Dub / Reggae: An Idiot's Guide

But never mind me and my minor griping. Have I thanked you all for your recommendations yet? I haven't gone out and bought anything, mind you, but when I do, you'll be the 10th or 11th to know.

You just can't get it loud enough at home. It's gotta be so heavy that you can feel the bass from your fingers through to your toes. I'd pay $25 for that--then again, I'm Canadian. Don't know whether I'd pay $25 US.

Bring on the Scratch, Jammy, and Tubby...and forward the bass.

Soon Forward and Mr. Isaacs are incredible. Smooooth mofo.

A step back a little further to rocksteady can't do any harm

Love love love rocksteady. Anybody who likes American soul music should check into it. Some favorites: John Holt (and the Paragons), Slim Smith (and the Techniques/Uniques), Pat Kelly, Ken Boothe, The Heptones.

The Pressure Sounds comps are great too.

The Royals singles compilation on Pressure Sounds, 'Pick Up the Pieces', has been kicking my ass recently. Classic from beginning to end. Dubwise, the Joe Gibbs comp. 'No Bones for the Dogs' is quality throughout as well.

Other shit that I've been hooked on and can usu be found at a good price: Delroy Wilson 'Good All Over' (rocksteady at the cusp of reggae), Dub Over Dub (27 tracks of Errol Thompson's mixing, with solid tracks as a base), the Wailing Souls self-titled debut (superb, utterly beautiful singing and catchy yet rough tunes), Scientist vs Space Invaders (um, it's early 80s Scientist. nuff said), Gladiators 'Proverbial Reggae' (you know reggae is the shit when an album this good hardly gets discussed)

Born Fi Dead by Laurie Gunst is also essential to get that time, tho less about music than politics.

Ian, check Jammyland in the East Village. Might be more $8-$12 but the selection is all essential. Everything above and more. In JA fashion, will play you 45s and LPs if you ask. If you can make it out to Moodies in the north Bronx, it's also amazing. More stuff straight from JA distributors. VP, of course, too in Queens.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00008LKHZ/ref=sr_aps_music_1_1/202-0254809-4916649

if you stick to Blood and Fire, Pressure Sounds, On-U, Trojan etc at first you should avoid the real stinkers, although all these labels have been guilty of barrel-scraping with certain releases.

On what discs is Blood & Fire ''barrel-scraping''? I mean, I've only got about 25 of their discs (RIP to B&F, BTW), but I haven't heard any ''barrel-scraping.''

Forget Heart of the Congo's, overrated.

-- Omar, Wednesday, October 31, 2001 8:00 PM (6 years ago)

huh

i just ordered that jammys book mentioned upthread

5 dolla

'Nother good dub/reggae book is supposed to be Michael E. Veal's Dub: Soundscapes & Shattered Songs in Jamaican Reggae (2007).

Also 5 dolla, perhaps?

I just randomly found Lee Perry's Ape-ology, BTW. Will be spinning it this evening. Should I prepare myself to be disappointed or is this a "change your life"-type experience (or does it fall somewhere in between, perhaps)?

judy mowatt.
gregory isaacs.

I just randomly found Lee Perry's Ape-ology, BTW. Will be spinning it this evening. Should I prepare myself to be disappointed or is this a "change your life"-type experience (or does it fall somewhere in between, perhaps)?

-- Daniel, Esq.

I like Ape-ology but prefer the Arkology boxset which is full of great vocalists (Max Romeo et al.) and is therefore a bit more accessible. Ape-ology is a much heavier / claustrophobic proposition.

Ape-ology is just Super Ape (super awesome) + Return of the Super Ape (not as awesome) + Roast Fish, Collie, & Cornbread (awesome, but Perry vocals get a little wearying after a while), right? Yeah Arkology is better.

i agree with the poster that said heart of the congo is overrated. there are a couple of very nice trax on it, but....
why come nobody has mentioned Black Uhuru on this thread? i can't think of a better reggae group from the eighties - Anthem and Red are both pretty stellar

Anyway the answer to the original B&F question is that Congos and Burning Spear and Tubby stuff that were among their original releases were so strong that for a while everything else kind of paled in comparison and so a lot of reggae trainspotters got down on the label. Specifically I recall the Morwells, U-Brown, Impact All Stars getting a lot of flack (needlessly frankly.)

re: congos being overrated

this is truly an idiot's guide

Roast Fish, Collie Weed & Cornbread is classic Perry. Also a big fan of "Kung Fu Man" on The Mighty Upsetter.

