The Mighty Sparrow

He's always urbane, good-humored, devilishly at ease, and like most professional hitmakers, he isn't averse to coasting--"Sailor Man," "Dear Sparrow," "Trinidad Carnival." But as a born word man he usually gets something going even when he doesn't come up with a horn part or choral hook, and even when his lyrics are predictable, his music is usually a pleasure. If there are no works of world-historic genius hidden away on his fourth semirandom best-of, the logocentric really ought to hear "Well Spoken Moppers" anyway. (Grade - A-)