Listening to the rowdy and gimmicky numbers by Capleton, Elephant Man, and Assassin in the first half of Reggae Gold 2004, it's easy to think the usually great annual reggae roundup has run out of steam. The Elephant Man and Capleton tracks are too simple and light for the superstar artists and the Assassin track is a horribly thin one, but things get better, much better. There's the remix of Beenie Man's massive "Dude" with Shawwna's rap giving the track another lease on life, the great Tony Touch and Wayne Wonder team-up "Ay Ay Ay," and the absolutely sultry "Can't Breathe" from Tanya Stephens. As great as the tracks from Jamaica are, the pick of the litter has to be the mix of Alicia Keys' "You Don't Know My Name" from Brooklyn-based DJ and Spindynasty member DJ Min One. It sounds almost bootleg or mash-up, but it's inspired, cool, and torrid. The earthy nondigital tracks -- which VP always sticks three-quarters into their Reggae Gold comps -- include a nice throwback to more organic days from Beres Hammond. The Capleton and Elephant Man tracks fit better on the mix CD, but speeding up "Dude" to almost Chipmunk speed is a silly mistake. This is one of the more uneven releases in the Reggae Gold series, but the highlights are crucial. ~ David Jeffries, All Music Guide
