Da Opera (VP, 1998)

This album smacks of being one big gimmick, but to my surprise, I enjoyed it about as much as any dancehall album I heard in 1998.  Thankfully, only the title track sticks to the annoying pseudo-opera style (complete with classical music) that Buccaneer utilized on past hits "Gal Tief" and "Skettle Concerto" ("Plenty More Gal" has a bit of it too -- sans the classical music.).  Other potentially gimmicky attempts fare better: the rock guitar riff of "Bruk Out"'s Heavy Metal rhythm (although it goes way over the top on the remix), the near house beat of "Tra La La La Laa" (the same riddim used on Mr. Vegas' "Sweet Pineapple"), and the cover of Enya's (!) "Sail Away" -- here titled "Fade Away," in which Buccaneer alternates the tranquil New Age music of the original with heavy-hitting dancehall beats.  Also excellent are the surprisingly conscious "Hypocrite" and the vicious-rhythmed "Gweah," while "Mad Dem" and "Everything To Me" manage to have crossover appeal without sounding trite.  On Da Opera, Buccaneer displays a wonderful flair for experimentation, breathing fresh life into the dancehall genre.  Like Mr. Vegas' Heads High, this album is fun, frenetic, and cause for optimism for the future of dancehall.