Right On Time: A Review of Strictly The Best Vols. 40 & 41

Is it that time again already? There are but a few series in Reggae music today (and historically speaking as well), which kind of fit on a schedule and can be ‘managed’ as a buyer. It is perhaps even more of a tracking point for the more casual fans to a degree, but even the hardcore faithful (like I’m doing here) can kind of check up on the progression of the year when the latest installment of such a series rolls through. I cannot tell you how many times over the last decade I (like an old ass man) may have remarked, ’oh! Is it this month already!’, because some album came through, right on schedule. For example, if you want that kind of mainstream like SPARKLING Reggae music, well then you might want to make sure you have your money in order in around June or so, because that is typically when you can expect the latest release from the most popular Reggae series in the world, VP Records’ Reggae Gold (and Soca gold just a month or so before that). And with RG covering the middle portion of the year, definitely the next biggest series in Reggae Strictly The Best serves the same function with the latter portion of the year as when an StB pops up, most assuredly the year has all but passed. It is in that respect that StB is somewhat of a younger sibling (even though, having debuted in 1991, it’s two years older) to Reggae Gold. Still, where that series seems to focus on collecting the most obvious choices for the hordes of mainstream fans who will pick it up through name value alone, StB, tends to go A LITTLE further for the more experienced listeners and although the results are typically mixed, most big Reggae fans will almost always favour Strictly The Best over Reggae Gold. This year it’s pretty guaranteed that it will remain that way and StB comes with a very friendly ‘twist’ as well. With VP having acquired its closest competitor, Greensleeves Records, and having maintained its release schedule, it would seem to be that StB, once a MIGHTY double simultaneous release would be (as it was last year) but a single album into perpetuity, but things aren’t so. This year, we WONDERFULLY get two editions, volumes 40 and 41, released not too long after Greensleeves’ The Biggest Reggae One-Drop Anthems and The Biggest Ragga Dancehall Anthems 2009 albums, so apparently the label doesn’t so much mind competing with itself (so maybe next year, I can get my anthems album back at FORTY tracks each???). Regardless of the case (and really regardless of the outcomes), it’s so nice to see the double release rebirthed, if only even for just one year. The results? Varied as usual, but the surprises don’t end at two separate albums. Within, listeners will find a decent Dancehall compilation in 40 and one of the most interesting (and BEST) Reggae compilations of the year in 41. Let’s examine.

StBVol.40

Strictly The Best 40 is a very nice and dynamic project which focuses, for the VAST most part, on lover’s rock and does so with styles and artists across the board. It wonderfully mixes established (and VERY established) talents alongside those of the ‘who in the hell is that variety’, with artists from both standings scoring and doing so almost equally well. Two of the most varied of these talents open up Strictly The Best #40 from VP Records as Buju Banton brings along his new friend, US R&B superstar John Legend with the remix version of a tune on Legend’s most recent album Evolver, ‘Can’t Be My Lover’. This tune is probably going to (continue to) get quite a bit of attention and deservedly so, it is really a big deal and although it isn’t the strongest tune you’ll hear on StB40, it’s certainly right up there and an excellent choice as a start. Up next is much less of a surprise but an always welcome addition, reggae legend Beres Hammond with an effort from his most recent album A Moment In Time, ‘No Goodbye’ which sweeps in across a Sea Of Love [Riddm]. This tune has remained one of the more popular and a crowd favourite from the album and justly so because really the more you listen to it the sweeter it seems to get (and I still LOVE when the man just breaks down and says (while clearly DEEP in thought), “just wish I was man enough to. . . come out and say it to you. You know”). And then there’s another staple of VP Records (STILL waiting on them to give the man an album with as much as they seem to call on him), UK singer Bitty McLean who chimes in on a remix to one of his better tunes, ‘[To] Fall In Love’ (and you can find the original on his On Bond Street album). This is right with McLean’s area of expertise (he’s very much a ‘hired gun’ of VP’s) and ANY tune on such vibes of his will benearly spectacular, here, no exception.

