Luckily it took ONLY 12 years for Clive Hunt to give us a new instrumental /DubAlbum submitted. In 2008 I was because of "Clive Hunt & The Dub Dancers“Completely excited and put the album at number three in my annual charts. Now his new work is here: "Blue Lizard“(VP) - and I'm excited again. For those who don't know Clive Hunt: He was a studio musician on hundreds of tracks (mostly in the horn section, on bass or on keyboards) and has produced at least as many tracks. An important station in the 70s was his production work in the Wackies studio, where he worked for the legendary Dub-Album "African Roots Act 1" recorded. After 2000 he became the house producer of VP Records and was responsible for the beautiful "We Remember Dennis Brown" tribute album. So now "Blue Lizzard" - named after Hunt's nickname. What a great sound! Precise, crisp, tight, full-tone, warm and cozy. No wonder, if the wind players are Bobby Ellis, Nambo Robinson and Dean Fraser, the keyboardists Robbie Lyn and Bubbler Waul, the guitarist Wayne Armond and the drummers Squidley Cole and Kirk Bennet. A real hit team! They play beautiful evergreens alongside new compositions, all of which are ingeniously and variedly arranged - no comparison to some of the more smooth taxi gang productions. It is only in contrast to such perfect craft that it becomes apparent what poor production quality so many modern ones are Dub- offer albums (which often have different qualities). “Blue Lizzard” is old school in the best sense of the word. Since the winds are at the center of the action, VP tries to compare it to Rico Rodriguez's “Man From Wareika”. That is not absurd. If the perfectionist Rico had recorded his album today, it would probably sound like "Blue Lizzard". It is to be feared that there will no longer be reggae producers and musicians who can deliver this outstanding technical and artistic quality. One more reason to be excited now.
22 replies to "Clive Hunt & The Hit Team: Blue Lizzard"
Yeah man
"Clive Hunt And The Dubdancers “!!! I was or am completely over the moon. I also understand very well that you are crazy about "Blue Lizzard". The Riddims and the entire BackgroundPackage not only testify to “outstanding craftsmanship and artistic quality”, but also to what I call “blessed” and “original from JAH” inspired. I can't explain rationally why these "guys" play reggae here in such a way that I am absolutely thrilled. That's just pure reggae magic!
For me, however, this disc leaves very mixed feelings. In the last few years I have developed a latent aversion to too many fans. I became very sensitive about that. I've always been into the fantastic brass sections, be it from ASWAD, BURNING SPEAR or BOB MARLEY AND THE WAILERS and of course from the SKATALITES too !!! Yes, Sly and Robbie also had fantastic fans with the TaxiGang. I think even including Dean (Martin) Fraser.
But the time of the fantastic horn hooklines seems to be long gone. At least for me.
And so there are certain "sequences" that make me sick of these wonderful riddims, bursting with primal power. But there are also good blowers (that is, blowers that I like very much), for example on “Temple Of Selassie”, where I also manage the entire rhythm carpet simply as a SUPERIOR! can denote. “Man From Far” and “No Bones” are so strong that I don't care about the fan. With “Rocks In The Rain” - we have the fantastic real rock riddim again (!) I don't like the brass improvisations at all. They almost completely destroy my basic feeling, which is always very good at real rock riddim with me.
But now to my highlight here on the disc (?). "Wareika Hill" is absolutely top class for my taste! And a very special uplift is this fantastic tone, which sounds to me as if someone whistles only very briefly and crisply, but razor-sharp over the bass tube of a panpipe and this tone then with the perfect one DubSpice is transferred to the very highest spheres. Maybe my hearing is mistaken and it is ultimately a didjeridu (don't feel like looking how it is written) or a "theremin" or maybe Adrian Sherwood just puffed it. Anyway, to better describe my fascination for this magic, I consult gtkriz and compare it to the feeling he had (and hopefully still has) when he was at “De Otra Manera Dub“Hear the sudden pause. Since the break only occurs once, however, I have this feeling here at least “to the power of three”, because this magic accompanies me or us through the entire process Dubtune
All in all, I would say I can understand every enthusiasm for this record very well. Unfortunately, I developed a small allergy to too many fans, so that my enthusiasm is a little clouded again.
And just to contradict myself right away, I mention that “Deep In Dub“A very nice one DubDisc called “Saxman's Dub Session “gives me despite the saxophone
I really like it from front to back. The saxophonist plays the part exactly how I like it.