Hell, I haven't heard any Perry I didn't like. Double Seven and Blackboard Jungle Dub also get a lot of play around here.

Yeah Arkology is better.

No option for yesterday, as Ape-ology is all this place had. However, some time earlier I did find The Upsetter Selection at the same place. Not bad for a Border's Bookstore music section.

this is excellent, thx!

thanks for giving it a listen, i'm happy to hear it was enjoyed

For UK ilxors - Mad Professor is appearing on The Repair Shop tonight (!?), getting a processor repaired.

is budo jeru’s christmas mix simply the best christmas album ever? srs question

:D

listened to budo’s mix on the way out to my parent’s place for christmas dinner on monday. me and the mrs really enjoyed it

i regret not taking a bluetooth speaker to share with the fam

like it!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iGLmOjymMDc

this is my favourite jamaican christmas song. it's kind of a sad one

I stumbled across this tonight (Repair Shop is our family zero effort TV) and it's sort of head-frying or dreamlike - Mad Professor brings in a phaser he'd got off Lee Perry and asks them to get it working. The electronics guy who usually just fixes radios and turntables is out of his depth, god love him. Not even a celebrity episode - it's stuck in with a dog-handling ex-copper getting his life-sized ceramic Alsatian repaired and an extremely rugby-playing man getting the rugby boots he got when he was 6 patched up.

iplayer link - "An intriguing 1970s electronic sound effect machine causes a commotion at the barn."

Whoops, meant to quote this:

For UK ilxors - Mad Professor is appearing on The Repair Shop tonight (!?), getting a processor repaired.

― Twelves, Wednesday, December 27, 2023 5:42 PM (two weeks ago) bookmarkflaglink

I want to thank this thread for recommending "Dadawah" LP. after my mom passed away it was the only thing I could bear to listen to, like, easing my way back into listening to music. Something about it is good for enduring

Condolences, D-40. I hear you, it's really hard to get back into music after losing someone close. When my dad passed, it took me a long time to play any record. Eventually, it was Pharoah Sanders' Harvest Time that stayed on repeat until I could listen to anything else. I'd argue that it's a similar feel to that Dadawah record.

yes, sorry to hear that D40, truly

picked this one up for a quid early today, hadn't heard it before but it's good!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MmFs5Ldu1lk
Teddy Irie - Tear It Down

Yeah D-40 I would like to echo everyone's sympathies and add that when I was dealing with the long period between my dad's sudden hospitalization and his passing (about 18 months) one of the only types of music i could tolerate was dub. i listened to a LOT of King Tubby. Like hours per week. There's something special about how it lowers the heartrate I think? Idk.

Huh, I hadn't made that connection but since my Dad died almost 2 years ago I've gone deep into King Tubby, Augustus Pablo, Dr. Alimontado and recently picked up a STELLAR comp called "Step Forward Youth". You may be right that this music soothes the grieving soul.

I've been absorbed by the Joe Gibbs compilations Cherry Red has been putting out recently through their Doctor Bird imprint.

Joe Gibbs & the Professionals, 100 Years of Dub 2CD

Joe Gibbs & the Professionals, The 1970s Dub Albums Collection 4CD

United Dreadlocks Vols 1 & 2 - Joe Gibbs Roots Reggae 1976-1977 2CD

I just heard Gregory Isaacs' "Night Nurse" for the first time. It is amazing - give me more robo-reggae.

wow! i'd love to be hearing it for the 1st time. the dub of it is extraordinary too.

I will have to check that out. I swoon for that synth sound.

More robo-reggae? Here you go

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WU2kjMMU0Sk

Yes! Thank you!

Lol @ that Atari sound on track 2.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sNzo2Jk77eU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vL2Ll454OnA

chi ba wa wa