This is one disc that can't be faulted for misleading advertising. It offers exactly what it promises: eighteen tracks of classic reggae and dancehall songs that celebrate the Rastafarians' beloved sacramental herb. The disc is heavily weighted with familiar classics, from
Wayne Smith's "Under Mi Sleng Teng" (featuring a
King Jammy rhythm that is generally credited with ushering in the "computer" style of dancehall reggae) to
Eek-A-Mouse's scofflaw epic "Ganja Smuggling" to
Beenie Man's insanely catchy "100 Dollar Bag." But there are also some tracks that may come as a happy discovery for more casual reggae fans, such as
Capleton's furious and powerful "High Grade" and
Carlton Livingston's fine "100 Weight of Collie Weed." Less compelling are the
Capital Letters' overlong ska workout "Smoking My Ganja" and
Jah Mason's energetic but ultimately tiresome "Couple Chalice a Day."
Triston Palma's "Joker Smoker" isn't his finest moment, but the dub version appended to the end of the song, showcase-style, makes up for his lackluster delivery;
Bounty Killer is also off his game on the awkward "Smoke the Herb." In fact, it's the older, somewhat rootsier material that generally fares best. But all of it is worth hearing. ~ Rick Anderson