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Disc a Day -- Reggae/Dub
Disc a Day -- Reggae/Dub
Vitaminic Capsule Releases
to be Administered Daily
Blues/R&B
| Classic Rock | Eclectica
| Funk | Jazz
| Modern Rock | New
Orleans | Reggae | World
| Sly and Robbie -- Drum & Bass Strip
to the Bone (Palm Pictures) |
| Sly and Robbie are well represented
on their Palm Pictures debut. More dub than reggae, the groove
of "Superthruster" cannot be held back. This is S&R by
Howie B., producer of Massive Attack and U2.
"Ballistic Sequence" opens up in a subdued guitar
trance then launches into a reggae backing. Drum and bass are
freed from the confines of their traditional roles while the
incidental sound effects and programming of dance synths are
up to minute syncho-funk as on "Psionce Merge". The
tastiest work from Sly and Robbie
in ages. |
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| Max Romeo -- Open The Iron Gate (1973-77)
(Blood and Fire) |
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Max broadcasts on a spiritual frequency: speaking of
Jah, Garvey and injustices in bona fide roots style on these
Mid-Seventies recordings made at Harry J's, Black Ark and
Randy's studios. The digital remastering by Andy
Walter at Abbey Road
captures a rich, honest bass on the formerly rare
12" Version of" Melt Away". The keys wail while
the groove cuts loose. On "Every Man Ought To Know"
Romeo proclaims the inevitability of Rasta above mighty clouds
of harmony vocals and skanking scratch guitar from Earl 'Chinna' Smith.
"Revelation Time" premieres on cd. Steve
Barrow strikes again, with this choice package! |
| Finley Quaye has tapped
into roots reggae like Sly Stone tapped
into R&B. The bag of tricks is wide open to the plays of this
young maverick. In "Ride on
and Turn the People On",
"It's Great When We're Together" and remake of
Bob Marley's
"Sun is Shining" as "Sunday Shining", Quaye
welds dancehall effects, rock guitar and pop hooks into a unique
new amalgam. Quaye comes from a musical family, but the Edinburgh
based half-Ghanian half-English artist is his own boss. A hot
seller in England, Finley Quaye appears destined
to attract a mass following. |
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| Yabby You -- Jesus Dread (Blood and Fire)
(2 cd's) |
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These recordings made by Vivian Jackson, a.k.a. Yabby
You reveal a wellspring of mid-Seventies creative work which had
only seen limited release until this set arrived on the shelves.
Put together into a very tasteful package by Blood and Fire's
Steve Barrow, the music comes to life.
Yabby You had evolved a blend of Christian Rastafari.
Meanwhile the dubs are untoppable. Jesus Dread is a stunning
collection which will have you chanting "Yabby You" in minutes. |
| Various Artists -- Dub Over Dub (Heartbeat) |
| These two discs contain
excellent dub in the grand tradition of King Tubby's dubs adding
a modern pop sense for a dance floor gone crazy. And I quote from
the insert book, "Errol mixed as if you were driving along
on a beautiful day and suddenly spun out of control because you
didn't see that oily patch in the road. But, unlike you in the car,
Errol was always in control and when the next section of the song
would come up what he did in the mix would sound right. And you
would just enjoy it and say, "Yes man, wicked." |
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| Various Artists -- Time Warp Dub Clash (Island
Jamaica) |
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Dub certainly weighs in heavy in any
contest of electronic music, on this compilation rate the old
dub of the 70's masters Burning Spear, Black Uhuru and Junior
Delgado side by side with Jah Shaka, Dub Syndicate and The Mad
Professor. With names like these you can't lose. |
| Various Artists -- Heavyweight Sound (Blood
and Fire) |
| This sampler does the worthy duty of
introducing the amazing Blood and Fire catalog of hard hitting
Reggae and Dub from masters Burning Spear, Horace Andy, King Tubby
and the Aggrovators and more. These dubs feature the extra studio
care; they're built to last. Check out this clip from one of the
genre's originators King Tubby with "Dub Fi Gwan." |
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| Various Artists -- Axiom Dub: Mysteries of Creation (Axiom) |
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Back for more Dub, that flexible hybrid
of 70s reggae technology which here is combined with drum and
bass a British DIY music form, ambient, poetry and funk, in fact
there could be a dub version of any style provided you throw in
the key production effects of looping, delay, bass riffs, techno
effects for splash, and a few bones for the guy who twiddles the
knobs. On Axiom Dub: Mysteries of Creation, the process was not
left wanting. Bill Laswell, a guru of production with Material
(included here), produced the concept and as two CDs it's quite
stirring. Bold, wild stuff. |
| Toots and The Maytals -- Time Tough: The Anthology
(Island Jamaica) (2 cd's) |
| This set captures Toots
Hibberts 30 years of contributions to Reggae music. Beginning
at or before the beginning (Toots recorded during the Rock Steady
era and then was the first to use the term Reggae in "Do
The Reggay"). A veteran with a string of hits: "54-46
That's My Number", "Monkey Man", "Pressure
Drop", "Pomp and Pride" and the unforgettable reggae
version of "Take Me Home Country Road." Toots output
has continued into the nineties as he has connected multiple generations
to his style. "Reggae Got Soul" says it all, Toots reconnected
in the 'soul sector' with his Toots in Memphis record, lofting
the vocal above the mix. |
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