Africa Must Be Free By 1983 + Dub : Hugh Mundell

This was Hugh Mundell's breakout album, originally released in 1978 by Message, along with the dub tracks on the same album later on CD by Ras and Greensleeves.  There are 17 tracks total on this one, the first half is original vocals and the second half is all of the dub tracks.  This is also one of the most well known Augustus Pablo produced albums.  Pablo brought in great reggae talents to do the engineering : Errol Thompson, Sylvan Morris, & Phillip Smart.  Tracks #1 (Let's All Unite) & #6 (Run Revolution A Come) are the highlights.  Hugh Mundell was a hot commodity on the international reggae market from the get go.  Mundell released two more outstanding albums in his short and sweet career.  My favorite of the two is Jah Fire and a great compilation disc opportunity is The Blessed Youth from 2003.  The "Africa Must Be Free" album was wildly popular at the time of its release and interest from the reggae public has never really slowed down.  This is known as a reggae standard and benchmark milestone in the roots tradition history.

Jacob Miller & The Inner Circle Band & Augustus Pablo : Culture Press

This disc should be considered a compilation of the seventies Jacob Miller with The Inner Circle Band.  It was a CD release from Culture Press in 1992 and again in 1998.  With fifteen tracks total, most of them are selections featuring the talents of Augustus Pablo as musician and/or producer.  Tommy Cowan is labeled with producer credits as well.  Pablo's contributions along with the brilliance of Inner Circle front man Jacob Miller make this a nice compilation disc to feature in your collection.  The liner notes are simple ; only listing the musicians, tracks names, and durations.  There's a nice combination of Miller vocal tracks and Pablo melodica versions as alternate tracks on some of the classics like : track #3 & #4 (Ala-ala-bama / Eli's Move) and tracks #7 & #8 (Curly Locks / Curly Locks Dub).  The track I enjoy the most on this one is track #1 (Curfew), a great version of the Marley sung tune.  All together this disc serves as a pretty good seventies roots compilation, although some of the tracks might cross over on other discs you have by these artists.

Jah Fire : Hugh Mundell

This Hugh Mundell disc is from Black Arrow Records.  The original material on this album was recorded in and released in 1980 by Live & Love Records.  It has eleven tracks total and some of the highlights are #5 (Million Miles), #8 (Blacksheep), and the title track #2 (Jah Fire).  Other noteable songs on this disc are #9 (Million Dub) version of Million Miles, #10 (King Pablo) dub version of King of Israel, and the now classic #11 ( Pablo in Moonlight).  Tracks 9, 10, and 11 are extras only found on the Black Arrow CD, released in 2002.  Producer is noted as King Jammy's ; featuring Lacksley Castel and Augustus Pablo.  And of course these rythms were layed down by some master musicians like : Santa, Horsemouth, Sly, Robbie, Bobby Ellis, Deadley Headley, 'Im Brooks, Bingy Bunny, and more.  This is an outstanding musical effort coming hot off the heels of 1978's "Africa Must be Free by 1983", the legendary album that gained Hugh Mundell his noteriety.  Self-titled "Mundell" came afterward in 1982, and if you've got all three of these albums, you've got the most important cross-section of Hugh Mundell's work.

Unconquered People : Israel Vibration

This disc provides a great look at one of Reggae's sweetest vocal trios in their prime.  Original recorded material from about 1978-1980 and released on LP by Talent Music in 1978 and Greensleeves in 1980, then on CD in 1990 also by Greensleeves and again in 1996 on RAS.  Israel Vibration is a killer vocal trio with it's three legendary members: Skelly, Apple, and Wiss. Their albums from the seventies to early eighties are the heaviest, from the last great roots movement coming out of the '70's.  The backing musicians on this one include Augustus Pablo and the Barrett's (Aston "Familyman" and Carlton).  10 tracks total on this one.  Recorded at Tuff Gong - Kinsgton with mixing engineer Errol Brown.  These three tracks are a good example of what this album offers: #2 (Friday Evening), #5 (Top Contol), #10 (Practice What Jah Teach) this last track has a killer guitar riff and a great conscious message.  There's a little horns, piano/keyboard in almost all the tracks.  It's a well engineered and produced set.

