Classic Dub / Reggae
Posted by: Marky Mark on 13 April 2013
Albums or tracks. Some starters below...
The Abyssinians - Satta Massagana
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UE3qYbB_7-E
Linton Kwesi Johnson - Street 66
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yOL5gQpGZu0
John Holt - Ali Baba
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bQhrbW9FlQQ
Shinehead - Billie Jean
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pAhYDEs7fD4
Fabian - Prophecy
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=va4WsrZJRNk
Grace Jones - Use Me
This a a very good series. Various artists.
G
Can also recommend this series of CD's. Studio One records gave birth to ska music and these Cd's feature incredible material. that has not been available foe 40+ years including -
jackie mitto, delroy wilson, tommy mccook, maytals and the ethiopians
G
A few favourites. However, I would defer to somebody like Adam M who I believe has a much wider apprecation of the dub/reggae genre.
If you wish to dip a toe in the water, so to speak, then the Sly & Robbie is a good place to start. Otherwise Easy All Stars Dub Side of The Moon.
A Shropshire based friend would regularly take me to the Front Line in Handsworth if I was staying for a weekend. Always a fantastic selection of dub there and through the smoke haze one could just about make out an array of the largest bass drivers I've ever seen. I'd imagine that building's foundations are totally shot by now, if it hasn't already burned down...
An excellent across the board compilation.
A fine Dub LP from the 1970's
Finally, a great live LP by Misty in Roots.
A real classic.
G'wan
Anything by Black Uhuru is worth a listen. In addition, UB40's Present Arms In Dub
I find very enjoyable too.
steve
A Shropshire based friend would regularly take me to the Front Line in Handsworth if I was staying for a weekend. Always a fantastic selection of dub there and through the smoke haze one could just about make out an array of the largest bass drivers I've ever seen. I'd imagine that building's foundations are totally shot by now, if it hasn't already burned down...
Club sounds wonderful. Used to enjoy something similar in a railway arch at Orphans Yard so your comment re foundations makes me reconsider getting trains over there.
Thanks for the tips. Best Dressed Chicken in Town is essential for the title alone. Agreed re Sly and Robbie who have done so much great work for themselves and others.
Jah Shaka and Aba-Shanti sound systems were good in the day as were many of the lesser known efforts connected with pirate radio. At least one of the former two is still going - real longevity.
Dear All one of my favourite Reggae albums is by Dennis Bovell or Blackbeard and the album I WAH DUB. Some monumental bass on that. Fantastix album.
A friend who built valve amps and stacked QUAD's used it as a demo album. Incredible sound off that album
David
ps my brother lived in a flat ( DUMP ) on the Amhurst Road which backed on to the front line. A very scary place in those days when he lived there. The Indian restaurant rented out the tables to the vagrants to sleep on at 11pm. Fun days the late 80's
I would add Steel Pulse. Black Uhuru, Burning Spear...and a recent guys called Groundation as well.
Enjoy!
Sound Dimension - Drum Song
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tPJmmxx1m3M
Tony Tough - Cool It
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gIuxOVkUqUc
Black Uhuru - Wood for My Fire
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZDFHdnRrNqI
Yami Bolo - Mr Smith and Wesson
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jLgHVZAmxUA
Dennis Brown - Come Spar With Me
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MPRerygZlaA
Hard Rock riddim.
Bushman - Life
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4GPIBfBh1T8
Hard Rock riddim again.
Junior Reid - Oh Happy Day
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K_G1Q6t3wTg
Derrick Pitter - Play Mr Music Play
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bnUQOgJWNs0
A couple of people mention Burning Spear above. This track is Call on You from a favourite Burning Spear album:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1fPSEFTUlKE
This is certainly my cup of te. I love reggae and dub and my record collection mostly consists of different styles within this genre.
It's hard for me to pick favorites thou, I have many
A few that comes to mind
Fred Locks - Black Star Liner, vocal album with great vibes
Augustus Pablo - Original Rockers, Melodica lead rhythms mixed at legendary King Tubbys Studio. Essential!
