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Greensleeves Rhythm Album #34: Masterpiece by Various Artists (CD) [IMPORT - UK]
 

Greensleeves Rhythm Album #34: Masterpie...

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Greensleeves Rhythm Album #34: Masterpiece by Various Artists (CD) [IMPORT - UK]
"Greensleeves Rhythm Album #34: Masterpiece" (12/10/2002) Reggae Various Artists, Greensleeves RecordsAudio Mixers: Claude "Weakhand" Reynolds; Steven "Lenky" Marsden. Recording information: Area 39, Kingston, Jamaica. Dancehall producers find inspiration in just about anything. Every kind of gimmicky sound is copped and used to develop a new rhythm for Jamaica's wealth of dancehall singers to cut tracks with. As soon as these tracks are cut, Greensleeves manages to have them collected on one album for mass consumption. Often these collections hit the shelves before the singles even hit heavy rotation. With the Masterpiece riddim the producers seem to be opting for a swing motif. This motif gives the singers endless possibilities for borrowing melodies for their tracks. The most distinct tracks don't shy away from a little borrowing. Beenie Man, Wayne Marshall, and Danny English & Egg Nog all lead off with familiar melodies that fit very well with the sound that the producers are trying to create. Spragga Benz takes the borrowing of melody and lyrics into the realm of comedy when he sings, "What a girl wants." The high-pitched guitar picking makes his track a highlight despite the lyrics. The Masterpiece rhythm's drumbeat is even more house influenced than Diwali, but it is the accompanying percussion that really accents the drums and gives it the swing sound. Without a close listening, the rhythm could be easily brushed off, but after letting a few tracks click off, the strengths of the rhythm are made clear. The driving drumbeat and percussion make the Masterpiece rhythm very successful. It is only the gimmicky nature of the rhythm that takes away from the tracks. Almost all rhythms depend on some kind of gimmick to define their rhythm, but Masterpiece takes it in a direction that doesn't pay off enough. The beat is strong but the overall sound drags the songs toward a genre of novelty tracks. ~ Matt Whalley

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Greensleeves Rhythm Album Vol. 36 [PA]
 

Greensleeves Rhythm Album Vol. 36 [PA]

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Greensleeves Rhythm Album Vol. 36 [PA]
"Knockout [PA]" (03/04/2003) Reggae Various Artists, Greensleeves RecordsPerformers include: Bounty Killer, Buju Banton, Elephant Man, Ward 21. This is part of Greensleeve's Rhythm Album series. Audio Mixer: Dayton Foster. Recording information: Black Scorpio Studio; Kingston Music Studio; Steven Stanley Studios, Kingston, Jamaica.

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Greensleeves Rhythm Album Vol. 70: Grimey
 

Greensleeves Rhythm Album Vol. 70: Grime...

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Greensleeves Rhythm Album Vol. 70: Grimey
"Grimey [PA]" (06/21/2005) Reggae Various Artists, Greensleeves RecordsPerformers include: Macka Diamond, Sizzla, Ward 21, Capleton, Bounty Killer. Audio Mixer: Nigel "Balla" Whitfield. Recording information: Big Yard Studio, Kingston, Jamaica.

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X-Treme: Greensleeves Rhythm Album, Vol. 12 [PA] by Various Artists (CD) [IMPORT - UK]
 

X-Treme: Greensleeves Rhythm Album, Vol....

