Riddim Driven: Engine

Various Artists (Artist) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (July 2, 2002)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Vp Records
• ASIN: B000067IRX
• Also Available in: Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #757,579 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

15 TRACKS: 1) Bounty Killer - No Fear 2) Sizzla - Scream Girl Child 3) Elephant Man - Bun Him A Gi Yuh 4) Ward 21 - Bed Room Bully 5) Spragga Benz - Lick Dem Head 6) Vybz Cartel - Big Man 7) Anthony Cruz - I've Been Waiting 8) Wayne Wonder - Nah G K»ö ýS üï øï üñ $ ?2ó üð ýS Å ó 8Q ...^÷ jB Q "ð 8ð Uú$ Ü'ó jB Q "?ó P5Q Q p_ó üð

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3.0 out of 5 stars Average Riddim, Average Artist Selection. . ., September 9, 2006

By 

Achis (Kingston, JA/Philipsburg, SxM) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Riddim Driven: Engine (Audio CD)

If you heard a clean version of the Engine riddim and then looked up the artists who voiced on it, you can almost tell how the complete album would sound. The Engine was produced in 2001 by King Jammy's son CJ, and it didn't really produce a big dancehall hit to its name, several solid songs and underground hits, but nothing that really locked off teh dance.

The problem with the album as a whole would be the rather odd artist selection CJ did. The riddim itself is a very hard bass-driven piece, which sounds not terribly unlike something that would come out of Ward 21's studio (and they, unsurprisingly served as engineers on the Engine). Thus, its somewhat similar and reminiscent of the massive Bellyas, but nowhere near that complete, and you can imagine that with a title such as the Engine, it would be pretty hard. So why do you role down the list of names and see Anthony Cruz, whose song I've Been Waiting is almost cursed from the very beginning as he says "This one is for my princess!", well then you really should've picked a different riddim for this tune Anthony!

Also out of place is Wayne Wonder who does a nice effort on his Nah Go Nice and its the only tune on which the riddim actually ever so slighty changes, but its glued to the Engine and it would have sounded infinitely better over a less hardcore riddim. Also equally out of place is Daville on his Girl You Know, which you dont even have to wait to the first line (I really want to know your name) to know that the soft voiced Daville is just bad for the Engine. That is all accompanied by several tunes which are just bad, such as Yes by Frisco Kid and the wholly unspectacular Lyrics by the wholly unspectacular dj Galaxy P. And Ele's Bun Him a Gi Yuh sounds like a. . . dirty Mother Goose rhyme.

So what's good here? The straight forward artists rule this one easily. There isn't perhaps an artist better suited in the dance to ride the engine than Bounty Killer who goes about aiming his gun at just about everyone on his No Fear. If anyone is better for the Engine than Bounty, its undoubtedly Mad Cobra and his Batta Ears is one of the best tunes on the album. Ward 21's dirty Bed Room Bully is pretty clever even though most of the Ward doesn't even take it on.

The overall best tune here however, is probably Spragga's Lick Dem Head as he actually manages to suck a melody out of the not-so melodic Engine. Also check Kartel's Big Man, typical Kartel fitting in his standard 20 extra words per verse than the average dj; If a War by Assassin, even near his beginning 'Sassin manages to do a fine job on the second best tune on the album completely; And Saw proves she's more than capable than playing tuff when the occassion calls for it on her Blessings in Disguise over her boyfriend's riddim.

Overall, I don't rather knwo how to classify the Engine riddim album as whole, besides saying its something only for those who really enjoy their dancehall hardcore and extreme. If you're not that, then this one will get very monotonous, very quickly for you. So for dancehall heads only.