DON CARLOS - PROPHECY

DON CARLOS - PROPHECY
DUBROOM ALBUM REVIEW

WWW, June 2009 - In the year 1987, Rub a Dub Music was still very much the style of the time, even though we already had the Sleng Teng revolution.

Six outstanding discomixes, sung by one of the most heartical Reggae singers of all time. Another Don Carlos showcase album you simply can't refuse even though the album seems to be out of print.

Prophecy contains a number of truly heartfelt titles. Crucial Situation, Prophecy, and the more than penetrating Jah Hear My Plea are reasons alone to try and purchase this album, if you can still find it.

The message is crucial, and the way Don Carlos sings the message makes it impossible to not be touched in one way or another. Especially the fact that there's some DUB niceness in the second part of each track (after all, it's a showcase album) enhances the vibe of the tunes significantly.

Originally, the vinyl album was released in 1987. That was a time wherein Rub a Dub was slowly being replaced with ragga/dancehall as the popular music in Jamaica. Nothing of that on this one, though. This is played by a band, mixed crucially and of course accompanied by the great voice of one of the original singers of Black Uhuru.

There's a thing, though...

Indeed, the album seems to be out of print and that means you got to look for it. If you're living in the US, though, you can get the MP3's of this document of Rub a Dub niceness for a few cents.

DREAD AT THE CONTROLS PART FOUR: HEARTBREAKER

DREAD AT THE CONTROLS PART FOUR: HEARTBREAKER
DUBROOM MP3 REVIEW

WWW, June 2009 - Entitled "Heartbreaker", we would have loved to be the title of this podcast to be less appropriate. It's sad to hear Mikey Dread presenting us yet another hour of crucial Reggae Music, knowing that he's left us way too soon.

Michael "Dread At The Controls" Campbell has done a lot for Reggae Music, and he keeps doing so even after he recently left us. This podcast is just one part of his legacy. Mikey Dread brings us a truly crucial selection, presenting them in his own style, forming a one hour Reggae experience for free.

Freddie Mc Gregor is richly present in the playlist. From the Abyssinians and Culture to Garnet Silk to Luciano, we're treated with a variety of singers and harmony groups from several times.

So, even though is surely breaks the heart to realize how Mikey Dread is no longer with us: Just Ire, Just Niceness, seen?

PLAYLIST

01. Burning Spear - Resting Place (Sonic Sound)
02. Freddie McGregor - Big Ship (Big Ship)
03. Sly & Robbie - Rock Dem (Taxi)
04. Gregory Isaacs - Top 10 (Jet Star)
05. Coco Tea - Africa, Here I Come (VP)
06. Garnet Silk - Zion in a Vision (Jet Star)
07. Garnet Silk - Fill me up w/ your Mercy (Jet Star)
08. Freddie McGregor - Africa, Here I Come (Studio One)
09. Culture - I am not ashamed (Joe Gibbs)
10. Techniques - Queen Majesty (Trojan)
11. Sugar Minott - Show me that you love me (Black Roots)
12. Earl Sixteen - Don't Think I Am Crazy (Jungle Hunter)
13. Vivian jones - Sometimes Lover (Jet Star)
14. Freddie McGregor - Come and take it (VP)
15. Dennis Brown - Let me Love you (Joe Gibbs)
16. Luciano - Shake it up tonight (Big Ship)
17. Abyssinians - Declaration of Rights (Studio One)
18. Leroy Horsemouth Wallace - I want to Dub (Stable One)

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DON CARLOS AND GOLD - PLANTATION

DON CARLOS AND GOLD - PLANTATION
DUBROOM ALBUM REVIEW

WWW, June 2009 - Originally, the vinyl album had 6 extended tunes, but the CD version goes to no less than ten long, great Rub a Dub discomixes from the 1980's.

Sure, it's a rare album and that means it cost a thing on the second hand market.

Not for nothing, though.

Don Carlos was one of the original members of the vocal group Black Uhuru, before Michael Rose and others took over and put the name of Black Uhuru on the World Wide Reggae Map. The Don's voice sounds in no way similar to that of Michael Rose, however.

Don Carlos is surely one of the sweetest singers in Reggae. His melodies contain many licks and hooks which are extremely difficult to do for a vocalist. He is extremely talented, which shows on the album in a very special way.

It doesn't matter whether the Don sings a lovers lyrics or a conscious meditation, every time he opens his mouth in front of the studio microphone, he makes something special of the tune. This shows on this album, where he sings over some really crucial riddims and everything is mixed almost perfect.

Most of the ten tunes are sung by Don Carlos, and all of them are followed by a crucial DUB. Noteworthy titles include the Abyssinians' "Declaration Of Rights", and the title track of course.

Definitely worth a listen, definitely worth considering as a purchase even though you might have to go to a second hand store or whatever.

THE MIGHTY THREE'S - AFRICA SHALL STRETCH FORTH HER HANDS

THE MIGHTY THREE'S - AFRICA SHALL STRETCH FORTH HER HANDS
DUBROOM ALBUM REVIEW

WWW, June 2009 - This album contains eight more than superb titles from this relatively unknown Jamaican vocal harmony group.

And that's not all: they all come with a more than outstanding DUB counterpart, in an all-killer-no-filler kind of quality.

"Africa Shall Stretch Forth Her Hands": Highly Recommended!

Noel "Bunny" Brown was already a veteran in the late 1970's, when the tunes on this album were released. He had been recording since the early 1960's, and had released a tune called "Bachelor Boy" under the name of "Noel and the Wild Cats".

He founded The Mighty Three's (aka Mighty 3) with Carlton Gregory and Bernard Brown, of which we find the main work on this album. It's a superb album in every aspect you can think of: the production, the music, the mixing, the singing.