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X-Treme: Greensleeves Rhythm Album, Vol. 12 [PA] by Various Artists (CD) [IMPORT - UK]
"X-Treme: Greensleeves Rhythm Album, Vol. 12 [PA]" (05/08/2001) Reggae Various Artists, Greensleeves RecordsGreensleeves' one-riddim series continued with volume 12, featuring the X-Treme riddim, created by In Streetz Records' Byron Murray and Clifford Smith. And it's an incendiary one, with three artists having already ridden this riddim onto 7": Mr. Vegas with "Duppy Durex," Buccaneer's "Balm the Dead," and Bounty Killer's "Liberty," with another 17 versions stuffed onto this set. Capleton ferociously kicks off the comp, Mr. Vegas returns to give a big up to the new generation of dancehall heroes and a shoutout to the old, but then Elephant Man stomps all over that feel-good atmosphere, spewing his prejudice on "Bumber Claat." Gay-bashing is now all the rage, and so he's joined later in the set with an equally offensive G. Man and Alizade, whose "Rated PG" obviously somehow escaped the censors virtually unscathed. These bigots should rip a page from Kiprich's book, for he swears "Mi Nuh Si Nutting," or perhaps loosen up like Hawkeye, who claims he doesn't care whom he sleeps with (admittedly though, he's probably referring only to women). Meanwhile, Sizzla was recently pasted for his forays into slackness, and his confusion shows on his querying "No Slackness." There are better ways to fight corruption than slack talk and foul language. For starters you could follow Harry Toddler's lead, "Press Gas," and motor out of Babylon, or present lessons in righteous living like Frisco Kid. Besides, there's really no need to see corruption everywhere like Okonko. Why not get the dancehalls moving like Alizade's "Those Hands Nuh" (which still doesn't make up for his earlier track), or get them singing along like Nitty Kuchie. Overall an incredibly strong set, but some of these numbers will come back to bite the dancehalls right on the butt, overshadowing the rest of the great material within. ~ Jo-Ann Greene

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Greensleeves Rhythm Album Vol. 54:... [PA]
 

Greensleeves Rhythm Album Vol. 54:... [P...

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Greensleeves Rhythm Album Vol. 54:... [PA]
"Cool Fusion [PA]" (2004) Reggae Various Artists, Greensleeves RecordsRecording information: Vendetta Studios, Kingston, Jamaica. Illustrator: Tony McDermott. Since, by its nature, a "rhythm album" consists of nothing but vocal variations on a single instrumental backing track, its inherent weakness as a listening experience is obvious. And to be fair, rhythm albums really aren't intended for front-to-back listening; they're meant to be picked over for particularly hot performances by deejays or (less frequently) singers that can set your party hopping or spice up your radio program. (And, if you're an aspiring chatter yourself, it will usually include a plain version of the rhythm itself so you can exercise your rhyming muscles.) Cool Fusion is a collaboration between the young producer Kirk Ford and the relatively seasoned veteran Donovan "Vendetta" Bennett, whose previous hits include the popular "Mad Ants" and "Trifecta" rhythms. Cool Fusion continues the general trend of Jamaican dancehall towards beats that are as heavily influenced by staggered soca patterns as they are by classic reggae, and it brings out the best in such established talents as Bounty Killer, Sizzla (whose incongruously cheerful Bobo Dread persona is showcased nicely on "All Is Well"), and Capleton. Elephant Man is starting to get a bit tiresome (could someone please get him to stop yelling "scoobay!" at the top of every chorus?) and Lady Saw is pretty much phoning it in on "Man Short," but "Hold Yuh Tonight" is a charming combo track from Tornado and Action K, and "Smoking" is a pretty impressive slice of hortatory horticulture from the deejay tag-team of Tony Curtis (heh) and Vybz Kartel. Recommended. ~ Rick Anderson

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Greensleeves Rhythm Album Vol. 56: Mad Guitar [PA] by Various Artists (CD) [IMPORT - UK]
 

Greensleeves Rhythm Album Vol. 56: Mad G...

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Greensleeves Rhythm Album Vol. 56: Mad Guitar [PA] by Various Artists (CD) [IMPORT - UK]
"Greensleeves Rhythm Album Vol. 56: Mad Guitar [PA]" (07/13/2004) Reggae Various Artists, Greensleeves RecordsRecording information: Vendetta Studios, Kingston, Jamaica. Illustrator: Tony McDermott. The "one-rhythm" album concept -- in which a bunch of vocalists and deejays are enlisted to take turns singing or chatting over a single instrumental backing track (or "rhythm") -- is one of reggae's most annoying contributions to popular music. Yet given an interesting enough rhythm, a varied assortment of vocalists and some creative tweaking on the engineer's part, a one-rhythm album can come close to being listenable -- maybe not all the way through in one sitting, but in bite-sized pieces. Mad Guitar achieves that improbable feat by bringing in such A-list toasters as Buju Banton ("No Tek Check"), Elephant Man ("Tump di Sky") and the underrated Roundhead (whose rockstone-flavored "U Maan Waan You" offers a surprisingly complex vocal arrangement in the chorus), as well as a smaller complement of impressive singers, notably Tami ("Oh No"). The "Mad Guitar" rhythm itself, provided courtesy of up-and-coming producer Donovan "Vendetta" Bennett is funky and flexible enough to lend itself nicely to the various vocal approaches taken by this roster of singers and chatters. Recommended. ~ Rick Anderson

