Where would we be without you? There are certain people who, likewise, cast certain figures that Reggae music simply just wouldn’t be the same if they weren’t around. If you were to awake one day and reach for your favourite album and the artist who made was simply GONE, or maybe even it’s that person who you just keep promising yourself that you’re going to TRY to start listening to seriously one day, in either respect, their mere presence makes the Reggae world a much better place (or just the place that it happens to be). Not to say, as I alluded to, that such an artist has to be the most popular or the biggest name in the world actually, but, for whatever reason or another, they have just become downright NECESSARY in the world of Reggae music. For example, I don’t know about you, but for me, I just NEED IT IN MY LIFE: Hearing the turban clad King of St. Mary, Capleton, chant down “More Fire (!)”, at least several times each and every week. That makes MY LIFE better! It’s very comforting, in a fiery type of way, to know that he is there and whenever you need such an emotional rush, there are a bag of tunes like ‘Who Dem’ and ‘Cooyah Cooyah’ ready and awaiting. To even further detail and illustrate this point, I’ll draw on someone like Vybz Kartel. Is it just me, or does it seem like Kartel has been around almost as long Bounty Killer and Beenie Man (both of whom belong on this list and it goes without saying) (so I won’t) and not at least a decade less than both as he has, basically, established himself as the third of that now three headed monster, and did so in relatively short order. Others still such as Lady Saw, Elephant Man and Bajja Jedd (j/k), have either through the AWESOME WONDERFULNESS or just their RIDICULOUSNESS, these are artists who have micro-bonded themselves to the word Reggae. That being said, BY FAR, the most appropriate and significant member of this camp (and notice I didn’t add Sizzla, because, again, it doesn’t necessarily mean THE BEST) is the coolest man on the planet, Beres Hammond. Imagine a world without ‘No Disturb Sign‘! There is no ‘Rockaway, no ‘One Step Ahead’, no ‘LAST WAR’ (I’m tearing up right now) and no ’Love From A Distance (and no ‘I’d Do Anything’) (DAMN!)! There’d be no one to make the world’s sweetest love songs and no one to wear that cool ass leather hat. A Reggae world without Beres Hammond is a Reggae world where I’m a fan of country music and ONLY country music: I just don’t want to talk about it.
Now, continuing the downright dastardly angle on this review, imagine a world without Beres Hammond AND without Penthouse Records (put the pistol down!). Although we’ve kind of just completed a run of time where the venerable label, ran by the one name Donovan Germain, had quite a bit of ’down time’, wonderfully Penthouse is back in action and back on the scene making some more than very nice vibes. The parallels between Hammond and Penthouse Records are many as evident by the fact that many of the singer’s greatest hits have come via the label, so it would only make sense that when Penthouse essentially musically reenergized itself, that link would start up once again and, once again, prove to be quite fruitful . Beres, himself, of course, hasn’t gone anywhere. In 2008 he made his ‘scheduled’ stop by the industry leader, VP Records, with his SUBLIME A Moment In Time album which, as usual, proved very successful for the legendary crooner, but in that same time frame, Penthouse has also been quite active. Germain and company have released quite a few albums (including two or three through VP as well, such as both Penthouse Showcase Volumes two and three). It seems that within the past couple of months or so (and by my research they even have a released scheduled for next week, as of this writing) Penthouse has pushed just about EVERYTHING they’ve had recently, releasing compilation after compilation, featuring almost anyone who is anyone in Reggae and Dancehall music over some of their new (and older) riddims and it feels so nice to see them back! Following the departure of their last (to my knowledge) artist project which was the LETHAL Assassin, Germain reportedly made a commitment to get back into production and he’s done just that. Well, after all of those compilation releases, which certainly have and are going to continue to do quite a bit of damage for the label, it seems as if the Penthouse Records’ brass (Germain) decided that they could have used something to really get the masses’ attention and the people talking in the streets and this is what they came up with, Something Old, Something New from Beres Hammond. Now, two things: First of all, Penthouse has a currently running compilation series by the same name (which is currently at number four being the most recently release by my count) and I’m assuming this album is just a part of that series. The second is an extension of the first, Something Old, Something New is a COMPILATION. It features just what it says. Some of Hammonds’ finest work has come via the label and now that it has gotten itself back in gear, his was a name the label immediately and successfully drew on along with other longtime staples of Penthouse such as Buju Banton and Tony Rebel (thus, don’t be at all surprised to see Something Old, Something New releases from them in the future either). The album is, by no means, your typical ‘greatest hits’ style of release, as it features the work from a single label, but again, I should reiterate how successful the Hammond/Germain union has been, so not only do you have a healthy foundation of tunes ranging in degrees of popularity, also present on Something Old, Something New is a very nice cache of new(er) tunes and remixes. And, as if this needed a declaration: It is a NEW BERES HAMMOND ALBUM! Compilation or not, where I stand, that’s a big deal and will always be. Let’s examine.
