Augustus Pablo was one of the early pioneers of Dub, being a skilled multi-instrumentalist and member of multiple bands in the genre such as The Upsetters. He left behind a massive discography, with this being his 5th album. Present here is a star-studded cast of artists;
Robbie Shakespeare of Black Uhuru,
Aston Barrett of The Wailers,
Mixed by King Tubby etc.
Of course, the star is still Augustus himself. He performs four of the instruments himself along with three bass players and a group of other pieces. The production throughout is wobbly, unstable but still very infectious melodically. The horns along with whatever Pablo is playing are often the focal points of songs, anchored by the deep bass. Everyone here is in top form, always keeping the playing tight and the songs sounding fresh. Of course as it's a Dub record, there is plenty of audio manipulation on each song, there always being a faint echo, phaser or something else. Despite this it never loses its footing, staying grounded and rhythmic. There's a psychedelic, almost hypnagogic quality to these recordings as they move along in a warm stupor. Older Reggae songs are occasionally sampled to create slightly haunting vocal snippets layered in echo, quickly fading into and out of the song. In general, it often feels like these tracks can fall apart at any second. It's such an atmospheric experience layered in so many sets of instruments and audio effects that it better serves as one long track. While it's very interconnected, the tracks never bleed together indiscriminately, always with a strong beginning and end to each track. It's so smooth at certain points it becomes hypnotic, coinciding with the soothing nature of it. The title track is my favorite here, originally released in '74, the dreamy melodica completes Pablo's Dub rendition of Jacob Miller's Baby I Love You So. As I've already mentioned this record has a very transcendental feel, highlighted by the sun faded vocals on songs making it feel like a Dub remix album of someone else's work. They often rise and descend in volume just as the instruments often do, giving a mysterious flavor to the record.
King Tubbys is a seminal work in Dub and Reggae as a whole. It stands out in how much of a group effort it is, making it an even better intro to the sound. Through its multifaceted production, flow and musicianship it solidifies itself as a classic of the aformentioned genres and '70s music overall.
9/10
See also: Black Uhuru, The Upstetters, King Tubby
- kreyzi
YonDivi's rating: 8
stillbeaches' rating: 8
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