Dennis Brown - Joseph's coat has many colors, the crown prince of reggae deserves to be highlighted among the classics
Prince Allah - Heaven is my roof, a personal favorite for sure! Produced by Tappa Zukie and recorded at the legendary Black Ark Studio (Lee Perry's yard studio)
Scientist - Rids the world of the evil curse of the vampires, a fabulous dub album with King Tubbys apprentice Scientist. Rhythms laid by the great Roots Radics Band. The mix is pure magic!
My cup of tea too. I started serious Reggae listening while attending university during the late 70's. I was fortunate to have had the opportunity to see many of these artists during the era of classic Roots Reggae. Right off the top of my head the following comes to mind (some have already been mentioned):
Pablo Moses - Revolutionary Dream
Fantastic album.
Third Worlds You've got the power is an excellent album, probably due to the contribution Stevie Wonder made in it's production. Try Jay Love's a written by Stevie and is a classic.
I could go on and on ...
These are just a few classics from my youth.
You guys are way ahead of me on Dub. I'm impressed. Great stuff.
I am personally a fan of Toots and the Maytals, but that is almost pop compared to this list. I know when I am overmatched.
The first reggae I heard was - "Skank in Bed" .
A track I eventually found on the Trojan Box Set: Producers Series, Disc 3.
My earliest Reggae LP purchase was the Zippo cover “Catch a Fire” by Bob Marley & the Wailers. This remains my favourite Bob Marley record and the recent Deluxe Edition has both the Island UK issue and the original versions.
These days I find myself invariably playing the original mixes.
I’m not sure when I first heard Dub.
It may have been 'Double Seven' by Lee Perry & the Upsetters or the B-side of Max Romeo’s 'One Step Forward'. Both this and 'One Step Dub' are on “Arkology” and I’d confirm Richard’s recommendation of these 3 discs.
The reggae and dub I have now reflects an earlier error of selling my LPs – although what I now have is relatively easy to obtain.
Bob Marley - Catch a Fire. Deluxe Edition.
Black Uhuru - probably any or all.
Grace Jones – all the early discs, ‘Private Life: The Compass Point Sessions’, and, although I didn’t love ‘Hurricane’, ‘Hurricane Dub’ is fun.
Alpha Blondy - Jerusalem. I think this was used recently to demonstrate Naim at a show and some left the room. Odd.
Gregory Isaacs - ‘Night Nurse’. Very mellow – I need to listen to more of his records.
Augustus Pablo – ‘Dub, Reggae & Roots from the Melodica King’ and probably many more.
Junior Murvin - ‘Police & Thieves’
Max Romeo – ‘War Ina Babylon’
UB40 - ‘Signing Off’ and, very definitely, ‘Present Arms in Dub’
Gorillaz - ‘Laika Come Home’
Massive Attack - 'No Protection' .... v mad Professor
Dub Syndicate – ‘ Ital Breakfast’ & ‘Research & Development’
Adrian Sherwood – ‘Becoming a Cliche/Dub Cliche’
Linton Kwesi Johnson – ‘LKJ in Dub’
King Tubby – ‘Dub Fever’, ‘Declaration of Dub’, ‘Crucial Dub’
Lee Perry – ‘Double Seven’ (available on ‘The Upsetter Compact Set, Discs 1&2) ‘Super Ape’, ‘Arkology’, ‘Time Boom X De Devil Dead’, ‘From My Secret Laboratory'
Congos - 'Heart of the Congos'
George Faith – ‘To Be a Lover’
And, in passing, almost anything from Compass Point studios – with Sly & Robby in the background.
Surprised nobody's posted this, an out-and-out classic:
More Augustus P/King Tubby fabulousness:
Still more Tubby dub genius
Hi,
Google "David Rodigan", UK DJ who has put together some great compilations in both reggae and dub.
You can't go far wrong with his choices as an intro into the best of both genres.
Also, he currently broadcasts on BBC Radio 1Xtra, if you want a taster.
Aw ra best,
Dave.
I dug out some old dub LPs over the weekend for a spin. I forgot about this one...