“The people have a right to know the truth” …………………… .. lemmi
"Saxman's Dub Session “by Jerry Johnson is probably why you and I like it so much because there is a lot of it Dub was seasoned :-)
RIGHT !!!
And it would also be really interesting who actually knotted the sound carpet. Incidentally, this is also the very best cream (spoken for my taste).
"I love the echo and any kind of reverbs" and many many more ………. lemmi
I have just read the German version again. I'm actually completely fascinated by what our new "friend", the computer, can do.
The translation seems to me to be for the most part very understandable and although I consider that to be almost impossible, it could even be the one or the other irony
could convey. That's really awesome, I have to admit. Elsewhere the computer is really stupid again and creates misunderstandings. Or the word "fan"
is perceived worldwide as a "blower". In any case, Leo says fan = fan. So I would have expected something like “instrumental blowjob” or something like that.
But otherwise the computer is making progress ……………………… .. lemmi
Wow, you notice everything. The translation function was only implemented yesterday. I think we will invest a little money to improve the translation quality and to make the English-language texts searchable for Google. Dubblog goes international!
"Wow, you notice everything"
Yes I! What a compliment to someone who has diagnosed themselves with ADD. I have often heard that an H should be missing, but against the H
I have an extremely good remedy ;-) (very effective for many years).
But after all, it's about nothing less than DUBMUSIC and I “always” need full concentration and attention.
In addition, I have now ordered “Blue Lizzard” on vinyl. From experience I know that I will no longer notice the "frequent blowing" when "The Black Magic Plastic" starts rotating ;-)
Vinyl lifts everyone Dub to the highest level!
If you know what Dub is ;-)
Christmas can come ……………………… .. lemmi
The exceptional talent Clive "Azul" Hunt is one of the last living greats who is not mentioned much enough. Also because he publishes too little under his own name. In the feature of the current Riddim (# 103), he tells extremely interesting things that were completely unknown even to an old hand like me. For example: the story of the Abyssinians' first album; his escape from Jamaica because of a gunman; his work with Lloyd "Bullwackie" Barnes and so much more. Clive Hunt should definitely start writing his memoirs in time. I would buy the book right away. Until then, I'm looking forward to part 2 of the riddim feature.
Briefly about his current albums "Blue Lizzard" and "Bad Bad Bad": awesome !!!
Also read the story with a lot of interest. The guy is really as good a storyteller as he is as a producer. I hope we get another solid late work from him. Allegedly he is building a high-end studio with Patrice on the island - which does not (yet) have an access road ;-). In any case, gives hope for exciting productions.
I also like the album, it turned out very well. It is from a completely different planet than “Clive Hunt And The Dubdancers ”(which I basically thought was great at the time, but the sound is badly compressed, the part has almost zero dynamics ... everything just loud, loud, loud - the mastering engineer killed the part, shame on him!).
I don't know… is it just me or is VP's comparison with “Man from Wareika” an unheard of sacrilege, not to say blasphemy? I mean ... come on, "Man from Wareika" ... deepest roots, mystical but also playful, bass like a heart massage, one drop galore, one hook after the other ... the album is mighty, mighty, mighty! Should I say it again? POWERFUL! :-)
Interesting question. Have to listen carefully to “Man from” again. It's been years.
Rico's “Man from Wareika” is not a milestone of reggae but a monolith. I still know exactly what “impact” this album caused back then. And I guess, not just for me. Bob Marley had Rico in tow on his Exodus tour through Europe in 1977 as support. That must have had good reasons why he chose Rico. For me, Rico's masterpiece is undisputedly one of the ten best albums in reggae history.
There is a deluxe version with 33 tracks in the stream: https://songwhip.com/rico2/man-from-wareika-wareika-dub
Only the deluxe version - with the one I only knew from hearsay at the time Dub-Album ... it was like a rumor, a ghost ... you (or was it just me?) Just couldn't hear it ... good old times.
Although I find it very remarkable that you get one from an instrumental album in 1976/77 that was also released by Iceland Dub Pulled album. The luxury version not only shines with the imo Dubs, but also with the extra track “Midnight in Ethiopia”, which I always really liked ... was only available on a sampler before, I mean. The extras don't quite get to the album imo /DubAlbum tracks and the inclusion of the Kinks cover could have been * ahem, hawk-hawk * reconsidered.
When I (re) listening, I was particularly impressed by the quality of the DubAlbum thrilled. The instrumental stuck in my mind better than I thought. The Dub-Reworking, on the other hand, was completely suppressed. I think it still sounds modern and contemporary. It's hard to believe that it should have been mixed in the mid-1970s.
