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Critic's Review
Rick Anderson, All Music Guide
This two-disc set brings together some of the finest dub mixes ever produced by the legendary King Tubby. The first disc compiles 13 tracks played by the Observer All Stars and originally produced by Winston "Niney" Holness; the second consists of 17 cuts by the Aggrovators (produced by Bunny Lee) and includes the collection's title track, a DJ talk-over featuring the great U-Roy. King Tubby's approach to dub was always distinctive; his mixes are distinguished by a touch that is sweet sounding and endlessly creative, balancing innovation with respect for the original even during the most drastic deconstruction of a song. And unlike some other dub producers, Tubby generally left swatches of the vocal line in place, dropping it in and out of the mix and applying dirty analog echo, sometimes subtly changing the lyrical focus. This collection's unusually helpful liner notes will assist interested listeners in finding original versions of many of the tracks. A truly essential dub collection.
