Perhaps as you say it’s not one for the beginner, but I’m hardly that - it had just passed me by somehow. I’ve actually got the other Blood and Fire Yabby You compilation (King Tubby’s Prochecy of Dub) but had never really understood what his contribution to the music was. He’s in a slightly anomalous position in Jamaican music as a ‘producer’ but not a mixer. Having heard the vocal versions of all of those dubs it makes a lot more sense now.
Tubby was obviously inspired by him - the versions he does on the two compilations are some of the best of his work I’ve heard. Other people really shine as well. I’ve never heard that Michael Rose track (Born Free) before although he’s one of my favourite singers - it’s brilliant.
Glad you like the Ranking Dread album - a lot of talent on that record with Sly and Robbie/Roots Radics playing and Tubby mixing the first half and
Scientist the second.
Good to find out there’s at least one other reggae fan on DIS- I always put reggae tracks on my mixtapes in the mixtape exchange with decidedly mixed results. To be fair some people have really liked them but I get a few depressing ‘I don’t like any reggae’ responses. Certainly no-one has ever listened to any of it before.
Another suggestion if you’ve not heard it is the Rodigan Fabric Mix - lots of dancehall stuff (some that might qualify as your ‘sparse proto-dancehall) I’d not heard before and all really good. Only two familiar classics (and what classics - Pablo/Tubby and Ring The Alarm). Really good fun.
