Reggae Hits 32 (Jet Star, 2003)

I've been an ardent supporter of Jet Star's Reggae Hits collections since the late '90s -- when competing compilations from the Reggae Gold and Strictly the Best series started to decline in quality -- but even I must admit that this edition is the worst I've heard yet.  While there are a couple of great tunes -- namely, a surprisingly tender, old-fashioned gospel-leaning roots gem from Sizzla called "Blessing" and the fiery Luciano/Rasites product "Leaders" -- too much of Reggae Hits 32 is plagued by:

• Ill-advised covers (The Melodians' "Sweet Sensation" by Sanchez and DJ Bad Sarge, 50 Cent's "21 Questions" by Queen Omega, and Luther Vandross' "Dance With My Father" by Don Campbell [the best of this bunch by far])
• Sloppy non-reggae tracks passing themselves of as reggae (Morgan Heritage's syrupy R&B ballad "Man in Love," the headache-inducing soca of Mr. Vegas' "Chop Out de Grass," and the predictably lame hip-hop track "Senorita" from the increasingly buffoonish Wyclef Jean)
• Generic by-the-numbers dancehall (Capleton's "Chat Dem a Chat," Sean Paul's "Brethren," and Elephant Man's "Blasé," which sounds like a re-tread of his "Pon de River Pon de Bank") and lovers rock (Peter Hunnigale's "Weeks Go By," J.C. Lodge's "A Little Love," and LMS's "One Dance With You")

A few tracks -- Beres Hammond's "Live My Life," Beene Man's "Use U Fist," and little-known Lee Francis' "Turn Me On" -- stand out from the wealth of mediocrity along with the Sizzla and Luciano/Rasites tunes, but for the most part, these are "reggae misses"; and unfortunately, this is the second such miss in a row for Reggae Hits.