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Greensleeves Rhythm Album #4: Volume by Various Artists (CD) [IMPORT - UK]
 

Greensleeves Rhythm Album #4: Volume by ...

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Greensleeves Rhythm Album #4: Volume by Various Artists (CD) [IMPORT - UK]
"Greensleeves Rhythm Album #4: Volume" (08/22/2000) Reggae Various Artists, Greensleeves RecordsAudio Mixer: Kunley McCarthy.

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Virus: Greensleeves Rhythm Album by Various Artists (CD) [IMPORT - UK]
 

Virus: Greensleeves Rhythm Album by Vari...

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Virus: Greensleeves Rhythm Album by Various Artists (CD) [IMPORT - UK]
"Virus: Greensleeves Rhythm Album" (03/21/2000) Reggae Various Artists, Greensleeves RecordsPersonnel: Tony Thomas, Tony Thomas , Christopher Meredith (keyboards); Mikey Williamson (drums); Cleveland "Clevie" Browne, Delroy Reid (background vocals). Audio Mixer: Mikey Williamson. Recording information: 321 Strong; Anchor Recording Studio; Main Street Recording Studio; Studio 2000. The second in the Greensleeves series of single-riddim records, Virus was produced by the Madd Dawgz production team, and laid down by drummer Mikey Williamson and keyboardists Tony Thomas and Christopher Meredith. Stripped back but bristling with menace, this riddim infected a slew of DJs, old hands succumbing alongside such newcomers as Lexxus, Kiprich, Madd Anju, Egg Nog, and Frassman. The sweet, romantic Delon help listeners identify the riddim's antecedents, Britney Spears' "One More Time," but few others will nod in that direction. Instead, the mighty Capleton sets the standard with his ferocious "Caan Hold We Dung." Mad Cobra lays down the law to women, while Degree is surrounded by "pure sexy bodies," Elephant Man by women troubles, but there's only one woman for Red Rat. Madd Anju is mad about them all, and can't comprehend why other men don't all feel the same. Mr. Vegas, meanwhile, will have all the girls down to their "Itsy Bitsy"s in no time, except the girls who like the girls whom Foxy Cat complains about. It's still early days yet, but this kind of gay bashing will come back to haunt the whole dancehall scene. But at the time, it was the calls of "fire bun" that was exciting condemnations, even so Hawkeye adds to the flames; there's no stopping him, nor an equally powerful Goofy. One could try dousing a particularly belligerent Alley Cat, but it's doubtful you could put out his incendiary toast either. With a fiery riddim and storming performances, Virus is the standard for this series; it should run for years. ~ Jo-Ann Greene

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Greensleeves Rhythm Album #26: Hard Drive by Various Artists (CD) [IMPORT - UK]
 

Greensleeves Rhythm Album #26: Hard Driv...

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Greensleeves Rhythm Album #26: Hard Drive by Various Artists (CD) [IMPORT - UK]
"Greensleeves Rhythm Album #26: Hard Drive" (04/30/2002) Reggae Various Artists, Greensleeves RecordsPerformers include: Sizzla, Capleton, Mr. Vegas, Frisco Kid, Roundhead, Danny English, Merciless. Personnel: Gadget (background vocals). Audio Mixers: Howard Walker; Phillip Smart; Ricky "Mad Man" Myrie. Recording information: Anchor Recording Studio; HC&F Recording Studio, NY; Pot Of Gold Studio, Kingston, Jamaica; Scorpio Recording Studio, XClaim Studio.

