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Dancehall Days: The Old to the New (Profile, 1995) A nicely conceived and executed collection gathering together old school and new school dancehall tunes. The "old" and "new" alternate tracks, with King Jammys producing most of the old material and John John most of the new. Naturally, the new songs sound fresher, making the old stuff seem a bit behind the times (which, of course, they are), but these older ones provide the listener with valuable exposure to vintage cuts that may have otherwise gone overlooked. The best of these is Nitty Gritty's mellow, swimming "Good Morning Teacher," while Johnny Osbourne's "No Ice Cream Sound" and Shabba Ranks' "Fresh" are good ol'-fashioned nuggets. The newer stuff is highlighted by Bounty Killer's hit "Cellular Phone" and Spragga Benz's "Good Day" -- thematically reminiscent of Ice Cube's "It Was a Good Day" -- each using the same delicious hollow rhythm concocted by John John. (Note: The song entitled "Praise Him" by Beenie Man here is not the same, bland "Praise Him" by Beenie Man that appears on, among other compilations, Level the Vibes. Unlike that song, this one is actually pretty good.) Overall, both old and new present sound material, with only Bounty Killer's original, yet just-a-bit-too-weird "Mama Ivy's Last Son" -- which utilizes the melody of "We Wish You a Merry Christmas" (!) -- falling short. |
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