Search - King Tubby, Soul Syndicate :: Freedom Sounds in Dub

Simply the best dub album ever

sharon_mefager | Tel Aviv, Israel | 04/01/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"There are simply no questions to be asked. If your taste includes heavy rootsy dub, with megatons of bass and reverb, vocals coming and going like ghosts of some long dead jamaican freedom fighter, this is the album for you. It features dub cuts of famous songs from the Freedom Sounds label, with artists like Prince Alla, Rod Taylor, Earl Zero and more. No reggae collection can be without this. Also serves as a great introduction to dub music for people who have not yet had a chance to enjoy the fruits of this wonderful genre.Peace to Zion!"

Whoa

Owen Renn | Oxford, MS United States | 02/12/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Well, I don't know if I woul go so far as to declare this the greatest dub album of all time, however I will gladly concede it is number two*. Do not sleep on this disc however, King Tubby, as you probably already know, is regarded as the godfather of Dub. It is nice to also have a collection of all Soul Syndicate tracks.*- for those wondering, my absolute favorite dub album of all time is the King Tubby produced Cornell Campbell - I Shall Not Remove 1975-1980, both albums come with my highest recommendation."

* The Greatest Dub Release of All Time, full stop. *

Jasper | New England | 05/28/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"It's impossible to describe how good this is. Here we have the greatest dub master of all time, King Tubby, forging the heaviest, trippiest, deepest, most soul-stirring dub that has ever been created. These are sonic sculptures of incredible beauty and power. This is a master at his peak. This is, without a doubt, high art. The dub pinnacle.



For those who may not know, Blood & Fire was the label that elevated classic Jamaican reissues to the level of high-end jazz and classical reissues. The sound was painstakingly restored by people who have lived their lives loving this music. Their passion went into every single detail of their releases, and this is their dub release to top all of them.



Like many other labels, Blood & Fire ran into a lot of trouble with the spread of file sharing. The company appears to be in limbo as of this writing, and it looks quite likely that more pressings of this disc will not be made. I am all for modern methods of music acquisition, but out of all of the music available, this is one of the few things which I'd say is really, truly worth hearing in the best possible quality. It is also an object of art. It looks as though you'll have to get this disc used, or pay a fortune to get it new. I'd do it now before it can't be found at all.



I can't believe this is even happening, but it looks like another Blood & Fire reissue, what I and many others would consider the greatest reggae LP of all time; The Congos - Heart of the Congos, is also out of print. This is the the other disc that I'd pick up while it's available through third-party sellers.



Between the two I believe you'll have the greatest dub set and the greatest reggae album that can be had, both in miraculously high quality, from the greatest Jamaican music reissue label of all time.



Enjoy your musical journey."