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Greensleeves Rhythm Album... [PA] [Limited]
 

Greensleeves Rhythm Album... [PA] [Limit...

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Greensleeves Rhythm Album... [PA] [Limited]
"Tighty Tighty [PA] [Limited]" (10/12/2004) Reggae Various Artists, Greensleeves RecordsRecording information: Vendetta Studios, Kingston, Jamaica. Illustrator: Tony McDermott. The 61st installment in the Greensleeves label's ongoing series of "one-rhythm" albums (on which 15 or 16 singers and DJs are invited to take turns singing or chatting over the same "rhythm," or instrumental track) features a new entry from Donovan "Vendetta" Bennett, who has shaped up to be one of the more popular and influential dancehall producers on the Jamaican scene over the past couple of years. The "Tighty Tighty" rhythm is built on a synthesized acoustic guitar lick and has a faintly Latin flavor. Unfortunately, the rhythm itself is more utilitarian than fun or interesting, and whereas the producers of other albums in this series have varied the rhythm somewhat from track to track, there is very little structural or textural variety on this one. The usual suspects are all present: Elephant Man with the title track, Vybz Kartel with an unbelievably slack contribution titled "Have Fi Good," Sizzla with the more restrained "Push & Shove." Elephant Man's number isn't bad, but it sounds as if he's developed something of a lisp -- it may be that he needs to change his brand of gold teeth. Ms. Thing offers a clever and infectious bling anthem called "Rich & Famous," and Bling Dawg's "Oh No" is similarly pop-friendly and hookswise. Nicky B's "Guns Blaze" brings a fresh breath of consciousness to the proceedings, and T.O.K. adds a hint of Mexican spice alongside gimmicky auto-tuned female vocals. This is far from the best volume in the series, but it's not bad overall. ~ Rick Anderson

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Greensleeves Rhythm Album... [PA] [6/30]
 

Greensleeves Rhythm Album... [PA] [6/30]

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Greensleeves Rhythm Album... [PA] [6/30]
"Galore [Greensleeves] [PA]" (06/30/2006) Reggae Various Artists, Greensleeves RecordsAudio Mixer: Craig Parkes. The "Galore" rhythm is a collaboration between Leftside and Echo of the Pacemaker Muzik collective, and as dancehall rhythms go, it's a fairly interesting one. It's built on a hesitant midtempo beat and a dark, slightly Middle Eastern-flavored tonality, with subtle but ominous gunshot accents. You would expect a backing track of this type to bring out similarly dark and serious toasting from the assembled DJs, but in fact the predominant themes here are slackness and goofiness: Leftside and Echo's own "Wine Up Pon Her" and Dr. Evil's "More Punanny" are both unapologetically smarmy, as is Lady Saw (predictably enough) on the rather amusing "Bed Noise." Idonia's "Chicken Head" is silly without being especially funny, while Beenie Man and Wayne Marshall disappoint with the lackluster "How Yuh Di Dis," which really should have been a highlight track but is instead a sad example of two accomplished pros phoning it in. The best moments are provided by Marshall on his solo track, the slamming "I Forgot Them," and by Buju Banton, whose lyrical singjay performance on "Go Slow" sets a high standard that too few others on this collection are able to meet. All in all, Galore is an acceptable album but far from the brightest moment in the series. ~ Rick Anderson

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Greensleeves Rhythm Album #25: Famine [PA] by Various Artists (CD) [IMPORT - UK]
 

Greensleeves Rhythm Album #25: Famine [P...

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Greensleeves Rhythm Album #25: Famine [PA] by Various Artists (CD) [IMPORT - UK]
"Greensleeves Rhythm Album #25: Famine [PA]" (05/07/2002) Reggae Various Artists, Greensleeves RecordsPerformers includes: Elephant Man, TOK, Sizzla, Beenie Man, Lexxus, Mr. Vegas, Wayne Marshall. Recording information: Claim!); Kings Of Kings Studio (X.

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Greensleeves Rhythm Album #27: Diwali [PA] by Various Artists (CD) [IMPORT - UK]
 

Greensleeves Rhythm Album #27: Diwali [P...