The Mighty Three's have a way of touching you straight in the heart with Rasta chants, psalms, and meditations. From the opening vocal to the last dub, this album will keep you in a good vibe all the way.

It's just too bad, that there is so little material of this wonderful vocal harmony group. In that sense, they're like the Abyssinians who too were known for their heartfelt spiritual vocal works. Perhaps it has to be like that....

Nevertheless, there really is nothing bad to say about this album, other than the choice of sequence. Now you have to program the CD player before you can listen to the vocal and the dub of every title rather than first all the vocal tracks and then all the dubs.

MAD PROFESSOR MEETS SCIENTIST AT THE DUB TABLE

MAD PROFESSOR MEETS SCIENTIST AT THE DUB TABLE
DUBROOM ALBUM REVIEW

Even Lee Perry's voice drops in, when the two engineers meet at the Dub Table in Ariwa Studio's. The riddims are varied, some are mixed crucially where others might very well be filed into the "Reggae Instrumental" category. Allbeit, that not all tracks are Reggae...

Indeed: It's time for a meet-up of Scientist and the Mad Professor and that means nothing is the way it seems.

Both Scientist and the Mad Professor need no introduction, especially not for the lovers of DUB Music.

King Tubby's protégée may never have been financially compensated for the many things he done behind the mixing board during the 1970's and onward, but that doesn't take away he did it nevertheless. The legendary Greensleeves series based on cartoon and early computer game characters, for example.

The man who started Ariwa Studio's and did his part to keep DUB Alive with his Dub Me Crazy Series keeps on producing and touring the world with his DUB act. The totality of his releases is easily counted with three or perhaps even four figures.

And so, when Scientist and the Mad Professor meet up at the Ariwa Studio's, the expectations are just very, very high. And then it might be a bit of a disappointment to discover that even though there are some precious gems on the album, a couple of riddims would rather fit in the category "Reggae Instrumentals".

Lee Perry's voice is dubbed in and out, not a thing that everyone can apprecilove as well. Sure, snippets here and there, but there are longer parts and then just before you want to skip to the next tune, it's over. Some might love it, and others won't.

A nice album for those that would consider themselves avid collectors of DUB, but it doesn't meet up with the expectations one and ones might have when they see the two names.

MAD PROFESSOR - THE LOST SCROLLS OF MOSES

MAD PROFESSOR - THE LOST SCROLLS OF MOSES
DUBROOM ALBUM REVIEW

This 11 track album from the year 1993 has it all: Bible Readings, Middle Eastern melodies, and of course the massive drum and basslines we're used to hear from Ariwa Studio's.

Mad Professor rides a number of riddims, gives it different treatments, but all of them contain a healthy combination of programmed and played material.

Towards the end of the 1980's, early 1990's the digital machines had taken strong roots in the studio's on Jamaica and the UK. Dancehall, Ragga, even though DUB was more at the background in the Jamaican Studio's, the technology created new sounds.

We hear some of these sounds in The Lost Scrolls Of Moses. The bass, clearly inspired by the Sleng Teng sound and even details like a snapping finger every now and then give us a Dancehall vibe.

However, the music is unmistakably the UK Roots we're known to receive in our ears almost every time we listen to a Mad Professor production. That sound stands for a quality in itself, which makes you want to collect all of Neil Fraser's albums.

DAWA HI-FI - ANTIK THINGS

DAWA HI-FI - ANTIK THINGS
DUBROOM MP3 REVIEW

WWW, June 2009 - Brand New, Good For You: at least for us as listeners and searchers for the better online DUB. Antik Things refers to the fact that the five tracks on Dawa Hi-Fi's début EP are produced one or two years ago. Does it matter?

The French label Original DUB Gathering, started by DUB Collective Ondubground, knows how to introduce artists to the online massive. Too bad, the collective have not released any début album on their own label, but with Panda Dub and Dawa Hi-Fi they got some impressive material already.

It's a French Interpretation of UK Dub, and the mix goes well. Dawa Hi-Fi love their steppers, they love to bring out the echo machine on top of some massive drum and basslines and that's just how we, the online DUB Massive, like it to be.

Crucial and more than crucial as I would say!

PLAYLIST

1. Africa
2. Friendly dub
3. Outernational Skanking
4. Smokee Riddim
5. Tanguy de la Boîte à Rythme

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MAD PROFESSOR - DUB YOU CRAZY WITH LOVE

MAD PROFESSOR - DUB YOU CRAZY WITH LOVE
DUBROOM ALBUM REVIEW

WWW, June 2009 - It's not just, that he is known for his original and creative DUB mixes. A thing, for which he stands at a lonely height when it comes to the Art of DUB.

His originality includes original concepts, too. What about this 16 track collection of superb Dubs from original Lover's Rock tunes produced by Neil Fraser, aka Mad Professor, in his Ariwa Sound Studio's?

One would almost forget it: with the enormous flood of DUB albums coming from Mad Professor's Ariwa studio's, he also releases an equal amount of vocal albums in a wide variety of Reggae styles, and sometimes even beyond.

His upfull Lover's Rock releases, for example. Sweetness galore, but how does this actually sound when Mad Professor creates some DUB mixes from several of his Lover's Rock riddims?

Dub You Crazy With Love obviously gives the answer.

In 16 tracks, the Mad Professor creates a nice atmosphere that will definitely enhance the vibe when two people who love each other decide to be together for a while, without anyone watching. They could just decide to let it go, while the album plays.

Arguably, without too much words, the Lover's Rock is getting into the Love Vibe even more. Do not expect too much spaced out and tripped out parts, do expect an easy chilled out time where some righteous loving is accompanied by some righteous dubbing in several senses of the word.