Sail Away (VP, 1999)

In case you couldn't tell by looking at it, this is a one-rhythm album.  A uniquely reggae phenomenon that has persisted since the early '80s, the one-rhythm album has to have -- at least, to me -- a killer beat and a wide variety of great vocal performances in order to make it worthwhile.  Even with these elements, some listeners will inevitably find the repetition sleep-inducing and/or annoying (particularly if you didn't realize that it was a one-rhythm album when you bought it).  I'm not a big fan of this type of album, but I got this one because I knew that I liked the beat, an up-tempo digital jam that stands out because of its airy keyboard riff swiped from Alexander O'Neal's R&B ballad "If You Were Here Tonight."  Tony Curtis gets the benefit of performing a remake of this classic, combining the energetic beat and tender vocals to great effect.  Richie Stephens, who flexes his skills as producer on this album, sings a similarly airy and appealing melody on "Take Me Away."   Most of the remaining artists are DJs, and most of the remaining songs are less striking, with Beenie Man & Mr. Vegas' "Bad Man No Flee" and T.O.K.'s "Gal fi Get Loving" being the best.  A mega-mix of all 11 tracks is noteworthy also in that it is 18 minutes long!  You could go out, have a sandwich, mow the lawn, film a short movie, and still get back for the end of the song.  In the end, however, Sail Away fades not so much due to the repetition of the rhythm as to the lack of strong material to support it.