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Greensleeves Rhythm Album #27: Diwali [PA] by Various Artists (CD) [IMPORT - UK]
"Greensleeves Rhythm Album #27: Diwali [PA]" (05/21/2002) Reggae Various Artists, Greensleeves RecordsPerformers include: Crissy D, Tanya Stephens, Ce'cile, Bounty Killer, Elephant Man, TOK, Spraga Benz, Degree. Audio Mixer: Claude "Weakhand" Reynolds. Recording information: Area 39, Kingston, Jam. Unlike the Egyptian and Bollywood riddims, the Diwali riddim doesn't have an upfront Eastern sound. The influence seems to come more from house music than from South Asia. On many of the tracks, the supposed foreign influence is completely lost and only the straightforward beat remains. Wayne Wonder's "No Letting Go" takes the rhythm out of the dancehall and gives it a soul/R&B sound, stripping the rhythm down to just the bare beat. Most of the tracks don't take such an extreme approach to the rhythm. Mega Banton uses the rhythm to its fullest, cutting the track that stands out from the rest on the album. He sings on "It's OK" without stripping away the rhythm and rebuilding it as R&B. The best tracks leave the instrumental alone and don't bother adding more samples. T.O.K. and Tanya Stephens don't mess with the instrumental and end up with two of the top tracks on the album. The usual dancehall stars follow the same pattern and cut solid tracks. Bounty Killer, Beenie Man, Assassin, and Elephant Man don't offer more than what you would expect from the upper echelon. Their tracks all have the traits you would expect of each of the dancehall personalities. C?cile has the album's one oddity. "Respect Yuh Wife" seems to be a warning to husbands to treat their wives kindly. It sounds very similar to Tanya Stephens' "Can't Touch Me No More," but has almost unbearable lyrics. "Respect Yuh Wife" is one of the few tracks that proves that dancehall lyrics do matter in some minor way. When most songs are almost incomprehensible to English speakers outside of Jamaica, it is amazing how off-putting a hokey set of lyrics can be. Any of Bounty Killer's warlord bloodbaths are far easier to listen to, despite perhaps being on the negative side of the fence. The Diwali riddim doesn't have the huge standout tracks that the Egyptian riddim has, but makes for a quality rhythm collection. ~ Matt Whalley

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Egyptian
 

Egyptian

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Egyptian
"Greensleeves Rhythm Album #40: Egyptian [PA]" (05/27/2003) Reggae Various Artists, Greensleeves RecordsPerformers include: Sean Paul, Bounty Killer, Elephant Man. Recording information: Vendetta Studios, Kingston, Jamaica. Jamaican riddim albums line up the talent side by side and let them compete on a level playing field. The rhythm is essentially the same throughout the album with only a few minor additions and adjustments. Each dancehall singer has to bring his own style to the rhythm and see what he can do. Sean Paul, Wayne Marshall, Bounty Killer, Vybz Kartel, and Elephant Man use the Egyptian riddim to separate themselves from the rest. When the rhythm is the same through 20 tracks, only the songs that have real style are memorable. Wayne Marshall's "I Will Love the Girls" takes the biggest risk with the rhythm and is by far the one that sticks out from the rest. He has a more soulful approach that begins to outshine the rhythm's hypnotic pulse. Simple bass is matched with a snake-charmer rhythm to give a kind of Middle Eastern sound. After the success of the Diwali riddim, the Egyptian one just takes it a step further. Assassin's "It's a Girl Thing" almost sounds like a vexed breed of Turkish dance music. The tabla and speed of his rhymes make the Egyptian riddim really seem like it had its origins outside of Jamaica. The weakest tracks are easily recognized because the singers use the snake-charmer melody as their chorus. Perhaps on 45 they wouldn't sound nearly as weak, but matched up side by side with the very best, they become easy to ignore. The last track is the instrumental version of the Egyptian riddim, which on its own is interesting because it gives you an idea of what these guys had to work with. Young Jamaica producer Donovan "Vendetta" Bennett has created a solid instrumental that has spawned at least eight heavy hitters. Having these tracks all collected in one album saves time digging through 45s and really shows which singers can really destroy a rhythm. ~ Matt Whalley

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Sunblock: Greensleeves Rhythm Album, No. 69 by Various Artists (Vinyl) [IMPORT - UK]
 

Sunblock: Greensleeves Rhythm Album, No....

