King Tubby Albums (19)
'Sound System International'
Release Date 10/6/2009
Tracks 15
Label Pressure Sounds
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
Those with a casual interest in dub may find that this recently discovered album sounds a bit raw -- but for aficionados of the genre, it's a treasure trove. It finds a young King Tubby (who would later become dub's most famous and celebrated practitioner) flexing his chops and experimenting with techniques that he would later hone to a razor sharpness: the wholesale dropouts with throbbing echo that are in full effect on "Joe"; tastefully selected scraps of vocals that float all over the place on "Kingston Dub Town" (a brilliant and strangely tender dub version of the Lord Creator hit "Kingston Town"); the reductions of backing tracks down to a dry and spare minimum, only to suddenly flower into echo-drenched blooms of sound -- all of these are techniques that Tubby either pioneered or perfected, and it's fascinating to hear them being applied to these late rocksteady and early reggae classics before he was fully in control of them. The appearances by DJ King Stitt are typical of his mid-'70s work (which is to say pretty good, but not great), but on those tracks you can hear Tubby holding back his wilder impulses in order to avoid upstaging the vocalist; where he cuts loose, the results are both rawer and more powerful. This album is ultimately something like a reggae textbook, one that will send the eager student looking for more advanced material. ~ Rick Anderson, All Music Guide
'King Tubby Meets Jacob Miller in a Tenement Yard'
Release Date 1/1/2006
Tracks 14
Label Motion
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
The creative talents of two reggae titans converge on this previously ultra-rare, somewhat frustrating but ultimately fine collection. The late King Tubby is generally considered the architect of dub, the practice of stripping the vocals off of a reggae record in the studio, then slicing up the remaining instrumental tracks and pasting them back together in a spacy, stretched-out, echoey, often very trippy pattern to create a new whole that often bears little resemblance to the source material. Some of the greatest dub albums ever recorded have been the work of King Tubby, who had toyed with the music of the late Jacob Miller prior to making this album -- released in Jamaica on a small label and virtually disappearing from circulation -- circa 1976. Most notably, Tubby reworked Miller's "Baby I Love You So" as the title track for the landmark King Tubbys Meets Rockers Uptown, credited to Augustus Pablo but created alongside Tubby. Miller is best remembered as the lead vocalist for the underrated Jamaican vocal group Inner Circle(in its pre-"Cops" days), but he'd already logged a number of memorable singles on his own before joining that band in 1976, among them "Tenement Yard" and "Forward Jah Jah Children." His quivering, mesmerizing voice was one of the most unique in reggae, and the virtual absence of that voice in Tubby's remixes (except in the first bonus track, "Dub the Weak Heart"), gives them something of an emptiness. Granted, that is the nature of dub; it is largely an instrumental genre that exists to create atmospheres, not to convey lyrics or spotlight human vocals. And on its own terms, the project succeeds: the backing tracks played by the Fatman Riddim Section gave Tubby plenty to work with, and there are some deep grooves within (i.e., "Judgment Yard Dub," which draws on "Tenement Yard"). But although this project is consistently intoxicating overall, King Tubby produced more satisfying work in his lifetime. ~ Jeff Tamarkin, All Music Guide
'African Brothers Meet King Tubby in Dub'
Release Date 8/23/2005
Tracks 12
Label Nature Sounds
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
An essential find for classic dub fans, African Brothers Meet King Tubby in Dub is a collection of 12 original Jamaican B-side dub mixes, mixed by the great King Tubby at the height of his powers between 1968 and 1978. This is dub in its purest form, which means that some late comers to the style might find it somewhat disappointing. There are no Lee Perry-style sound effects here, and little in the way of weird panning effects. King Tubby's style is all about his homemade reverb and echo effects and they're in full play throughout all 12 songs, infusing the deep roots rhythms with the spacy, narcotic vibe of the best dub. Fair warning for audiophiles: the African Brothers were a minor-league band at the time, meaning that no one paid particular attention to the master tapes, and as a result, African Brothers Meet King Tubby in Dub was mastered entirely from the original Jamaican singles, some of which sound as if they'd spent the intervening decades face down on the record store floor. Hearing the scratch and hiss as just another instrument in the soundscape will be necessary for full enjoyment of this set, but the music itself is reward enough on its own. ~ Stewart Mason, All Music Guide
'Meets Scientist in a Midnight Rock Dub, Vol. 1'
Release Date 8/24/2004
Tracks 14
Label Clocktower
See Album Tracklist and Review
'Reggae Rasta Dub: Sly & Robbie Meet King Tubby'
Release Date 8/24/2004
Tracks 17
Label Clocktower
See Album Tracklist and Review
'King Tubby's Rastafari Dub (1974 - 1979)'
Release Date 8/24/2004
Tracks 12
Label Clocktower
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
King Tubby didn't make any bad records in the '70s. Even his less appreciated digital era isn't worthy of the scorn it receives. Rastafari Dub is another classic '70s dub album in the impressive Clock Tower catalog. On this record, King Tubby works his effects magic on the vocals of the era's best singers. Johnny Clarke's "King of the Arena" opens the album with small tastes of smooth vocals echoed, reverbed, and dropped in to create the thick King Tubby sound. Those who enjoyed Jacob Miller's vocals on King Tubbys Meets Rockers Uptown will appreciate Rastafari Dub for its up-front use of the original vocal tracks. The production is in the finest roots tradition, and only falls short of King Tubbys Meets Rockers Uptown because the originals don't have the godlike perfection that Augustus Pablo and Jacob Miller brought. Rastafari Dub is King Tubby at his best, working behind the boards with the best material available to him at the time. The album has no shortcomings other than its former obscurity. The Clock Tower catalog is so deep with talent and gems that it was a relief to see an album like Rastafari Dub officially reissued in 2004. ~ Matt Whalley, All Music Guide
'King Tubby's Controls'
Release Date 8/24/2004
Tracks 14
Label Clocktower
See Album Tracklist and Review
'King Tubby's African Love Dub'
Release Date 8/24/2004
Tracks 14
Label Clocktower
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
A collaboration between dub mixmaster/studio whiz King Tubby and dancehall tough Jah Screw, Dangerous Dub is a ten-track collection of some of the heaviest roots dub around. The two spent nights mixing tracks in King Tubby's studio located in the perilous, crime-rife ghetto of West Kingston -- hence the name Dangerous Dub. Pounding, mind-blowing basslines and supple guitar tracks are provided by studio mainstays Flabba Holt and Bingy Bunny, both of whom appear on countless reggae and dub recordings. They provide a nice balance to the rat-a-tat ratcheting sounds King Tubby is famous for. The best cut by far is "Hungry Belly Dub," a remake of the classic reggae standard "Bandulo." Also featuring the track "London Bridge Special," Dangerous Dub is a great introduction to dub at its finest. ~ Matthew Hilburn, All Music Guide
