Search - Various Artists :: Hi-Grade Ganja Anthems

The Healing of the Nation!. . .

Achis | Kingston, JA/Philipsburg, SxM | 02/24/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"In continuing the celebration of their 30th Anniversary, UK reggae giant label Greensleeves is releasing some of the more unusual types of compilations in their most recent history. Typically, Greensleeves over the past decade has been known for pushing an ungodly amount of riddim or 'version' albums on their fans, to the point where it becomes not only hard to keep track, but hard to differentiate the riddims themselves by the time they reach Greensleeves directions. However, the past year saw a tempering of the practice and a return to artist support and development and even a return to the roots for Greensleeves who had made dancehall their sole focus over the past half-decade (save for the obligatory annual Sizzla Kalonji release). In celebration of their 30th year in business, in March of 2007 Greensleeves plans to release a greatest hits album from King Yellowman, and have already released a greatest hits from Elephant Man as well as this album, Hi-Grade Ganja Anthems.



This album of course focuses on one of reggae's historically favorite topics of discourse. Recently, however, the herbalist compilation has seemingly fallen out of favor, and while the reggae compilation shelves continue to fill themselves with riddim albums and the likes of Greensleeves' other Anthems (Raggae Dancehall and One-Drop) and VP's Reggae Golds and Strictly the Bests, the solid ganja compilations have all but disappeared. Credit to Greensleeves' recent turn for the (much) better and their 30 years in the business, having built a suitable catalogue for this rather strong compilation. While this specific genre of reggae compilations has yet to produce a specific champion (while the most popular is probably the Big Blunts album from 1994) Greensleeves' Hi-Grade Ganja Anthems certainly and easily pushes itself to the head of the class with its more than solid build up.



Due to Greensleeves' unrivaled (even by the 2 year younger Vp) catalogue they are able to give an excellent representation of both dancehall and entirely more rootical Herb Anthems and they select some of the best of the best (always miffed by Greensleeves' seemingly mysterious practice of keep the names of the compilers away from their endless compiltions). Greatly represented here is the early dancehall era, particularly by the singers, in which the label itself emerged. That era of the music, in particular, was in part built upon the ganja anthem and due to much of the early mistreatment of ganja and ganja users, the works were amongst the most popular in all Jamaican music at the time.



Also, in contrast, greatly represented is today's modern era of dancehall, and while far more lean on modern roots tracks, Hi-Grade does a good job in representing the herb anthems of the past decade or so. Of course, with Greensleeves having almost blindly gone about attempting in collecting the biggest (and the 'middlelest' and even sometimes the smallest) riddims to emerge from JA's dancehall producer, their catalogue is brimming with some of the better herb tracks from some of the genre's better artists (although I'm somewhat surprised to see no track from GS signee Vybz Kartel, seemingly Send On or Visa would be a natural for this type of an album, especially the very popular Send On). On the whole, Hi-Grade Anthems does awonderful job of capturing both the current and the future classics of the ganjaman tracks.



The album starts off with the single biggest track of them all (and, in my opinion, the single biggest and historically most significant ganja anthem in reggae history) Under Me Sleng Teng from Wayne Smith. Being built and crafted on what is perhaps the most signifcant dancehall riddim of all time by (pretty much undisputedly) the most significant dancehall producer of all time, King Jammy. And while many listeners worldwide might not even know what the song is about and certainly not the title of the song or the singer on the track, Under Me Sleng Teng is THE Hi-Grade Ganja Anthem and any album apiring to reach a truth in obtaining such a title without a doubt has to include the track.



The finest of the balance of the track of the album present not too much of a drop off from the opener. Of course you'll know Pass the Tu Sheng Peng by the legendary Frankie Paul, again, one of the biggest ganja tracks in history and probably the 'easiest' listen of all the tracks on Hi-Grade Anthems. Pass the Tu Sheng Peng is an easily appreciated track by smokers and probably even the anti-ganja activists themselves. As I've heard said about the track, if you don't like Pass the Tu Sheng Peng, something is wrong with you! Big big track. Then perhaps next you'll notice Barrington Levy's original recording of Under Mi Sensi, which is an easy listener as well, but reserved strictly for the smokers, talking specifically about Babylon giving the herb and herb users a big big fight. A similar topic is expressed on the roots vibes of what is probably the next most popular track on the album, Police in Helicopter by the legendary John Holt who forgoes the lamenting route of Levy and goes on the offensive warning "If you continue to burn up the herbs, we're gonna burn down the cane fields!"



Two tracks here in particular are rather unusual and rare: The equally outstanding 100 Weight of Collie Weed by the seemingly forgotten St Mary's native Carlton Livingston and Joker Smoker by the incomparable Tristan Palmer. I don't recall ever hearing either version of the album and Greensleeves boasts both to be the original 12 inch tracks. Thus in the outstanding 100 Weight of Collie Weed (biggup St Ann's!) you get the full 6:27 of the track with the second half being the dub; likewise checking in at a beautiful 7:12, Joker Smoker is the extended cut as well, and leaves absolutely nothing to be desired (with the possible exception of more divine vocals from the original Mr Palmer).



Representing for the new school at the top is Beenie Man's MASSIVE 100 Dollar Bag over Goofy's bouncy Ants Nest riddim. 100 Dollar Bag is new age vintage Beenie Man, not coming from too far back, one of the biggest new school ganja tunes you'll ever hear in the dancehall and a track that I would have undoubtedly forgotten about were it not including, biggup to Greensleeves for not leaving me to forget it however. Also check one of my personal favorites, big big combination between Elephant Man and Mr Vegas, Bun It. Bun It is just a big big hype track, over one of the coolest riddims which I know not the name of (thankfully they didnt include one of the very bad remixes of the tune)!



Also stepping more new school roots, check Sizzla and Tony Curtis combination Ganja in My Brain from the Waterhouse Redemption album. The tune kicks in with an r&b styled vibes but it works as does the rather unusual combination, definitely one not reaching the heights by many of the other tracks as far as popularity (probably the only people who actually are familiar with the track have heard the WR album as well) and just a case of GS promoting their own material (Waterhouse Redemption is of course a Greensleeves album!), but a solid track nevertheless. And lastly, a similarly timed track, the wonderful Couple Chalice a day from Jah Mason over the cool Fyah riddim. Couple Chalice is truly amongst the strongest tracks on the album altogether and years from now will probably be regarded as one of the stronger herbalist tunes of the past decade or so.



Overall, definitely recommending Greensleeves' Hi-Grade Ganja Anthems. The way the album runs its actually probably better suited to older fans, however you may already have many of these tracks already (thus the largest drawback to the album). That being said, due to the rarity of some of these tracks (particularly 100 Weight of Collie Weed and Joker Smoker) you may want to go through and pick it up as well. For the newer fans, it may take awhile to grow on you, but likewise there are several tracks here which you probably already are familar with so enjoying those while the balance of the album reaches you will probably be cool as well. Me myself, I thoroughly enjoy it and actually wouldn't mind Greensleeves making this a yearly compilation as well, very nice vibes."