Roots Archives Forum

Which one do you think is least essential?

I've got them all so far except vol.2 (I already own two of the albums) and I'd have to say vol.4.

State of Emergency - sounds like bare backing tracks
Majestic Dub - not that good, IMO
African Dub 5 - not that good, IMO
Syncopation - though this one is decent


FWIW, I find myself listening to vol.5 loads (the one with the Sir Coxsone Sound LPs)...

Majestic Dub is a joke, I bought it off I-tunes bundled with 'State of Emergency' SOE is ok but I never really listen to it, Majestic Dub I deleted the files so they don't waste space on my hard drive any more... one of reggae's low points

Does your Majestic Dub have that terrible 6-minute disco track on it? The one that sounds as though it belongs on another album?

They've removed that completely on the Evolution of Dub box set version. I normally don't like 'censorship' but here it makes the album better. Though by no means good.

I really enjoy Majestic Dub. Not as one of the great dub albums by any means but as a very nice Joe Gibbs dub set none the less. The funk track ... I don't understand either.

In context when it first came out Magestic Dub was fab-loved it to death and was disappointed that the disco track had been omitted from the rerelease -or shows what a lotta herb did to listening skills back in 77.

IMHO All the great elements/sub-genres/developments of Jamaican music have evolved as a result of relentless experimentation - to come up with something new that will become the latest thing for the massive. So there's always gonna be the "misses" along with the hits...interesting in a time-capsule kind of way. I'm just glad the style of Majestic Dub didn't catch on.

Have you ever heard 'King Tubby Meets Jacob Miller In A Tenement Yard'? That uses similar-sounding synthesizer overdubs - but in this case, it really works. I love that record.

Right you are, Funky Punk! Probably most RA people don't like Majestic Dub because they fled from digital and electronic music to this place here
I gotta say I enjoy that style in some cases. Agreed; I wouldn't want to listen to an entire album, but even on Majestic Dub you'll find some tunes which i think do work with the synthesizers.
Or listen to "Step By Step" on Mikey Dread's classic "Dread At The Controls" LP - extended version with synthesizer. Quite more from the late 70s out there so it's a good call to put "Majestic Dub" into a series with the title "evolution of dub".

To be honest State of emergency was realy an instrumental Lp a bit like "The Revolutionaries (Revolutionary Sounds",So not sure if it fits well but then a lot of true Dubs came from these recordings.I think it was the first Joe Gibbs lp to have Sly Dunbar on drums and was released in between African dubs 2 and 3.
Nick

Just thinking... who should feature on the next box(es)? Supposing that there are going to be more, I mean.

It's already been stated that a Scientist box is never going to happen considering the current legal situation, unfortunately.

Personally, I'd like to hear some out-of-print Yabby You and Dennis Bovell stuff next. Is there any more Glen Brown-produced dub still in the vaults? If so, some of that please.