As you might anticipate with such a project, which was almost certainly kind of ‘put together’ for the moment, there are more than few surprises throughout this album. It will, indeed, give you what you want in terms of the classic and familiar vibes, but the twists and turns come frequently and in so many different forms. The first tune on Beres Hammond’s Something Old, Something New, however, is neither twist nor turn, as the very familiar and revered tough love refrain of ‘Warriours Don’t Cry’ gets us going. I shouldn’t have to say much about this tune. It’s excellent, it’s clearly one of the best (if not THE best) on the album and it’s kind of a ‘safe’ opening, but things don’t stay that way for too long. In fact, they change IMMEDIATELY thereafter. Fans will recognize the ‘Be Bold, Be Strong’ title of the second tune here as the most powerful of punch lines on the opener and they’ll also recognize the tune itself, as it is actually a (WELL DONE and interesting) remix of the well regarded tune which precedes it. The remixed version features quite a bit of in put from the SCATHING Assassin who puts forth a strong effort, even arguably outshining his superstar partner on the tune. The remix is arguably an even bigger show. Things return to normal with Hammond’s cut of Penthouse’s SWEETLY vibed Right Time riddim (which I THINK is a remake of an older piece), ‘Always Be There’. This tune (which appears on the A Day In The Life album) is vintage Beres Hammond and my favourite tune altogether on Something Old, Something New. It’s not one of his more popular efforts either, so maybe there are more than a few casual heads who haven’t heard and will certainly enjoy it here.
I’m going to start at track #8 and roll right on through, up to #17, which is, easily, the heart of the interesting matters on Something Old, Something New. That track (#8), ’Give It All You’ve Got’ is Beres Hammond’s cut of Penthouse’s MIGHTY Stop The Fighting riddim and it’s a big tune. Chasing it is his other tune on that same riddim, ’I’m Gonna Do My Best’, which is his exact same offering, wonderfully spruced up with add-ons from longtime spar Buju Banton. Buju returns on the following tune, ‘Love In The Streets’ and brings with him Assassin and I-OCTANE on what is, in my opinion, one of the real reasons to pick this one up. To my ears, ‘Sassin steals the show, although Octane and, of course, Buju and Beres do well fine jobs on the BUBBLING anti-violence piece. The next tune is an oddly vibed version (officially called the ‘Alternative Mix’) of Hammond’s BIG ‘Live On’ alongside the just as reputable and NECESSARY Marcia Griffiths. The tune also follows itself with a ‘Remix’ version and you should be WELL FULL of the tune by that point and that’s a good thing because it is absolute magic (and I would say that I prefer the Alternative Mix, between the two, although the remix is nice and funky sounding). Cutty Ranks jumps in for the first of a couple of times on Something Old, Something New for the tune [Strong] ‘Strong Love’. I’ve never really liked this tune (Babylon Nuh Care riddim), it just doesn’t do very much for me, although my not being the biggest (NOT AT ALL) fan of Cutty’s most surely has something to do with that. In next is (#14, if you’re keeping score) the opener from Hammond’s most recent studio effort, the aforementioned A Moment In Time, ‘I Feel Good’. This tune immediately goes near the head of the class of this album, just as it did on A Moment In Time. It is absolutely DAZZLING and kind of a neo-vintage brand of Beres Hammond at his very best. The next tune, as so many before it has, utilizes one of the punch lines of the previous tune, ‘What A Night’, for its title and mixes in Queen Ifrica, to join Beres. I don’t particularly her kind of talking additives, but things sweeten up when she really takes the mic full on definitely. The very popular tune ‘African’ (which you KNEW was going to be here) is up next. The tune features a whole heap of artist alongside Hammond: Gramps Morgan, Tony Rebel, Buju, Queen Ifrica, Marcia Griffiths and even Louie Culture. The tune’s message is the star of the show, however, as a MASSIVE vibes of unification comes chanting down from all the artists. To my opinion, Tony Rebel shines brightest (although you have to appreciate the almost lackadaisical way in which Ifrica deals with the matter), but ALL do very well, of course. Lastly, in that same stretch of tunes is the return of Cutty Ranks on the tune ‘Love Me Haffi Get’. Not even Ranks can spoil this tune for me (although he gives it a pretty good shot), which is simply the CLASSIC Beres Hammond tune ‘Tempted To Touch’ with the robotic voiced DJ on board. Some of the ‘poor and unfortunate’ tunes away from that massive block of zaniness, also are very well. Check the fairly recent (long winded titled) ‘Just Don’t Know How To Say Goodbye’. if that tune ever got the chance to play on international Pop/R&B radio (and it won’t) it would DEFINITELY do a major damage. I probably can’t say the same of the strictly Reggae vibed ‘Can’t Walk Away’ which is over the famed Mr. Brown riddim and, for my Reggae heads, you’ll love the vibes on that tune, just as I do. Beres Hammond favourite [Thanks Fe Mi] Pride & Joy is also present on Something Old, Something New. This tune I mention largely because I haven’t heard it. This is the version of the tune sans Buju (Buju appears on the tune on the Love Has No Boundaries album) and it instantly becomes a collector’s item of sorts (like the entire album) for me. Hammond is ‘Giving Thanks’ as he steps out of the door with another prime attraction on Something Old, Something New and yet another POWERFUL testament to his range and his standing in the music (as if we needed it).
Overall, I’m actually kind of confused as to whom to recommend this album. On one hand, it is basically a greatest hits album and (a strange one, but one still) and thus it’s my first thought to say that casual or new fans should be the ones to check it (not before, HOWEVER, checking the Beres Hammond Ultimate Collection album), but because of its oddities, I would think it would also be the type of an album which well indoctrinated fans would want as well, if for no other reason, than as a collector’s item of sorts, as I said. Whatever your ‘rank’ of fan of Beres Hammond’s, I almost have to think that there is something on Something Old, Something New which will interest you. I kind of take the album, myself, as a nice bonus because it’s not often you get something like this (QUALITY) between studio pieces from him (and it may full on be 2011 or 2012, before we get the next one of those), so definitely take advantage of it and take every opportunity you can to enjoy Reggae’s most NECESSARY and FITTING talents of all time.
Rated 4/5
Penthouse Records
2009
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