THE REVOLUTIONARIES "AT CHANNEL ONE"....A frequent listen of late has been a 2001 CD of unreleased 1976 recordings from Sly & Robbie's REVOLUTIONARIES called "The Revolutionaries At Channel 1 -- Dub Plate Specials". This is not the usual heavy, drug-friendly echoed-beyond-belief dub I often go for, but it is a great spin, best enjoyed in the background of a long car trip or before sleep. The 14 dubs are primal, stripped-to-the-bone studio experimentation without a lot of overt showing off (a la Lee Perry or King Tubby, who certainly earned the right). Vocals are basically nonexistent, a key factor in my enjoyment of Jamaican dub -- most "toasters" make my skin crawl. The liner notes say that these were actually the first recordings of the band, who featured Sly Dunbar and Robbie Shakespeare on drums and bass respectively & who first made their name as leaders of the Channel 1 Studios in-house band. "Straight from the masters, some brand new biscuits!". Recommended.

posted by Jay H. at 3:44 AM