Search - Bob Marley & The Wailers, Sly & Robbie, King Tubby :: The Ultimate Reggae Dub & Riddim Collection

DUBROOM.com Review

Messian Dread | Drachten, Fryslan Netherlands | 11/08/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"When you're browsing through the Reggae CD's at these mega stores, you are bombarded with all kinds of compilation CD's of which sometimes the covers already say enough.

"DON'T BUY ME", they scream.



There's a big change you're going to skip this one too. The picture on the cover isn't really attractive, and we've seen too many albums with titles such as this one to be convinced that it really describes the content.



And this is definitely not the ultimate Reggae Dub and Riddim collection. Obviously.



However, if I were you I wouldn't skip over this collection too soon either. Because it really does give you a good impression of Dub music.



Two discs carrying pretty interesting stuff! Full albums that can really be considered crucial, along with some very nice singles, this collection really is packed to the max.



What to say about the full album DUB ROCKERS DELIGHT, simply presented as a collection of Sly and Robbie dubs on this "compilation"? Tunes which have been sung over by none less than Don Carlos and Lacksley Castell. Yes, that one surely is crucial.



The album is followed by a selection of King Tubby mixes of riddims layed down by Sly and Robbie in the Channel One Studio. Before the Roots Radics became the Channel One Studio Band, Sly and Robbie have been the backbone of two preceding studio-bands: the Aggrovators and the Revolutionaries. Their sound is legendary until this day. Listen to the set of Bob Marley "covers" that they played back in the 1970's, in stricktly DUBWISE STYLE.



The second disc is packed with riddims played by the Wailers and the studio band of Lee Perry's BLACK ARK. This shows a side of Bob Marley's work that has not often been heard by the average Reggae fan.



Many stories have been told about this period of Bob Marley's progression. Not the least one is that all the recording he did with Lee Perry seemed to have been pirated by the latter. At least, according to Bunny Wailer in a documentary broadcasted by the BBC.



But of course that doesn't take away anything from the quality and relevance of the tunes on the second disc of this noteworthy compilation. The music has been played with JAH love and you can hear that.



All in all, I would definitely recommend this compilation each and everyone who is interested in Dub and Reggae, as it gives a really good idea about just three aspects of this great culture.



But "The Ultimate Reggae Dub And Riddim Collection"? Of course not. Because that collection consists out of 100,000's of albums fe true. And sure it must be somewhere, but where?

"