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Keith HudsonPick a Dub

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Keith Hudson's "Pick A Dub“(VP) is cult, is part of the reggae world cultural heritage and has been declared one of the seven wonders of the world by UNESCO. Entire books could be filled with the hymns of praise for this album. If you hear it today, questions arise like: Does such a masterpiece sound like that? Or better: sounded like such a masterpiece? Well: A look at the reception in its historical dimension helps here: “Pick A Dub“Was published in England in 1974, making it one of the first Dub-Albums (although definitely not the first, as can be read occasionally). Judging by what the world knew in terms of music at that time (also with regard to reggae), the invention of the Dub Not to be valued highly enough as an innovation by Jamaican producers and studio engineers. Dub was radically new and unheard - a sensation. And if Dub was already radically new, then “Pick A Dub“His most radical manifestation to date. The fascination that an album like “Pick A Dub“That exercised on his listeners in the early 1970s is hardly understandable from today's perspective. Today, in the age of musical globalization, new sounds, extreme beats, are weird Dub-Experiments and countless varieties of reggae on the agenda. If you hear today “Pick A Dub“It's like looking at an old black and white photograph. In addition to the colorful, plump, moving images of our everyday life, the old photo can hardly hold its own. But when in the middle of the 19th century the visible world was photographed by itself on a silver-coated glass plate, as if by magic, the photo was a sensation of unbelievable proportions. What interests us in the photo today is no longer the simple fact of its existence, but its historical authenticity. It is a historical witness, says something about the life and culture of contemporaries. But from a purely aesthetic point of view, of course, it has long since ceased to be a sensation. I feel with “Pick A Dub“Exactly like that: The music has an impressive, historical aura, but the power that was once inherent in it is unfortunately no longer comprehensible. What was radically new forty years ago, the minimalist drum & bass sound, the accentuated bass and the Dub-Mix in general is the classic standard today. So I have to admit that my lack of enthusiasm for listening to the album saddened me a little. How I would love to hear the excitement of the early 70sDub-Experience explorers in the face of this epoch-making album. Well, unfortunately that is the disgrace of late birth. Speaking of birth: “Pick A Dub“Has already passed several incarnation cycles. It was released several times in the 1970s and was the third album on the Blood & Fire label in 1994 - but always with the original 12 tracks. Now it appears for the first time with eight bonus tracks - mostly vocal versions - and remastered by Kevin Metcalfe.

Rating 4 stars

3 replies to “Keith Hudson: Pick a Dub"

With all due respect, what we can hear today has nothing to do with the original. This is mastered completely differently than the original, which can be heard especially in the permanently over-present mids and highs. The B&F release was also imo miles away from the original and its "dynamic range". This may not only be due to the source, but also to the playback devices and, not least, to changes in listening habits. Whoever plays this today hears something completely different than in the 70s.

Absolutely ... but that's only half the story, because there are also the playback devices, the boxes from anno dunnemal and if you are really picky then there is also the grammage of the vinyl, which die, etc. etc. and then of course that too own changed listening habits compared to the 70s / 80s. And maybe a certain tendency to rave about the good old days ;-)

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