Music Review

09 January 2009 20:36 BST

Shaggy: Best Of - The Boombastic Collection

Universal/Island, out now.

In a nutshell…

Mr Lover Lover a lover mmmmm...

What's it all about?

Shaggy’s apparently 18 greatest hits, including the ever brilliant Mr Boombastic, Oh Carolina, It Wasn't Me, and Angel.

Who's it by?

Come on! I’m not talking about some new kid on the block, this is Shaggy! Everyone’s heard of Shaggy.

As an example...

"Mr Boombastic/What you want is some boombastic romantic fantastic lover/Shaggy/Mr Lover lover, Mr Lover lover, girl/ Mr Lover lover, Mr Lover lover/She call me Mr Boombastic say me fantastic, touch me on me back/She say I'm Mr Ro... mantic/Call me fantastic, touch me on me back she say/I'm Mr.ro... Smooth just like silk." - Mr Boombastic

Likelihood of a trip to the Grammys

No. After all, it is a Greatest Hits.

What the others say

Boombastic, the opener from which the collection takes its name, sets the tone. It struts, it swaggers, and if it were human it would take you somewhere cheap for dinner before trying to stick a hand up your skirt in the queue for the bus home." – Emma Hughes, musicomh

So is it any good?

If you want a bit of fun and fodder, then Shaggy’s your man. He's basically playing a character, and it's silly and we shouldn't lose site of that. The music's enjoyable and washes over as you sing along to so many one hit wonders. You'll also probably know more of these songs than you think. Don't take it too seriously, and it's absolutely fine.

6/10

Rob Wheatley