Despite rumours to the contrary, the Reggae compilation has not died a slow and painful death. In fact, in 2009 it received what is in my opinion, its biggest BOOST in recent memory with SOLID pieces coming from labels all across the board. The digitization of Reggae has brought even more and more in the way of compilations. Notice the next time you go shopping at your favourite etailer, just how many compilations of various types they have marked '2009'. So, in hopes to distinguish the GEMS in the midst of the clutter, I submit, for your approval, THE BEST CONTEMPORARY REGGAE COMPILATIONS OF 2009!
{note 1: Dancehall, yes. Soca, no.}
{note 2: No full on re-releases}
{note 3: No greatest hits (none of them would have made the list anyway I believe)}
{Honourable Mentions: Indiscretions/Dubwise Riddim, Jah Live Riddim, Culture Dem 3, Sweet Riddim, Ghetto Riddim, The Best Reggae One-Drop Anthems 2009 & Standing Firm Riddim}
#10. Strictly The Best Vol. 40 [VP Records]
This one was a bit of a nice surprise wasn’t it. Strictly The Best, although far more hospitable to established fans than it’s very popular cousin, ‘Goldy’, typically also follows the kind of case where a great deal of the tunes may be stale. And not only that, but it was expected (at least by me) that the series would remain but a single release every year due to VP having purchased the compilation heavy Greensleeves Records and deciding to maintain its release schedule. Well, they got it right this year and delivered a near KING in terms of Lover’s Rock. With STRONG entries from Beres Hammond, Bitty McLean and Courtney John on one end, all the way to up and comers like Gappy Ranks, Hezron and Maikal X, StB40 was a LOVELY piece and even John Legend approved.
#9. Sly & Robbie Presents Tune In To Merry-Go-Round [Tax/Tad’s/Zojak Worldwide]
You touch me deep within! Sly & Robbie’s catalogue of riddims is so ridiculous you could seemingly make WICKED double releases like this non-stop for the next twenty years if you wanted (and hopefully ‘you’ do). However, speaking about this one in particular, should they make this some sort of series, it would have gotten off to a WONDERFUL start with Tune In To Merry-Go-Round. Big tunes roamed freely on this thing and complimented so nicely the two old school wonders.
#8. Proverbs Riddim [Lustre Kings Productions]
The Proverbs Riddim is another one which is in this same string which you just have to take in. The distance in terms of quality between this and the Sugar Riddim is almost miniscule, the Proverbs was HUGE. Not only that, but coming form one of my favourite labels, the Kings of Lustre, it was simply not to be missed and were I to reexamine this list one day, this one, above all other, may even someday to get up to as high as #2. It was that good and it’s getting better.
#7. The Mighty Right Riddim [Philadub Records]
Gardian and the wonderful people at Philadub Records essentially put Reggae heads on notice of their arrival on the scene in 2009 and di so on the power of two magical releases. The first, I’m sure we’ll be talking about next week, the second went a little under the radar (but for people like you and I, that’s no big deal), but was definitely powerful in its own way The Mighty Right Riddim. On that other project, Philadub gave us a very nice taste of what was to come in the form of the riddim’s best tune, but who would have known joining that brilliant individual would have been the likes of Capleton, Jah Mason, Luciano and Ras Shiloh (and MORE) on EASILY one of the (if not THE) best riddims of the year.
#6. Riddim Driven: Rock Steady [VP Records]
I had three riddim albums from Kemar McGregor and his No Doubt Records label with which to work and after MUCH scrutiny I chose the Rock Steady for this list because, very quietly, it was GORGEOUS! Of course that isn’t much of an unusual thing with McGregor (his other two offerings, the Ghetto and Sweet riddim albums were also lovely), but you take a VERY close listen to the Rock Steady you’ll notice just how albums coyly brilliant this thing was and in the capable hands of the likes of Etana, Capleton and Lutan Fyah, that DEFINITELY came out to those who were paying attention.
#5. Riddim Driven: Beauty & The Beast [VP Records]
You’ll only find one hardcore 100% Dancehall release on this list and it’s a bit of a damn shame if you ask me, I think the year has been a really down one for Dancehall as a whole with the increasingly sickening ‘Gully v Gaza’ (which just replaced ‘Beenie v Bounty’ without missing a step, didn’t it). One of the brightest spots, however, has been some of the productions and this chunk of brilliance from Tetimus and the boys at Daseca had to be one of the best. This one kind of sticks out like a ‘guilty pleasure’ of mine because anything that can get Kartel to sound like the FUN ‘Vibes Cartel’ of old, is okay with me and further WICKED efforts from Aidonia and whatever the hell Ele was doing just made this one a growing monster for me through the second half of the year with a two sided riddim which was nearly devastating in both forms.
#4. Sugar Riddim [Special Delivery]
After MUCH reflection, one of the major points of contention on making a list like this would be to not only define where such a release ranks, but determining what exactly is THE BEST RIDDIM ALBUM OF 2009. The answer, by the slimmest of margins, is Special Delivery’s BEAUTIFUL Sugar Riddim (and you’ll notice that five of the remaining six positions on this list are filled with riddim albums of some sort). This thing just worked to near to near perfection and, in my opinion, produced SPECTACULAR results in the case of its two biggest tunes (at least) and was more thoroughly consistent than any other release this year! Oh yeah and it’s probably the BEST riddim of the year too!
#3. Roots Rocking Reggae Vol. 1 [Al.Ta.Fa.An/Digital Link International/Zojak Worldwide]
This thing was just so nice. Up until #2 on this list reached, I had this largely unassuming release checked in at that position and it was of course justified (and the gap between the two is very slim, still), but I don’t think too many people are going to be picking this one up which is a damn shame. It kind of doesn’t carry too much in the way of anything which would make it jump out on paper (even though the cover is very nice), but when you dig into it, the material which comprises Roots Rocking Reggae Vol. 1, while not spectacular, is about as POWERFUL and consistent as anything on this list, outside of #1. And it just came up from out of nowhere, from the vaults of one of the finest Roots Reggae labels in all the world, Al.Ta.Fa.An.
#2. Caveman Culture Sound Vol. 1 [Caveman/Afrojam]
Is a thing like this which makes me thankful that I didn’t do this list earlier, lest it be missing this wonderful release and that guy named ‘Achis’ be known as a dumb ass into perpetuity for not including it. Besides the overwhelmingly glaring reasons of history and Reggae academia, it also turned out to be the case that Caveman Culture Sound Vol. 1 was just so good. I mean it was really really good. Joining Sizzla Kalonji was an all-star cast and a potential all-star cast who just about ALL gave wonderful testaments to the strength of this seemingly forgotten PILLAR of modern Reggae music.
#1. Joyful Noise [I-Grade Records]
In respect to points of contention (and I use that term ‘contention’ VERY VERY lightly), there has never been in the case of this blog or anything else that I may have written in a galaxy far far away or while sitting on my couch a matter of being so perfectly and completely obvious as here. Joyful Noise was PERFECT. That’s it. That’s all I’m going to say, it was perfect in every conceivable and inconceivable way (it was perfect in ways and circumstances which don’t actually even exist). Arguably the best compilation of the past twenty years, at the very least.
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