King Tubby meets Rockers Uptown : Augustus Pablo

This is for sure a classic roots set that shows you what reggae is all about.  This is a 1994 Abraham label CD release - originally released in 1977 on vinyl by Clocktower.  The material was recorded from '72-'75 with Chinna, Familyman, Dirty Harry, and others.  Clocktower is a reggae label that was formed in New York, but now works out of Ontario, Canada.  Abraham is another label name coming out of Clocktower and you can see similarities in disc production.  Pablo and Tubby blend bass and melodica  in and out of these tunes mixed down at King Tubby's with Errol Thompson.  There is also a 2004 Shanachie (US) label release with bonus tracks to the original 12.  All the tracks in this one are outstanding and you might recognize some of them as dubbed-out Pablo versions of popular Jacob Miller tunes.  This set of musical works is considered a prime example of seventies dub roots at it's finest - a cornerstone at the base of the Jamaican dub movement.

The Great Pablo : Augustus Pablo

This CD was released by "Music Club" under license from Trojan Recording in 2000. There are 15 tracks on my copy of this Greatest Hits type of CD. The recording material ranges from 1971 to 1975 ; said to be the heart of Pablo's works. The disc comes with a very short one page synopsis of Pablo's career. I wouldn't say the liner notes provided any new insight in to Pablo that I haven't found elsewhere already. My favorites on this one are : #1 ( East of the River Nile ), #2 ( River Nile Version ), #6 (The Great Pablo ), and #12 (House Raid ). This disc isn't totally instrumental, there's vocals and dj version on two or three of the tracks. Other classic songs Pablo dubbed out on this one like, #13 ( Curly Locks ), #14 ( Road Block ), and #12 ( House Raid ) which is a killer dub version of the classic "Burial" and the rest are excellent takes on these classic tracks. That's one of the things that makes this disc a nice addition to your collection - it fills a few of the gaps in the story of Augustus Pablo. Kind of a supplemental disc to the more classic Original Rockers : Augustus Pablo & Ital Dub : Augustus Pablo . I've done blogs on several other albums that include Pablo as musician, producer, and inspiration so check those out if you're looking for more quality discs.

Rockers International 2 : Augustus Pablo

This CD is a Greensleeves 1992 release with 15 tracks total. This roots, dub, and vocal material was recorded at various places all over Kingston : King Tubby's, Randy's, Channel One, and Dynamic Sounds and includes tracks by Hugh Mundell, Augustus Pablo, the Pablo All Stars, Jacob Miller, Earl "Sixteen" Daley, and a few more. These tracks are a really a good set of Pablo versions you might not have heard before especially the one's from Hugh Mundell (Selassie I Veranda) the other standout track to me on this album is Junior Delgado (Away with your Fussing and Fighting). The engineering credit goes to King Tubby, Prince Jammy, and Philip Smart on this mid-seventies compilation. I think this is a pretty good album, but these are a little more obscure tracks that should be paired with earlier Pablo discs such as Original Rockers : Augustus Pablo, This is Augustus Pablo - Rebel, Rock, Reggae : Augustus Pablo, and Who Say Jah No Dread : Jacob Miller. This is a harder CD to find these days and all your usual reggae vendors might not have it - your best bet is to get a hold of a used copy. I'd say overall this is a pretty good CD, I definitely like some tracks a lot more than others.

Aquarius Dub : Herman Chin Loy

This is about as old school instrumental dub as you can get. The Aquarius dub is a legendary 10 track dub set presented to us by Herman Chin Loy. Recording date for this material is about 1973 and I think the release date for this original album is about 1975. The band credits go to The Now Generation and the tracks were dropped and finished up at Randy's and Aquarius studios; a full on Kingston production. My favorites on this one are #1 ( Jah rock) and #7 (Heavy Duty) . Some of the songs you might recognize from Pablo albums such as The Red Sea : Augustus Pablo. This classic dub selection for your collection - it was a groundbreaking piece of dub architecture and considered very progressive and way ahead of it's time.

