A master-class in digikal dread, by the Cool Ruler and King Tubby.
Swingeing Firehouse rhythms, expertly dubwise, with driving, tumping bass, and the burning horns of Dean Fraser and Vin Gordon. Utterly masterful singing.
The overall mood is foreboding, sombre and distressed. ‘Your trouble wanna trouble you,’ warns Gregory. ‘War in the morning, war in the evening.’ ‘Everyone is wondering who will be next.’
The gist is the toll of everyday living — paranoia and alienation, loneliness and heartbreak, drugs and violence — and the gravitational pull of prison, so it’s great to see the emblematic art-work of the original UK issue, by the aptly-named Serious Business, back again. (We miss the Rudy Gone Whaling typo of an old bootleg, still.)
Typically dapper, trash-and-ready reissue by Dub Store in Tokyo, with ace sound, handsomely sleeved (though the tracks are listed in the wrong order).
Masterworks like Long Sentence, Once A Man — giant-slaying Fade Away excursion — and Badness.
Hotly recommended.

Just like cream-of-the-crop digi Tubbys. From the New Dance album sessions in 1988, with the Firehouse Crew. Mixed by Leroy ‘Fatman’ Thompson — formerly apprenticed to the King, en route to Jammys — and produced by Bunny Gemini and Tristan Palma. Gregory is desolate and compelling… and the dub is murder.

Masterful Gregory from 1997, sounding spooked and hunted over a juddering, propulsive Music Works rhythm, fulgent and full-on, with deep, pounding bass, clattering percussion, parping horns, classy backing vocals and harp starbursts… top-notch Gussies.
Two extended vocal versions, and two dubs, all quite different.
Bimmety bim bim.

Tastily off-kilter mid-seventies roots excursion on Artibella.

Staggering, stone-classic roots, originally released on Family Man’s handsome imprint in 1972.
Bunny Wailer on percussion; Dirty Harry on fife. Awesome Tubbys dub.
Knockout.

Magnificent, militant roots.
Tell them, King Tubby.

Previously unreleased but killer.
Jah B’s singing is softly sublime; discreetly channeling Bob Marley. People have wondered whether it’s a young Jah Batta; but insiders say it’s Al Moodie, from the same session as Bull Bay Jumping.
Both dubs are genius Wackies: trenchant Utopia rhythms, with shimmering, majestic brass.