The friends of reggae and Dub will be delighted with the re-release of this Dubalbum. Originally, “slum in Dub“ Released in England in 1978 by Burning Sounds and simultaneously in Jamaica by Gregory Isaacs on his Cash & Carry label under the title “Dub In The Slum”. The A-side of the Burning Sounds edition was the B-side of the Cash & Carry label and vice versa. Over the years, “Slum in Dub“ has been re-released at regular intervals. The latest vinyl release comes again from Burning Sounds. Like the original, the LP contains no bonus tracks and is released on colored vinyl.
Above all, “Slum in Dub" Dub-Versions of tracks from Gregory Isaacs' self-produced album "Cool Ruler" from 1978. From "Public Eyes" to "Aso", the originals are available on the "Cool RulerA new interpretation of the "Party Time" riddim can be found on "Nigger" and "Leaving" is originally called "Black Against Black" and is on Gregory's "Extra Classic". The penultimate track "Leggo Beast" will be known to some as "Spirit Of Umoja" by Dennis Brown or Augustus Pablo. The riddim is the Heptones classic "Sweet Talking". The album closes with "Embarrassment", the Leroy Sibbles & Heptones song "Love Won't Come Easy" from the old Studio One days.
The whole thing was mixed by the legendary Prince Jammy aka King Jammy at King Tubby's. The album was recorded together with the Revolutionaries at the Channel One Studio in Kingston. A prominent feature of “Slum in Dub“ is the exceptional sound quality and masterful mixing by Jammy. Jammy restricts himself more to the use of effects and is clearly restrained in the omission of instruments, so that the original melodic lines remain almost untouched. The subtle integration of fading vocal fragments, which are scattered sparingly throughout the tracks, contributes to a captivating listening experience.
“Slum in Dub“ is one of the outstanding albums from the heyday of DubEvery track is a real classic. The rhythms are infectious and the resulting soundscapes are simply spacey. This album shows once again that strong source material is still the key to a great album. Dubalbum, the “Slum In Dub“ is in my ears. Somehow the melodies seem to have always been there.
2 Responses to “Gregory Isaacs: Slum in Dub (Re-release)”
Mmmmmh yes, sometimes friendship is a little clouded.
Be it because the ages weren't quite right or because someone in your circle of friends has a bad habit that not everyone, even if it's just one person, can really deal with.
For me, the cliché that has been brewing in my head over time is once again completely fulfilled by “Channel No. One”. The source material is absolutely excellent and for me the whole album grooves really well from start to finish.
But I just can't really enjoy this groove because the Jamaicans, especially at this time, in the Channel One Studio, saw something like their favorite instrument in this ring of a thousand and one little "flying cymbals". I simply call it rustling and I get almost completely annoyed by it every time I use it. The better the groove, or the riddim, the more annoyed I get by this rustling. No amount of therapy helps.
If you don't like fennel, there shouldn't even be a trace of it in your food. Otherwise, the entire feast will be inedible.
Of course, there's no point in getting as worked up as I am about a small but more or less significant stylistic device 50 years after the release of this music. It can't be removed and obviously the inner circle of friends is completely fine with it. But I wanted to try to explain again why I have something to complain about.
I could explain my feelings even more clearly if I compared this rustling and tinkling to a cicada, for example, which rubs its "buttocks" together almost non-stop in the summer right under my bedroom window, driving me almost mad. The only thing that can beat that is a pigeon, which starts defending its territory at 8 a.m. on a Sunday morning, or tries to find a life partner with its inhuman cooing. It's really a problem. There is this so-called extinction of species. There are hardly any blackbirds left, although I find their song really beautiful. Why blackbirds and not those stupid, good-for-nothing pigeons?!? It's like weeds. They just don't go away.
OK, OK, for everyone, especially for those who don't have a problem with the rustling, my "chatter" is probably hard to bear. But imagine that my "chatter" is a rustling sound with a thousand little metal discs clanging against each other. Then you'll know roughly how bad I find this "rustling" in my favorite music.
Well, of course I secretly hope that my comparison is flawed and that I was able to create a little understanding for my “problem”.
From my side, reggae, Dub and I will still remain very good friends until the end of my days ;-) ….
With all due respect ………………………… lemmi
This is a high-quality roots dub album that has finally been reissued. Your review made me buy this gem from the Burning Sound back catalog immediately. I appreciate the album from the first to the last note. In my opinion, Gregory's best Dubalbum. Great!