Linval Thompson was one of the most self-directed and self-contained singers to emerge from the ‘70s reggae scene. He spent his career in charge of his own productions—except for his first years as a recording artist, when he worked with the great producer Bunny Lee. Those years are covered on Ride on Dreadlocks, a compilation featuring the singing of a 24-year-old Rastafarian with a preternaturally haunting voice. Lee knew exactly how to position Thompson’s vocal. He provided him the talents of his in-house band, The Revolutionaries (led by drummer Santa Davis and bassist Robbie Shakespeare) and his in-house mixing engineer, King Tubby. This four-way collaboration resulted in some of the most enduring and haunting songs to come from the formidable mid-‘70s reggae scene, including “Jah Jah the Conqueror,” “Cool Down Your Temper,” and “Ride on Dreadlocks.” Unlike other Rasta singers, Thompson didn’t dabble in love songs or other subjects. He only sang Rasta, and from that singleminded devotion grew the panorama of music displayed here.