The RIDICULOUSLY talented Hezron’s is the first of quite a few names on StB40 which I’m sure quite a few Reggae heads might not immediately recognize. His piece ‘So In Love’ is absolutely GORGEOUS and while we quietly begin to look for ‘the next’ Beres or Sanchez (outside of Stevie Face that is), certainly Hezron has to be a name in the running because of songs just like So In Love. Heading back to the UK, we get the potential star Gappy Ranks with his downright DOMINANT ‘Heaven In Your Eyes. So much so has this tune grown on me in the last couple of months or so that I’m going to go as far as to call it the best LOVER’S ROCK tune on this lover’s rock packed album. I LOVE THIS SONG! And I’ve heard called gimmicky by some people, but I guess I’ve fallen for it because Heaven In Your Eyes is a mighty tune in my ‘eyes’. Immensley talented cutie from out of Kingston, Sherieta, makes her VP debut on StB40 as well, with one of her tunes, ‘All In The Name of Love’. I’m kind of conflicted here and not because this one isn’t a nice tune (it most certainly is), but it’s not her best (look for a BRUTAL tune by the name of ‘I Wish’) and I think they could have picked a finer one. However, if this what gets her name in the door and get YOU seeking her future works, then I guess this lovely song will more than serve its purpose and DEFINITELY keep an eye on the future superstar known as Sherieta. Speaking of artists to look out for, you may also want to do so concerning Maikal X, a potential Dutchie Reggae star. I’ve been keeping an eye on the singer for awhile now and he’s definitely developed quite well and his tune for StB40, ‘The Best In You’ is an excellent example of just that and you can well expect successes from X in the future. And you probably don’t know the name Chuckle Berry and you’re probably expecting me to slam the tune. but I’m not (and not just because CB is from ST. ANN’Z!). I don’t like his song, ‘Good Life’, and I’m in a small minority with that and I’ll just leave it like that. And lastly, Jah Vinci may be a bit more familiar to you as a member of Vybz Kartel’s Empire. I’m not a fan of Vinci’s either and his tune here ‘Baby Girl I’m Alone’ (from TJ) kind of wears thin on me after awhile, but I do expect Vinci to develop quite nicely and perhaps become the only member of the Empire who I can tolerate some day (Aidonia not included). As for the artists with whom you’re well acquainted, just about ALL of them standout to my opinion. That includes what is the provider of the best tune on the album in my opinion and the sole non-lover’s piece, ‘Lioness On The Rise’, the lioness herself, Queen Ifrica. I love this tune more each and every time I hear it and nowadays it’s ULTRA familiar to my ears and still, it GROWS. HUGE tune. There’s also ‘Lucky Man’ from Courtney John which, were I not caught up in the rapture of “Heaven”, would be my choice as the best lover’s piece on StB#40 without a doubt. You certainly have no good reason to be expecting Busy Signal on StB40 (he would figure to be more prominent on #41, well he’s on that one also) and you also certainly have no good reason to expecting to hear him going all Phil Collins on the people like he does on ‘One More Night’. This tune will GRAB YOUR ASS! QUICKLY! Think it’s corny as hell (because it is), but around the start of the second minute or so, you’ll be singing that hook, helplessly addicted. VP chose to use this album as the debut of a powerful single from an even mightier artist, young star Etana, with ‘Heart Broken’. This tune figures to feature quite significantly on her next album (which is apparently coming sooner than we think) and it’s given a test run on StB. . . A successful test run. Big tune. you should also be at least somewhat familiar with young Euro vet Million Stylez, who shines with his OUTSTANDING tune Me & You. I think this may be the first time that Stylez has appeared on a VP project and if so, let’s hope for many more. And lastly are veterans Fiona and Red Roze, both of whom do very well on their tunes, respectively. Red Roze reaches on the Merry Go Round riddim (just like Chuckle Berry), with the very nice ‘Under My Skin‘. He is ‘topped’, however, by Fiona who DOESN’T PLAY with syrupy sweet tune ‘Since I’ve Been Loving You’. It won’t get the opportunity to (it would have already if it were possible), but this tune, in my opinion, could do so well amongst R&B fans as it is so close to that vibes and Fiona has always been one of the most quietly talented songstresses in the game and definitely check out her new album More Than Words (where the tune also appears). Fiona is ALWAYS welcome and helps to put a nice bow on Strictly The Best #40 down its final stretch. LOVELY.

StBVol.41

Unlike it’s ever so slightly older sibling, StB40, Strictly The Best 41 doesn’t go very much in the direction of the ‘new’ and ‘up and coming’ artists. Instead, of its fifteen tracks, nearly half of them (seven) come from the same three artists, all established artists (DUH) and there are four more artists on the project which are, for the most part, Dancehall household names at that point, leaving only four somewhat up and comers (and one of them is already established as doing something else, dancing, in the genre). Those aforementioned three artists who cover three tracks here cover the first three on VP’s Strictly The Best Vol. 41. The first, Mr. Vegas, delivers an absolute homerun across the first of two consecutive doses of the world famous Good Life riddim (the best Dancehall riddim of the year were the year to end today) with ‘I Am Blessed’. This was a big tune for Vegas for me because his is a name which, while I don’t fret when I see it (would be a lot of fretting these days), it generally, like his music doesn’t do much for me, but I Am Blessed is DAMN different and a huge tune no less. So wonderful, in fact, was the Good Life that aside from making Vegas looking GREAT it also did quite well for Vybz Kartel who chimes in next with his very solid and well done ‘Dollar Sign’. This is the type of tune I’d like to hear him do more of these days. It’s not very far (in terms of subjectry) from what he’s usually doing these days, but it’s less RIGID, MECHANICAL and downright boring as hell than what he typically ends up going into, it has much more of a natural and adlibbed type of flow to it which really shows off the true powers of the still devilishly lyrically talented Kartel. Kartel, however, is ‘out dueled’ by nemesis, Mavado, in terms of quality on StB41 (at least here) who comes in with the SCATHING ‘Mocking Bird’ (which may or may not actually be about Kartel) (okay clearly it is), which is the first non-Good Life riddim tune on StB41 and is WICKED.

