Dancehall prophet doesn't stand out

Still Blazin'\nCapleton\nVP Records\nA couple of years ago I was rooting through some used vinyl at a music store in Burlington, Vt. I came across I Testament, a 1997 double album by Capleton. I had no idea who he was, but from what I could tell he appeared to be a run-of-the-mill modern reggae star.\nI picked up the album for $1 (it sold for $12 originally). The music turned out to be an interesting, if unimaginative, mixture of reggae and hip-hop (in fact, the double album was released on the legendary Def Jam label). I was satisfied that, at the very least, I didn't waste my $1.\nNow I learn, after reading the press release accompanying his latest CD, Still Blazin', that Capleton is a huge dancehall star with an ultra-devoted following of fans who call him "The Prophet." I suddenly feel guilty for thinking he was "run-of-the-mill."\nBut I can't fake it. Still Blazin', like the other album I have, just doesn't do anything special for me. Even though Capleton throws often-fiery lyrics over generally rock-steady beats that keep the CD flowing, it doesn't capture me the way Bob Marley's Rastaman Vibration or The Harder They Come do.\nAt times Still Blazin' is livened up by Latin beats and well-placed synthesizers; at other times the album is punctuated by Capleton's raspy, emotional raps. But in general, the tracks all kind of blended together in my ears. \nStill Blazin' would be ideal party music -- it's great to dance to and it's high-energy. But it falls short of the classic reggae many of us are familiar with. And, from reading this review, it's probably painfully obvious that I'm a dippy white boy who most likely is in way over his head.\n

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