| Many
people speak about Roots Reggae and how they
love it. Many, many Roots Reggae classics
are being re-released by such labels as
Blood And Fire: a true Labour of Love.
And
for many, Reggae stopped somewhere in the
end of the 1970's. The re-issues surely give
that impression a bit.
On the Internet I
have seen complaints about that, because
there is so much emphasis on the era of
Rockers, that the Reggae created afterwards
is ignored, where it could really cater to a
Roots Audience.
I am talking about the RUB A
DUB Style, as Dancehall Reggae was called in
the end of the 1970's, early 1980's. Cool
and laid back rhythms accompanied by Dub and
Dubby effects.
One of the true Dub Masters
in that genre must be the Scientist. This
protégée of the legendary King Tubby his
mixed an incredible amount of Dubs in
Channel One Studio's. And not only Dub
albums on his own name, he worked on many
more albums.
Including this one, the 1985 debut album from "fast toaster"
Brigadier Jerry, a member of the Rastafarian
organization 12 Tribes of Israel, since
1978.
As a Toaster ("Reggae
Rapper"), he started his musical career
in this same year. Why it took him so long
before his first album was released, nobody
knows. But when it arrived, in the last days
of Rub a Dub (perhaps), it was a welcome
addition and alternative to the then rising
Dance Hall Style of Ragga.
The set starts of with the title track,
in extended style. Dubwise music from the
top to the very last drop. Hear scientist
use the digital echo and other effects to
enhance Briggie's lyrics and the riddim of
the drum and bassline.
The second track
"Jah Jah Move" is a little more
energetic and hails up Jah and the Bible in
which you can "find the truth for
yourselves", as Brigadier Jerry says.
After this comes the track called "Jah
Love Music", with Scientist creating a
lot of heavy and long echo's on the drum and
the horn section.
Track number four contains
another meditation of worship to Jah,
"Give Thanks And Praise", in which
Briggy does a little singing and more
melodic style of toasting every now and
then.
Track five speak about daily life,
"Everyman A Mi Bredrin", one of
the lesser strong tracks in my opinion.
"Kushungpeng", the track after
that, is also not one of the strongest
tracks. It could have been improved by some
wild Dub mixing, but for some reason the
Scientist choose to do otherwise. A
fter
this, strength comes again in a beautiful
rendering of Bunny Wailer's classic
"Armagideon" on which Briggy Jerry
chants words from the Bible and from own
observation and reading out of the book of
Revelation, out of the Bible.
The album
closes of with "Three Blind Mice",
in which Brigadier Jerry gives a
demonstration in Rub a Dub toasting, he
chants all kinds of words that have not a
meaning but sound very rhythmical and are
very difficult to do yourself. Or in other
words: Don't try this at home.
And as the
album started, it also closes: with an
extended version. Three blind mice goes over
from vocal into Dub with some nice works
from Scientist at the Control tower.
I would definitely recommend this album
to Rub a Dub fans, to fans of Reggae
Toasting, and to fans of DUB music in
general.
It is one of the rare Brigadier
Jerry albums that there are, and that is a
true shame, because he surely remains to be
one of the most talent full DJ's. Most of
his tunes are straight on conscious tracks
with an uplifting message to read scripture
and find out for yourself, a teaching often
heard in the 12 Tribes of Israel
Organization.
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