Love & Classic Tracks

AMG Review of Love & Classic Tracks

Jo-Ann Greene
All Music Guide

Although Prince Jammy would go down in history as the producer who invented agga, introducing the Jamaican dancehalls to the digital age, Sly & Robbie had been laying the foundation for this musical shift since the early '80s. Even after Jammy's success with 1985's "Under Your Slang Teng," the Riddim Twins weren't ready to completely toss their instruments on the rubbish heap, as Yellowman's Rambo album, which Taxi released the following year, illustrates. Across eight sizzling tracks, Robbie Shakespeare' sinuous basslines continue to drive most of the rhythms, and guitars make welcome appearances, however the drum machines, the sharpness of the production, and the minimalistic arrangements still created an amazingly digitized sound, particularly on "Computerize" and "Love," the edgiest songs on the set. Even a number like "Lone Rider," built around a one-drop rhythm and wrapped in a militant oots atmosphere, has a digital edge. Yellowman had no problem adapting to the new age, and sounds totally at home in this modern milieu. A popular album in its time, Rambo was worthy of keeping on the shelves. Now it's back, reissued under an apt new title, Love & Classic Tracks. For indeed these are classic tracks, with the DJ spreading his love around for a new generation of fans.