And thanks DubI also have the blog DubSlice of it at home !!!
I love it when I have no gaps to cope with.
I am always very happy when we are completely in agreement here.
"MAN FROM WAREIKA" is also a MIGHTY MONOLITH for me !!!
Though I can't resist the temptation to call it a
ALMIGHTY MONOLITH ;-)
But somewhere in the cosmos there must have been a nest of these monoliths
all of which ended up in Jamaica. In part, they then spread to England before they finally conquered the whole world.
What would HAL 9000 say about it? ……………………. lemmi
The deluxe version is currently available from amazon for an incredible € 7,88. When you consider the limited white label Dub Album alone would have devoured a fortune on record markets. If I had to choose, I would order the D-CD as soon as possible before I just stream this great music. That's well over two hours of music with loads of bonus tracks.
"If ISLAND were the only record company, I would stop playing the trombone." Rico doesn't have a good word for ICELAND today. For him, “Man from Wareika” was a real disappointment. “Chris Blackwell mixed it up to his liking. He took out a lot of things and it sounded very different from what we expected. You have to watch “Wareika in Dub”Listen, these are the pristine recordings. Of the Dub-LP was pressed 2000 copies, it is very difficult to find today. ”In 1977 he recorded a second album for ISLAND on“ Midnight in Ethiopia ”, which was never released. Three pre-release, limited-edition maxisellingles later appeared: “Ska Wars” / “Ramble” (1977); “Take Five” / “Soundcheck” (1979); “Children Of Sanchez” / You really got me “/“ Midnight in Ethiopia ”(1979) - Rico says:“ The people in the office (ISLAND) chose the pieces for me. It wasn't my music. I wasn't happy about that because I was ordered to make the music. "
No that Dub-Album wasn't a rumor, in the early 1980s my friends - the ones with the second-hand record store - happened upon a copy. Today I can say it: We briefly thought about the “Wareika in Dub”To bootleggen. But then we had too much jitters from the powerful ISLAND lawyers. So everyone pulled a tape, which, by the way, still runs perfectly today and without any "fiddles". Later I had another conversation with Nicolai Beverungen about this, but he also advised me to stay away from it because of possible legal problems. René, the album was actually mixed by Karl Pitterson in 1977 and sounded as unbelievably good back then as it does today.
If you look at Rico's statements about “Man from Wareika”, it is almost unbelievable how important the album is to us and among connoisseurs.
By the way, an interesting statement from Rico in 1981: “I saw her on TV, I heard her on the radio. These people make the music that we played over twenty years ago. Then I kept getting calls that the SPECIALS were looking for me. At first I didn't react, but after a while I wanted to know what they wanted from me. I then went into the studio and recorded two pieces for her. They were so overwhelmed that they asked me if I wanted to go on tour with them. Since then I've been a full member of the band. I'm forty-seven now. It is the first time in my career that I have a regular job. ”- Quotations are excerpts from a Rico interview from 1981, conducted by Klaus Frederking.
Last but not least, a recommendation: “Rico - Jama Rico” (1982) produced and mixed by Jerry “Specials” Dammers & Dick Cuthell. For me then and now a real surprise.
Very interesting story.
In fact, the most interesting story!
I admire the White Label press at the time ... I would have peed if Chris Blackwell's anger had come over me via a lawyer. In this respect ... I wouldn't have done it either Ras Vorbei.
I guess ... what we're calling the Deluxe album now DubHear it is a remastered version ... because honestly, the sound is not that different ... the DubThey are even sonically “lightweight” (more treble, less bass) in contrast to the bass-heavy original album. Anyone who has the original in whatever form can count themselves lucky, I think.
It is also interesting that the album, which we praise here in the highest tones, does not please the artist himself at all ... we, on the other hand, are into Chris Blackwell's mix taste :-) - which is not touching either, I always found his reggae productions very much succeeded; they led me to reggae.
I don't like Rico's Chrysalis albums that much ... they are more in the direction of Ska, I can't do anything with them, unfortunately.
In my opinion, the “Jama Rico” is far from Ska. "Destroy them" - simply mystical, "Jam Rock" - dubbig, "Distant Drums" - Count Ossie sends his regards, "Java" - Funkbass. Therefore: A real surprise for me then as now.
In fact, there is only one track that I would call Ska. Also on “That Man Is Forward” there are only two or three Ska numbers on it. Maybe these are my turn-offs, but then again ... I don't think the rest of the tracks are too good either.
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