Roots Archives Forum

Totally agree bought this on pre in '78 when Joe Gibbs was really carrying the swing and i rate it highly 1 track is a reggae recut of an old salsoul tune-Its allright I feel it. which featured on masters at Work Nuyorican Soul album -fab I even like the Donna Summer style synths.Much harder than Chapters 1 and 2.

yes i! killer set IMO

I was thinking about purchasing this one, but synths sound is rather pushing me off... I must say that if I don't like one thing about Joe Gibbs productions, it's the usage of synths/keyboards. They sound so cheesy on his albums:)

On Keith Hudson's albums it's even worst:)

Don't know the album, but I must look out for it. I like pretty much anything DUB from that period and the inclusion of cheesy synths is intriguing.
@Dub out of Poland - let the cheese envelope and smother you!
I think you have to have a sense of humour about some of this stuff. I really like the Derrick Harriott Scrub the Dub and More Scrubbing the Dub albums and they have their fair share of cheesy synth and other possibly dubious instrumentation - but they're coming from more of a soul, disco uptown vibe. I think this kind of stuff gets unfairly ignored. It can't all be heavy duty roots brimstone and fiah!
I'm probably straying off topic, but does anyone know what kind of synths they had in the studios in the Kingston late 70s? I've never come across any info on this kind of detail.
http://www.acetonestudio.com

ACEtone wrote:I'm probably straying off topic, but does anyone know what kind of synths they had in the studios in the Kingston late 70s? I've never come across any info on this kind of detail.
http://www.acetonestudio.com

Pretty sure a **[Minimoog](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minimoog)** is being used on "Majestic..."

ACEtone,

I generally agree with you, you're right - sometimes a sense of humour matters:) But, on both Derrick Harriott albums you mention, it's more organ/funny keyboards sound, while on some Joe Gibbs productions the synths are too plastic...But good point ACEtone...

And, I finally played Majestic Dub - fantastic album indeed!!!Maybe except first 10 secs, which should be edited:)

6anbatte wrote:Pretty sure a Minimoog is being used on "Majestic..."

Defo Moog, I have seen it in Gibbs studio pics from over the years.

good to know the posters know their gear and look out for it!
@dub out of poland - can you elaborate on 'plastic'
On the African Dub stuff there's the bwahbwahbwow kind of sound going on - is that what you mean? or something different? Just curious. I remember it took me a while to warm to the Joe Gibbs produced synth stuff, but it just sort of became a part of it and as time wore on it became an essential part of it. Absolutely there are some incidents of totally crap playing (or just mindless noodling and filter tweaking - what fun!) - pure 'crazy modern sound effect' but that's when I start laughing - or maybe skipping to the next track! It can't possibly all be good, but it always amazes me how much of it is truly great (I mean everything in general JA music)

@ACEtone - when I mean plastic, I think about "cold" sound like most of synths or syndrums. I associate reggae with much more warm sound:)

Such "cold" sound was good for Joy Division or Magazine, but in reggae it's not always a nice thing. An example: keyboards on Stick a Bush by Gladiators on Proverbial Reggae or general sound of From One Extreme To Another by Keith Hudson.

But, it doesn't change a fact, that I admire both albums:D

And I agree that sometimes a laugh would do:)