With the artists here you may not know, as I said, there aren’t that many but a couple do impress. Of the four, DEFINITELY the most notable on StB40 is young singer G-Whiz. His tune ‘Life’ for TJ’s Mood Swing riddim is BIG, although it’s placement on this Dancehall compilation is quite questionable. Still, we do like to see the artists getting a nice spin and the exposure offered by StB is more than just “nice”. The same goes for Wasp whose Bugle-like ‘Unfair Officer’ did serious damage for the typically agitated youth, but it is well impressive and of all the youths here, I think Wasp is THE name to look out for. Those two are joined by the less than inspiring Laden, whose ‘Really Like You’ is nowhere near the best material that he’s done thus far. And you can call me a hater if you like, but I’ve never liked Ding Dong as a vocal artist and ‘Man A Gallis’, although EASILY some of his finest work, doesn’t even come close to changing my mind. Munga Honourable is beyond this group at this point, but MAYBE it’s your first time hearing his name, if so, his effort here, ‘We Want Money’ from the big Clearance riddim, will point you in the right direction, it is CLOSE to being very strong. Unsurprisingly, it’s VP’s own Mavado who is the only artist to get three different tunes to their credits and he’s set up to steal the show as all three are at least decent. Mocking Bird is still the best, but both ‘Just To How You Move’ and the electric ‘Hope & Pray’ on the Trippple Bounce are nice as well (with Hope & Pray being the better of the two). I’ve been really high on Mavado this year and he continues his good streak here heading into a potentially even bigger 2K10 for the singer. Kartel ESSENTIALLY reverts back to his uneventful state as he takes on the same HYPE Street Team riddim Mocking Bird rode in on ‘Something Ah Go Happen’. Again, I just don’t know what it is and I am starting to think I have my own partials at this point because, despite a WICKED riddim and very nice lyrics, I think there’s something missing here (outside of the chorus, which is outstanding). And the other artist on StB41 to have multiple tunes, Vegas, comes back with the HILARIOUS ‘Gallis’ over the Trippple Bounce (biggup Bobquisha, every time) and I’m now slightly ashamed that I haven’t been paying him more mind these last few months. And what would this be without Beenie Man? The Doctor comes in over the too hype Gimmie Gimmie. The verses are nice, but that damn riddim is ridiculous outside of a techno dance club and I don’t live in a techno dance club (unfortunately). And you probably don’t either (also unfortunately). And if someone mentions “too hype” of course Ele can’t be too far behind and his tune on StB41, ‘Swing’ is corny and gimmicky as hell. . . But it caught me! I like (not LOVE) the tune, as another in an increasingly LONG ASS line of gimmicked out and otherwise tired tunes from the ‘Energy God’ which just kind of catch you off guard (and that riddim is better than you in each and everyway and it doesn’t care if your feelings are hurt). Still, I reserve ‘best tune’ honours for last and taking them is the only artist to appear on both of the latest installations of Strictly The Best, Busy Signal, whose ‘Da Style Deh’ is another statement of just how WICKED Busy has gotten. After starting out when everyone was proclaiming him the next greatest and then being passed by Aidonia (and you could even argue that he lapped him in terms of skill), Busy is now himself in a different class in my opinion and Da Style Deh, for all of its quirks and idiosyncrasies (and there’re literally MILLIONS on this one tune), is fucking Genius.

Overall, between these two releases DEFINITELY #40 is the top dog and it’s also arguably the single best lover’s rock dominated compilation that I’ve heard in 2009 (and I know that it’s not saying a great deal at all). That album is pretty close to magic at times and I was so surprised that VP chose to take it in that type of direction and with The Biggest Reggae One-Drop Anthems now under their direction as well, doing such a thing is ultimately a WONDERFUL idea: Having the even number of StB become known as a Lover’s Rock album almost strictly. With #41 however, although it isn’t BAD, ultimately I don’t come away from it with any great emotion either way AND there’s also the similarly vibed The Biggest Ragga Dancehall Anthems album to make things even more difficult for listeners to choose (and that album this year has eighteen tracks with efforts from Laden, Mavado (3 tunes also), Kartel and even Assassin), but this one is slightly softer than that one (which was the ‘traditional’ difference between Greensleeves and VP’s output), but that separation isn’t one which I think will come across so well to casual listeners just seeing a lot of the same artists with more tracks on something else you supply, so I think there has to be things worked out on that side. Still, it is Strictly The Best, and it well has that name value for the new heads. When they come looking for it (and they are), hopefully they’re prepared for some nice lover’s rock from some of the best in the game. If so, then they’ll be well satisfied. If not, then they probably may want to look elsewhere this year.

Rated in Full: 4/5

VP Records

2009