its way to VP.

A generous helping of reggae history, with a side of where it might go in the future. A wonderful education in a box. School was never this much fun.

Jon Worley