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Sunblock: Greensleeves Rhythm Album, No. 69 by Various Artists (Vinyl) [IMPORT - UK]
"Sunblock: Greensleeves Rhythm Album, No. 69" (05/11/2006) Reggae Various Artists, Greensleeves Records

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Greensleeves Rhythm Album #44: Good to Go [PA] by Various Artists (Vinyl) [IMPORT - UK]
 

Greensleeves Rhythm Album #44: Good to G...

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Greensleeves Rhythm Album #44: Good to Go [PA] by Various Artists (Vinyl) [IMPORT - UK]
"Greensleeves Rhythm Album #44: Good to Go [PA]" (05/12/2006) Reggae Various Artists, Greensleeves Records

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Greensleeves Rhythm Album #41: 20 Cent [PA] by Various Artists (Vinyl) [IMPORT - UK]
 

Greensleeves Rhythm Album #41: 20 Cent [...

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Greensleeves Rhythm Album #41: 20 Cent [PA] by Various Artists (Vinyl) [IMPORT - UK]
"Greensleeves Rhythm Album #41: 20 Cent [PA]" (05/12/2006) Reggae Various Artists, Greensleeves Records

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X-Treme: Greensleeves Rhythm Album, Vol. 12 [PA] by Various Artists (Vinyl) [IMPORT - UK]
 

X-Treme: Greensleeves Rhythm Album, Vol....

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X-Treme: Greensleeves Rhythm Album, Vol. 12 [PA] by Various Artists (Vinyl) [IMPORT - UK]
"X-Treme: Greensleeves Rhythm Album, Vol. 12 [PA]" (05/08/2001) Reggae Various Artists, Greensleeves RecordsGreensleeves' one-riddim series continued with volume 12, featuring the X-Treme riddim, created by In Streetz Records' Byron Murray and Clifford Smith. And it's an incendiary one, with three artists having already ridden this riddim onto 7": Mr. Vegas with "Duppy Durex," Buccaneer's "Balm the Dead," and Bounty Killer's "Liberty," with another 17 versions stuffed onto this set. Capleton ferociously kicks off the comp, Mr. Vegas returns to give a big up to the new generation of dancehall heroes and a shoutout to the old, but then Elephant Man stomps all over that feel-good atmosphere, spewing his prejudice on "Bumber Claat." Gay-bashing is now all the rage, and so he's joined later in the set with an equally offensive G. Man and Alizade, whose "Rated PG" obviously somehow escaped the censors virtually unscathed. These bigots should rip a page from Kiprich's book, for he swears "Mi Nuh Si Nutting," or perhaps loosen up like Hawkeye, who claims he doesn't care whom he sleeps with (admittedly though, he's probably referring only to women). Meanwhile, Sizzla was recently pasted for his forays into slackness, and his confusion shows on his querying "No Slackness." There are better ways to fight corruption than slack talk and foul language. For starters you could follow Harry Toddler's lead, "Press Gas," and motor out of Babylon, or present lessons in righteous living like Frisco Kid. Besides, there's really no need to see corruption everywhere like Okonko. Why not get the dancehalls moving like Alizade's "Those Hands Nuh" (which still doesn't make up for his earlier track), or get them singing along like Nitty Kuchie. Overall an incredibly strong set, but some of these numbers will come back to bite the dancehalls right on the butt, overshadowing the rest of the great material within. ~ Jo-Ann Greene

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Virus: Greensleeves Rhythm Album by Various Artists (Vinyl) [IMPORT - UK]
 

Virus: Greensleeves Rhythm Album by Vari...

