| Many
would consider Burning Spear's album
"Hail H.I.M." to be (among) his
best ones. Living Dub Volume 2 is the Dub
counterpart of that excellent album, and
arguably even better than the vocals.
Just like Living Dub 1, there are two
versions of this album. The one reviewed
here is the original vinyl version, now
re-released on CD by Burning Spear's own
Burning Music label.
Burning Spear has done a lot to promote
Reggae music to new audiences. Rock
audiences, for example. Many people had
never heard the music or could not be
appealed by Bob Marley's style of Reggae,
but they would love Burning Spear.
The music was originally released on the
Island label, where Winston Rodney was
signed to during the late 1970's, early
1980's. The label had connections with that
rock audience in the UK and other places,
and so introduced Spear's raw and militant
Reggae to that audience.
This album, as said, was not released on
the Island label but on Spear's own Burning
Music. It was a time, wherein DUB was
underestimated even more than it is today.
The remixing techniques that had been
developed in Jamaica were considered to be
too local to appeal world wide.
How wrong they were...
(Original) Living DUB 2 is an essential
addition to your collection. When you already
own Hail H.I.M., it is even a must-have as
the album reveals the power of Dub in an extraordinary
way.
There are dimensions in Reggae Music
which can only be heard when it is mixed in
Dub Style, and Living Dub 2 is a
school-example of it. Compare the Dubs with
their vocal counterparts and realize that
you are actually listening to two completely
different vibes.
But it's all Burning Spear.
And Burning Spear means raw and militant
Reggae, deep spiritual vibes and thoughtful
lyrics. Every now and then, you will hear
snippets of Spear's voice throughout the
album and these fragments contain enough
food for thought.
So: enjoy the Dub, meditate on the
lyrics, and consider the true power of DUB every time
you hear Original Living Dub Volume Two.
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