Dancehall Kings III (TVT, 1998)

It's amazing what attractive cover art (and what art it is!) will con you into buying.   Like the original Dancehall Kings, this volume has plenty of impressive star power, and like the original, they fail to deliver their full potential.  I'll give one thing to the artists here, though -- they provide some unique tunes.  Atop the list of "unique" cuts is Bounty Killer's "Kry For Lie For (Tequila)," which, yes, usurps the music from the ubiquitous party anthem "Tequila."   This isn't as horrible as it may sound, but it certainly isn't good.  Sanchez and Beenie Man meanwhile combine for "Refugee," which takes the harmonica form Culture Club's "Karma Chameleon" and the melody from Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton's "Islands in the Stream."  This would've been even more odd if Pras and Mya hadn't already taken that melody for their "Ghetto Superstar" hit, but it's still pretty darn odd.  As if that bit of sampling wasn't enough for Beenie Man, he returns with A.R.P. and Tony Curtis to sample not the original "Every Breath You Take" by The Police, but the sample of that sample that was used on Puff Daddy's "Missing You."  "Missing You" is essentially a remake of the Puff Daddy song, as it throws in the singing parts that Faith Evans and 112 added.  It's nice to hear the song without Puff Daddy's grating voice, but it's still not a great tune.  Finally, the originality (or lack thereof) concludes with Bounty Killer's cronies Scare Dem Crew (Elephant Man and Harry Toddler), who contribute "Dis Scare Dem," which samples Stevie Wonder's "Superstition" in a semi-enjoyable, semi-annoying R&B/hip-hop mix.  The only two tracks on Dancehall Kings III that are really good -- and that almost make the album worthwhile -- are Beres Hammond's celebratory release "Focussing Time" and "Bachelor Profile" by Delicate, another Bounty Killer crony.  "Bachelor Profile" is especially nice, Delicate's airy singing voice sounding like he sucked down some helium, and his rhythmic flow making this one of the jams of the year.  Still, it's not enough to save this experimental monster of an album.