V/A – Reggae Gold 2007 / 2007 VP Records / 15 Tracks / http://www.vprecords.com /
I do not get much in the way of reggae albums. Pretty much the last one that I really think we received was probably the last Shaggy album, and that has been a few years ago. It doesn’t mean that I do not like the style, but that we here at NeuFutur do not get much in the way of discs in that genre. The disc tarts out with some serious firepower. Sean Paul leads “Reggae Gold 2007†off and while the song (“Watch them Roll†is not a single yet, it still has as much vim and vigor as every other of eir tracks.
This is definitely not a track that Sean Paul just had lying around, but approaches the quality of a “Temperatureâ€. If individuals were still unsure about the disc, 2007’s biggest hit is present at the second spot, Mims’ “This Is Why I’m Hotâ€. However, what really gets me the most interested in the disc has to be the tracks after Mims and before Elephant Man’s tracks; Mavado’s “Top Shotta Nah Miss†and Munga’s “Bad From Mi Bornâ€. While I am sure that individuals that are reggae fans are familiar with the work of Mavado and Munga, coming from a very ignorant position I was excited to learn that reggae had such depth and different sounds to it. Besides the aforementioned Elephant Man, Mims, Sean Paul, and Shaggy closing off the CD, the rest of the artists seem to be the up and coming stars of the reggae scene.
While not all of the tracks show artists that are necessarily ready for the big time (Pressure and eir “Love and Affection†is an example of this), this disc is miles ahead of other compilations that seem more than happy to just have a few solid tracks and whole heaps of drek. Research has shown that this is a lasting compilation, so if one is a fan of reggae, pick this and earlier editions of “Reggae Gold†up. Individuals looking for different styles may want to avoid this album, but honestly, what would individuals expect from a disc called “Reggae Gold†anyways? A solid selection of songs and a pretty uptempo sound for the majority of this disc means that it will be played in parties throughout the world until 2008 starts up. Give this disc a few spins and see if you like it.
Top Tracks: Mavado / Top Shotta Nah Miss, Mims / This Is Why I’m Hot
Rating: 6.5/10