Shabba Ranks and Friends in Bloomington, MN

A rather parsimonious compilation of
Ranks
collaborations, at a mere 11 tracks, clocking in at under 50 minutes. However, there's no arguing with the strength of the cuts included, and half of this album would later be included on
'
Greatest Hits
set. Amongst those picked are such classics as the rootsy
"Shine Eye Gal"
; the sensuous
"Mr. Loverman,"
"House Call,"
and
"Slow and Sexy"
; the
hip-hop
-laced DJ duel
"The Jam"
; and the exuberant
"Pirates Anthem."
These tracks feature
Mykal Rose
,
Chevelle Franklin
Maxi Priest
Johnny Gill
KRS One
, and
Cocoa Tea
Home T
respectively. What had to be omitted was
"Telephone Love,"
an international chartbuster for
J.C. Lodge
. The rest of this set is more
edged.
"Universal Love"
boasts the
soul
-fueled vocals of
Ky-Mani
Patra
adds her silky tones to the
R&B
-flavored
"Ice Cream Love,"
Roy Jube
Anthony Hawthorne
provide a sonorous backing for the evocative
"Mr. G,"
while fellow DJ
Chubb Rock
joins in for the celebratory
"Two Breddrens."
As an incentive for the collectors, three of the tracks appear here as remixes, and while this is merely a taste of the DJ's best work, it's a satisfying one regardless. ~ Jo-Ann Greene