Reggae Gold 1996 (VP, 1996)

A sub-par effort as far as the Reggae Gold series goes.  The two songs that moved me the most are General Degree's wicked, danceable "When I Hold You Tonight" and the slower, romantic "Love From a Distance," courtesy of Beres Hammond.  Mikey Spice and Luciano contribute nice, laid-back doses of spiritualism with "Showers of Blessing" (riding the Mighty Diamonds' "Have Mercy" riddim) and "Love Jah and Live," respectively.   Another dose of cultural dancehall comes surprisingly from old-timer Shabba Ranks, his African drum-infused "Heart of a Lion" being a treat.  However, several tracks bring this collection to a screeching halt.  The major culprit is Lady Saw's "Give Me a Reason," whose rhythm is primarily made up of fiddles.   What is this, hillbilly music?  In addition, a couple of remakes are included on Reggae Gold 1996 that are OK, but unnecessary.  Certainly not gold.   "Night Nurse '96" and "Murderer [Remix]" redo songs that were and are still very popular (the Puff Daddy Syndrome, I believe), so they run the risk of messing with perfection and with people's memories of the originals.  And finally, you can always count on Junior "King of Shlock" Tucker to provide some borderline cheesy ditty that conjures up images of Barney with dreadlocks.