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This article is from the Reggae FAQ, by Mike Pawka eznoh@niceup.com with numerous contributions by others.

1]. Dub Recommendations p3

In article <C0CGxt.1A8@news.iastate.edu> LB.NKA@isumvs.iastate.edu (Nubi Achebo)
writes:
>From: LB.NKA@isumvs.iastate.edu (Nubi Achebo)
>Subject: Natty Dub Music
>Date: Mon, 4 Jan 1993 19:32:16 GMT
>Would anybody give me a list of some natty dub laden reggae music and
>musicians. Also please include any mail order place you know to get these
>albums since I live in a tiny city where the selection is very poor.
>
>I,ll also like to have the address of "Mango" - a record producing and
>distribution company.
>
>Nubi Achebo.
>

Here's a list of 10 particularly fine dub albums by non-dub artists (in no
particular order):

1. Black Uhuru - Dub Factor (Mango)
Sly and Robbie team up with Paul 'Groucho' Smykle for a ferocious
dub album. Almost like a heavy metal album in its intensity.

2. Prince Fari - Cry Tuff Dub Encounter chapter I (ROIR cassette,
Danceteria CD), II (Virgin/Caroline reissue) III (Daddy Kool) IV (Trojan).
The voice Moses heard on the mountain must have been similar to that
of the late Prince Fari's. His dub albums rumble and boom as well.
Especially fine is I where he hooks up with English dubmeister Adrian
Sherwood.

3. UB40 - Present Arms in Dub (Virgin)
Before UB40 sold its soul for mass pop-reggae stardom, they released
Present Arms, a great album. In Dub is even better. Distinguished by its
spare use of traditional dub effects (like echo), it combines a heavy
bassline with crisp drums and UB40's best asset - their horn section.

4. Wailers - Tribute to Carly Barrett (Atra)
Until Island relents in its pigheadedness and releases Dennis
Thompson's dub mixes of the Marley catalog, check the Wailers spotlight on
their late drummer. Carlton Barrett, wiped from creation in 1987, had a
unique drum style which is mixed upfront on this dub of Horace Andy and
Winston Jarrett tracks. Great supporting work from Tyrone Downie's organ
and Bobby Ellis's horns.

5. Aswad - New Chapter of Dub (Mango)
(Mikey) Dread at the Controls serving up a spacey dub of Aswad's
English import New Chapter LP. Includes stellar horn work by Michael '
Bammie' Rose and Vin Gordon.

6. Bunny Wailer - Dub D'sco Vol. I and II (Solomonic).
Unlike his partners, Bob and Peter, Bunny has released two superb
dub albums. Vol. I features his vocals mixed high and then pushed/pulled in
a wash of dub echo. Vol. II is a more traditional dub album.

7. Ras Michael and the Sons of Negus - Rastafari Dub (ROIR cassette,
Crocodisc CD).
Nyabinghi dub. Robbie Shakespeare's bass leads the way while the
akete, funde and repeater drums complement him against Earl 'Chinna' Smith's
flange guitar. Any extremely rare dub album reissued featuring Peter Tosh
on clavinet!

8. Treasure Isle Dub Vol. I and II (Treasure Isle).
Classic rock steady and early reggae tracks given the dub
treatment; like John Holt's 'Ali Baba', Alton Ellis's 'Cry Tough' and the
Melodians 'Come on Little Girl'. A good companion to Heartbeat's Duke Reid's
Treasure Chest of '92. Check several of Studio One's dub albums as well.

9. Dr. Alimontado - Love Is (Keyman)
Like Bunny Wailer's, this is more a vocalized dub album of tracks by
one of reggae's most underrated toasters. A perfect example of how deejays
have followed U Roy's example in incorporating dub.

10. Alpha and Omega - Watch and Pray (A & O, Greensleeves)
Dub's new wave: borrowing a little from Jah Shaka and ON U sound's
African Headcharge, Alpha and Omega combine haunting female vocals, spacey
dub effects, bonecrushing bass and salutations to Jah for an ethereal mix.
Possibly an acquired taste.

Bonus: Kings of Reggae featuring Chris Hinze (Keytone)
More of an instrumental album. Some cheezy flute player from
Holland (Hinze) goes down a yard and teams up with the best of Jamaica's
session men: Sly and Robbie, Mikey Chung, Sticky. While the premise for
this sounds horrofic, the result is a masterpiece: Sly and Robbie rock hard,
the unknown female backups sound great and as a bonus Peter Tosh warbles on
a couple of tracks. One more reason reggae music will suprise you every
time.
----------

Probably the finest single dub album I own is a double LP on Trojan called
"King Tubby Special." It consists, of course, of classic tracks dubbed up by
the King himself. Kicks butt big time.
Also, there is a Prince Far I CD available from Trojan called "Voice of
Thunder," and it's essential.
Keep an eye out for the Bunny Lee reissues coming out on RAS these days.
There's a very nice U-Roy disc ("Rock with I", RASCD 3219), which features
U-Roy toasting over gutbusting dub tracks, and also a great collection of
instrumental tracks by the Aggrovators which isn't strictly dub but features
Bunny's dubwise production style.
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From: Robert Nelson (rnelson@alexandria.lib.utah.edu

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