Yellow Gold

Yellowman

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Yellow Gold Review

by Jo-Ann Greene

Yellow Gold? More like fool's gold, and fans will have to dig a bit deeper than this set to find Yellowman's true gems. This compilation is far from a best-of collection, and instead draws exclusively from two of the DJ's early-'90s sets, both released by Pow Wow -- 1991's Mi Hot and 1993's Reggae on Top. In fact, it's the flip of the coin to Best of Yellowman. That set drew heavily from Mi Hot, tossing a few of Reggae on Top's tracks in along the way; Yellow Gold does the opposite. The mix and match approach works, however, as both albums were produced by Maurice "Jack Scorpio" Johnson, with the sizzling dancehall riddims provided by the Firehouse Crew and Steely & Clevie. Both sets were light on culture, and Yellow Gold inevitably reflects that, with many of the tracks themed around girls -- they still want the "Sexy Yellowman," and we all know "Woman Important" to him too. The DJ's as demanding as ever, as "Gimme What Me Want" well illustrates, and his boasts have not mellowed with age, but even King Yellow knows better than to be "Too Greedy." "Having a Party" sums up this brash batch, while "Don't Burn It Down" is notable among the limited conscious offerings. Over a decade earlier, Johnson had produced Yellowman's magnificent "Eventide Fire," nothing here equals that masterpiece, but both these sets are entertaining, even if neither the producer nor the DJ was any longer at the top of their game.

Track Listing

Title/Composer Performer Time Stream
1
Never Gonna Let You Go
Winston Foster / Maurice Johnson
Yellowman 03:52 SpotifyAmazon
2
Don't Burn It Down
Maurice Johnson / Yellowman
Yellowman 04:45 SpotifyAmazon
3
Too Greedy
Yellowman 03:39 SpotifyAmazon
4
Big Bamboo
Yellowman 03:41 SpotifyAmazon
5
Everybody Bawling
Maurice Johnson / Yellowman
Yellowman 04:00 SpotifyAmazon
6
Gimme One a Yu Gal Friend
Yellowman 03:35 SpotifyAmazon
7
Hit the Road Jack
Maurice Johnson / Percy Mayfield / Yellowman
Yellowman 03:55 SpotifyAmazon
8
Woman Important
Winston Foster
Yellowman 03:36 SpotifyAmazon
9
Now or Never
Yellowman 03:51 SpotifyAmazon
10
Gimme What Me Want
Yellowman 03:45 SpotifyAmazon
11
I Shall Not Remove
Winston Foster
Yellowman 03:49 SpotifyAmazon
12
Reggae on Top
M. Johnson / Yellowman
Yellowman 03:44 SpotifyAmazon
13
Having a Party
Yellowman 03:51 SpotifyAmazon
14
Sexy Yellowman
Yellowman 01:34 SpotifyAmazon
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Yellow Gold

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