Strictly Reggae (JamDown, 1999)

I feel sorry for the uninformed, most casual of reggae listeners who picks up an album such as this one expecting to hear what the general public envisions as typical reggae: swaying, relaxed one-drop rhythms with laid back dreadlocked singers crooning about peace and love.  I can picture the double takes and quizzical examinations of the liner notes of people wondering why this album is called Strictly Reggae, when what is generally considered "reggae" is nowhere to be found amid this onslaught of digital percussion and hardcore slang.  Well, of course, those of us who are more in the know realize that dancehall is a sub-set of reggae (or at the very least, a parallel off-shoot).  Even we fans might be a bit confused by the title of this set, however, especially considering that JamDown has another series called Strictly Dancehall.  This could lead you to believe that the Strictly Reggae series isn't dancehall -- perhaps lovers rock or roots (well, maybe not).  A quick review of the artists listed -- not to mention a quick listen to the album -- shows that this is not the case.  Would we expect anything different from JamDown than hardcore dancehall?  While those theoretical dancehall novices who don't know what they're getting into may be put off, dancehall fans should find Strictly Reggae serviceable.  In light of JamDown's history of sketchy releases, it's actually not bad.  As usual, there are 5 or 6 riddims shared amongst the 14 tracks.  What's unusual is that there's only one producer, Jason Williams, who, though not one of the big names in the biz, does a fine job of crafting simple yet involving beats.  Strong vocal performances by big names like Beenie Man (who adapts the Jeffersons theme song on "Moving On"), Mr. Vegas, Lexxus, and Anthony B (who borrows from Rose Royce's "Ooh Boy" Joe South's "Games People Play" and Suzanne Vega's "Tom's Diner" on "Jah Love") certainly help raise this release above most of the label's other efforts.