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Virus: Greensleeves Rhythm Album by Various Artists (Vinyl) [IMPORT - UK]
"Virus: Greensleeves Rhythm Album" (03/21/2000) Reggae Various Artists, Greensleeves RecordsThe second in the Greensleeves series of single-riddim records, Virus was produced by the Madd Dawgz production team, and laid down by drummer Mikey Williamson and keyboardists Tony Thomas and Christopher Meredith. Stripped back but bristling with menace, this riddim infected a slew of DJs, old hands succumbing alongside such newcomers as Lexxus, Kiprich, Madd Anju, Egg Nog, and Frassman. The sweet, romantic Delon help listeners identify the riddim's antecedents, Britney Spears' "One More Time," but few others will nod in that direction. Instead, the mighty Capleton sets the standard with his ferocious "Caan Hold We Dung." Mad Cobra lays down the law to women, while Degree is surrounded by "pure sexy bodies," Elephant Man by women troubles, but there's only one woman for Red Rat. Madd Anju is mad about them all, and can't comprehend why other men don't all feel the same. Mr. Vegas, meanwhile, will have all the girls down to their "Itsy Bitsy"s in no time, except the girls who like the girls whom Foxy Cat complains about. It's still early days yet, but this kind of gay bashing will come back to haunt the whole dancehall scene. But at the time, it was the calls of "fire bun" that was exciting condemnations, even so Hawkeye adds to the flames; there's no stopping him, nor an equally powerful Goofy. One could try dousing a particularly belligerent Alley Cat, but it's doubtful you could put out his incendiary toast either. With a fiery riddim and storming performances, Virus is the standard for this series; it should run for years. ~ Jo-Ann Greene

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$30
Greensleeves Rhythm Album #27: Diwali by Various Artists (Vinyl) [IMPORT - UK]
 

Greensleeves Rhythm Album #27: Diwali by...

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Greensleeves Rhythm Album #27: Diwali by Various Artists (Vinyl) [IMPORT - UK]
"Greensleeves Rhythm Album #27: Diwali" (05/21/2002) Reggae Various Artists, Greensleeves RecordsPerformers include: Crissy D, Tanya Stephens, Ce'cile, Bounty Killer, Elephant Man, TOK, Spraga Benz, Degree. Unlike the Egyptian and Bollywood riddims, the Diwali riddim doesn't have an upfront Eastern sound. The influence seems to come more from house music than from South Asia. On many of the tracks, the supposed foreign influence is completely lost and only the straightforward beat remains. Wayne Wonder's "No Letting Go" takes the rhythm out of the dancehall and gives it a soul/R&B sound, stripping the rhythm down to just the bare beat. Most of the tracks don't take such an extreme approach to the rhythm. Mega Banton uses the rhythm to its fullest, cutting the track that stands out from the rest on the album. He sings on "It's OK" without stripping away the rhythm and rebuilding it as R&B. The best tracks leave the instrumental alone and don't bother adding more samples. T.O.K. and Tanya Stephens don't mess with the instrumental and end up with two of the top tracks on the album. The usual dancehall stars follow the same pattern and cut solid tracks. Bounty Killer, Beenie Man, Assassin, and Elephant Man don't offer more than what you would expect from the upper echelon. Their tracks all have the traits you would expect of each of the dancehall personalities. C?cile has the album's one oddity. "Respect Yuh Wife" seems to be a warning to husbands to treat their wives kindly. It sounds very similar to Tanya Stephens' "Can't Touch Me No More," but has almost unbearable lyrics. "Respect Yuh Wife" is one of the few tracks that proves that dancehall lyrics do matter in some minor way. When most songs are almost incomprehensible to English speakers outside of Jamaica, it is amazing how off-putting a hokey set of lyrics can be. Any of Bounty Killer's warlord bloodbaths are far easier to listen to, despite perhaps being on the negative side of the fence. The Diwali riddim doesn't have the huge standout tracks that the Egyptian riddim has, but makes for a quality rhythm collection. ~ Matt Whalley

starting at

$54
Deals on Greensleeves rhythm album in Reggae Music. Visit BizRate to find the best deals on Reggae Music. See which Music stores have the Greensleeves rhythm album that you want. Read reviews on Music merchants and buy with confidence. Find savings on Greensleeves Rhythm Album #34: Masterpiece by Various Artists (CD) [IMPORT - UK] - Greensleeves Rhythm Album Vol. 36 [PA].