When attempting to compile this list this was one of the first nominations I came up with. However my friend Martin upon hearing it described it as "nothing special". Maybe he had a point but this really isn't an LP to listen to if you're expecting Lee "Scratch" Perry madness or Etherealites type heaviness. The opening two tracks are IMO the weakest which doesn't really help my case.
Opening track "Roots Dub" is a pleasant enough 3 minutes or so of mostly horn-led scuzz while "Whispering Dub" fails to erase folk memories of this 70's novelty oddity:
Things do pick up however with the more minimal sounding track 3...
While I'm not going lay claim that this record is breaking any sonic boundries it was the way into dub music for a 24 year old novice who's only real experience of reggae had been his Dad's vinyl copies of Bob Marley's "Exodus" and "Live At the Lyceum". I think it's the records overall melodic nature that made it so appealing to me, after all ever since I starting finding it in charity shops (20+ years ago) I have long harboured a fondness for easy/lounge/musak and as background music this LP works brilliantly
Side 2 opens with "Dumboo Dub", another track that makes the albums ska routes explicit and is perhaps for me the albums highlight.
The next track, "African Dub"is for me spoilt somewhat by it's overly loud drum track but is probably the most out there thing on the album.
I love the muffled sound of the album's title track, or was it just fluff on my stylus? Either way it's another hightlight...
...While the closer "Kimble Dub" is once again tuneful and makes for a nice album closer.
Next time: How to right royally fuck up a classic album's CD reissue...
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