Reggae Gold 2004 (VP, 2004)

Listening to this latest edition of the landmark Reggae Gold series, it seems as if the latest trend is to team hip-hop rappers with dancehall performers.  Case in point: the hits "Dude" by Beenie Man (with rap by Shawwna), "Jook Gal" by Elephant Man (with rappers Twista and Youngbloodz), and "Anything Goes" by Wayne Wonder & Lexxus (with rappers Capone-N-N.O.R.E.), not to mention "Ay Ay Ay" and "Dat Sexy Body," which both feature raps.  Well, in response to this tendency, let me be the first to say, "Fuck that!"  Maybe I'm old-fashioned, but I prefer my dancehall sans rap.  Rapping and chatting just have different flows that blend like peanut butter and spackle.  That said, it's a step forward for dancehall that the hip-hop/dancehall hybrids increasingly feature dancehall riddims, whereas a decade ago, they primarily rode hip-hop beats.  As for the overall quality of Reggae Gold 2004, I was pleasantly surprised to find that this is the best volume since way back in 1997.  Granted, that isn't saying much, since the series has been more like Reggae Tin for quite a while, but this edition turns out to be an actual treat, even with all the rapping.  Although it starts slowly with Capleton's insanely repetitive "In Her Heart" and the outdated slang of Elephant Man's "Jiggy," things quickly pick up with two much better tunes from the same artists, Capleton's uncharacteristic party jam "Fire Time" and Elephant Man's "Jook Gal."  Assassin's "Girls Gone Wild" meanwhile is a dancehall crowd pleaser, followed by "Ay Ay Ay" and "Anything Goes," which shine despite the mediocre rapping (particularly that of marble-mouthed Tony Touch).  This album really hits it stride at this point, with a wonderfully inventive reggae remix of Alicia Keys' "You Don't Know My Name" (breathing life into an overplayed song with Burning Spear's classic "Columbus" rhythm, although the liner notes oddly credit Gregory Isaacs' "New Lover," a 2003 tune that rode the same rhythm.), Tanya Stephens' bravely vulnerable and unexpected (and also quite funny: "I hope she's cheating, juggling nuts like a squirrel. Better yet, I hope she leaves you for a girl.") portrayal of a woman scorned in "Can't Breath," Natty King's impassioned plea for peace in "No Guns to Town," and perhaps the best track here, Richie Spice's rootsy "Earth ah Run Read" -- although this has no business being on a 2004 compilation, as it was released on Spice's 2000 debut Universal.  The quality diminishes after that, but nonetheless Beres Hammond is typically solid on "Pride & Joy," while Tanto Metro & Devonte and Baby Cham both deliver decent up-tempo grooves.  Also notable -- for better or worse -- is Morgan Heritage's foray into dancehall fluff, "U've Got Me."  Let's hope the otherwise strong 2004 volume revitalizes the sluggish Reggae Gold series.