Reggae Hits 31 (Jet Star, 2002)

Well, I suppose Jet Star's reliably strong Reggae Hits series was due for a mediocre entry, and number 31 is just that: mediocre.  Though never really bad (with the exception of the painfully pop dance/R&B remix of Merciless' "Roots Alone"), this volume is amazingly bland and unoriginal from start to finish, with little that I would deem "hit"-worthy.  As usual, Reggae Hits provides a nice variety of material -- stretching from roots to dancehall to lovers rock (with an extra CD megamix of the same tracks) -- and provides a wider range of artists than, say, Strictly the Best or Reggae Gold, since it mines talent from both sides of the Atlantic.  Thus, while there may be a track or two that can be found on Strictly the Best (namely, Sanchez's "Hit Song," from Strictly the Best Volume 30), we also get British faces like Lloyd Brown, Don Campbell, and the ever-present Peter Hunnigale.  Unfortunately, none of them really live up to their potential; Brown's lovers jam "Main Squeeze" is a decent lovers jam and "You Must Know" has a nice gospel air, but these aren't their best works.  Meanwhile, Archie Wonder's cover of Enrique Iglesias' "Hero" is no less schmaltzy than George Nooks' version on Strictly the Best 30, and Hunnigale's "Talk Show" is just silly, with deep lyrics like "Sometimes love can be like a scene in a talk show."  The best track is likely Freddie McGregor's "What You Dealing," which has a crisp, classic feel, while fellow veterans like Beres Hammond, Glen Washington, and Half Pint and younger bucks like Morgan Heritage, Elephant Man, Mega Banton, Sean Paul, and Bounty Killer (whose "Uptown Boy" could be construed in part as a diss of Sean Paul) all contribute solidly, but their output still falls below what we've come to expect from these talented artists.  Particularly disappointing are flat tracks from Jahmali, Bushman, and especially Sizzla, who seems like he just phoned in "Just Be Clean" and slapped it on top of Junior Byles' "Curly Locks" rhythm.  Granted, a bad Reggae Hits album isn't really bad, just OK -- and it still provides exposure outside of the UK to some songs you might not have otherwise heard.