Monumental rebel rock from the teenager at Randy’s in 1973, riding the success of Java. The Barrett Brothers, Chinna, Zoot Simms and co on a piece of Upsetters, Santics like Horace’s Problems, Guiding Star… Ever awesome.

First time out for this wildly raw dubplate, sister-recording to the Pablo master-rhythm, shot through with other-worldly incantation.
Surely that’s Family Man stalking a sunken cavern, and his bro battering all seven shades out of his drum-kit, like Meters on fire; and Chinna on guitar, glazed and violent. The mixing rears up right in your face.
Producer Gussie Clarke says Theophilus ‘Easy Snappin’ Beckford is playing piano, with the front removed so he can strum the strings (like he finally snapped) — but he credits the work overall to Augustus Pablo.
Transferred from acetate — fuss-pots don’t grumble, just be humble — though the flip brings a clutch of criss, unmissable alternates, direct from Gussie’s tape-room (where the files are entitled ‘Classical Illusion / The Sun’).
Heavy, heavy funk. Simplicity People dug in. Stunning.

Last few.

Interpretations of the Soul Vendors’ Swing Easy on melodica and clavinet; plus a dub, and a toast by Dillinger. Hot stuff is right.

‘An absolute must,’ as Steve Barker writes in The Wire. ‘The main Attraction is the dubplate mixes of the Jah Shaka power play Jah No Parshall, here retitled Gates Of Zion. One astonishing dub mix features vocals from Prince Mohammed aka George Nooks in his early deejay guise. Chopped from the lyric and dropped into the chasmic dub mix, the phrase ‘heavy as lead’ would have made an apt title.’

A baker’s dozen of rare or unreleased dub instrumentals by Augustus Pablo at the height of his powers, mixed at King Tubbys.
First the set of Prince Philip dubplates from Digikiller, stateside; now this from Only Roots in France.
Biff!... Baff!
Knockout stuff.

Slightly theatrical female sufferers from 1977, arranged by Cedric Brooks.

From 1982 — with the Roots Radics and Jah Thomas at Channel One.

The grizzly-monster original 1984 cut (not the Power House do-over), plus shoot-out dub; with a Steve Knight excursion on the flip.

Sweet Stalag business.

Great to have the Saxon man back, in top form on this slug of nasty NW1 digi.