Best Of Beenie Man CD

Digitally remastered by Joel Chin and Paul Shields (VP Mastering, New York, New York).

And the best place for new fans to start. This sumptuous collection, 20 songs strong, rounds up a set's worth of crucial hits, and includes a succinct bio within the sleeve notes. The album works roughly backwards chronologically, kicking off with Beenie Man's 1999 smash, "Bookshelf," then winding its way back through time to 1994's clutch of smash hits -- "World Dance," "Modelling," "Crazy Baldhead," "Slam," and its rhythm twin, "Certain Gal." "Murderer" is slightly out of sequence, and dates from the following year. That paired the DJ with the song's originator, Barrington Levy, while "Baldhead," a cover of the Bob Marley classic, had Beenie join forces with Luciano. Other crucial combos include the smoky "Healing" with Lady Saw and the ultimate bashment, "Dancehall Queen," with Chevelle Franklin. Of course, most of these numbers were bundled onto Beenie's own albums, so fans will be shelling out for just a few songs, or the chance to have all their favorites in one place. But there's little argument on the choices -- "Romie," "Oysters & Conch," the original "Girls Dem Sugar," the fabulous "Foundation," and the DJ's international chart-buster, "Who Am I," and the list goes on and on. Beenie did have hits before 1994, and obviously you won't find them here. However, Jet Star's Gold plugged that gap this same year; between the two sets, fans can have an excellent career-spanning collection. ~ Jo-Ann Greene

Despite his huge reputation, Beenie Man doesn't distinguish himself that much from the rest of the dancehall reggae pack. That may be because so much of the pack is imitating him -- his popularity has been considerable for the last ten years. But whatever the explanation, 140 minutes of Beenie Man will probably be more than any but the most rabid fans will want in a single sitting. There are some magical moments on this 40-track set: "Let Him Go" has a great hook and an irresistible rhythm, as does "World Gone Bad." There are also some fine combination tracks, including a great duet with Luciano on a refreshingly rootswise cover of Bob Marley's "Crazy Baldheads" and a nice version of the soca-inflected hit "Dancehall Queen" with Chevelle Franklin. But when Beenie Man tries to sing himself, or just to chat melodically (as he does on "Silent Violence" and "World Dance," for example), he's almost always in a key unrelated to the backing chords, with annoying results. Dancehall fans will find a lot to like here, but this album probably won't win the genre any new converts. Note: Disc one of this set is available separately as Best of Beenie Man. ~ Rick Anderson

Includes liner notes by Patricia Meschino.

Compilation producer: Cristy Barber.

Personnel includes: Beenie Man, Barrington Levy, Lady Saw, Chevelle Franklyn, Luciano.

Personnel includes: Beenie Man, Barrington Levy, Lady Saw, Chevette Franklyn, Luciano.

Producers include: Dave Kelly, The Shocking Vibes Crew, Hyman Wright, Percy Chin, Tony Kelly.