Burning Spear - Living Dub, Various - X-Ray Music

Living Dub Vol 4

***

(Heartbeat/Elite)

X-Ray Music
****

(Blood and Fire/Chant)
Reviewer: Graham Reid

The great Spear's ongoing series dubs-up last year's Appointment to His Majesty album. And while being generally good smoky stuff, it doesn't bear comparison with his crucial Marcus Garvey/Garvey's Ghost and Social Living/Living Dub pairings from way back which drop your unsuspecting brain down an elevator shaft. But the Spear is one of the few survivors from that time and can still deliver a serviceable herbal remedy for what ails.

Better is X-ray Music, a superbly squelchy, echo-heavy, dread-full 16-track compilation which includes skullduggery remixes by Prince Jammy, King Tubby, Scientist, Lee Perry and other deskbound legends. Typically jaw- loosening - and then some. Not to be undertaken casually.