The throbbing, nighttime flipside to reggae’s sunny tones, dub versions are always thick with a haziness that belies their intrinsic simplicity, particularly when you’re speaking of reworkings by King Tubby & Prince Jammy. The 18-track “Dub It to the Top: 1976-1979” CD brings together a complete King Tubby-mixed album of Yabby You material, along with a handful of dubs released as the B-sides to various singles. For tracks from a reggae performer best known for his vocal work, the melodic power of these dubs is surprisingly effective, which can largely be credited to the musical identity of Yabby You. Though his singing garnered him the most praise (and his “Jesus Dread” persona the most attention), Yabby You was also quite an impressive producer in his own right, and he brings a considerable amount of his own identity to bear on these versions. Recorded during a transitional period (both for Yabby You and the genre as a whole), these dubs are blessed with exceptional musicians and a real sense of melodicism. (Sly & Robbie appear on a few cuts, but the true beauty comes from keyboardist Ansell Collins and saxophonist Tommy McCook.) Not your typical blunted-out psychedelic dubs, these are the reworkings that helped define dub as a truly musical form and not just a cheap remix trick.
This article appears in Jan 29 – Feb 4, 2003.