Forward the Bass - Dub from Randy's 1972-1975 : The Impact All-Stars

If you love a good straight forward dub album, then you should love this disc. It's in my top ten dub albums of all time. Blood & Fire is no slob when it comes to sound quality and production value. You get 15 tracks of clean, killer, instrumental dub from such legends as: Bingy Bunny, Familyman, Sly, Tommy McCook, the Wailers, the Impact All-Stars, and Augustus Pablo. My favorite tracks on this one are: #5 (Wire Dub), #9 (Last of the Jestering), and #12 (S-Corner Dub). S-Corner Dub has the melodica pushed to the background with an ambient echoing affect that gives this track a foggy-night/spy work type of feal to it. Another great addition to this roots dub catalog is the harmonica work they sneak in on about every third track. The harmonica work is credited to the mysterious "Chicago Steve", who's great at adding the perfect touch of soul to the dub out. Like most Blood & Fire CD's this disc comes with a great booklet that tells the story of Randy's and it's various reggae engineers.

Who Say Jah No Dread : Jacob Miller

This disc shows us some great tracks from Jacob Miller alternating with the instrumental/dub track featuring Augustus Pablo and King Tubby. This is a great disc to have in your catalog because it serves a dual purpose. Not only do you get 6 Jacob Miller classics, but you get the complementary dub sides to these gems. This is a Jamaican production through and through. All material came from Dynamic, Randy's, and King Tubby's. Many of the usual suspects are present in the line-up: Bobby Ellis, Sly & Robbie, Chinna, and others. These classic mid-seventies sounds were compiled and released by Greensleeves in 1992, the sound quality is excellent and the set list is solid. My favorites on this one are: #3 (False Rasta), #4 (Hungry Town Scank), #7 (Who Say Jah No Dread), and #8 (Jah Dread). Even is you have some of this material on other discs - these tracks are set up nicely and it's a pleasure when listened to straight through.

Ital Dub : Augustus Pablo

This is a great album to really showcase Pablo and his melodica as the featured instrument. Original work from 1974-1975 and engineered by King Tubby. What you really get is 12 really dubbed out Augustus Pablo tracks. I have a CD copy from 1999 released by Culture Press. My favorite tracks on this one are : #2 (Road Block), #9 (Mr. Big), and #11 ( House Raid). Road Block is a version of the classic Bob Marley track and Mr. Big is a Natty Dread version, both are outstanding interpretations. House Raid is a Burial version and you really feal it through the haunting melodica of Pablo. When I'm looking at Augustus Pablo albums against each other, I like this one quite a bit. It's solid roots dubbed by the master Tubby and the sound quality is clean. Some of my other favorite Pablo albums are Authentic Golden Melodies : Augustus Pablo & This is Augustus Pablo - Rebel, Rock, Reggae : Augustus Pablo . Check them out for a more complete Pablo experience.

Pablo & Friends : Augustus Pablo

Here's a peak at another Augustus Pablo disc. Pablo & Friends is a kind of greatest hits CD with 18 tracks total. You get to hear the original track by such artists as: U Roy, I Roy, Derrick Morgan, John Holt, and Prince Jammy. That's followed by the Pablo instrumental version. Showcase style a la Pablo. This album set-up allows you to experience the pure Pablo and gain insight into how he's contributed to the evolution of reggae music. His instrumental interpretations of these reggae classics are good to have in your collection. My favorite tracks on this one are: #5 (It Dread Inna Earth), #6 (Pablo's Majestic Mood), #8 (A Tuff Dub), #15 (Cow Town Skank), and #16 (Pablo in Cow Town). When you listen to the disc as a whole, it's really like listening to 9 extended tracks - nice to leave on around the house. My copy of this disc is RAS '92, but there might be other releases out there. With all the popular reggae artists on this one, I would almost consider this a various artists CD.

Augustus Pablo : Live in Tokyo Japan

Live !!! This is a rare recorded stage performance and a great treat for all Augustus Pablo aficionados. With 13 tracks total, this CD gives you a good idea of Pablo in concert. All tracks were recorded on stage with the Rockers All-Stars in Tokyo, Japan. The sound quality is excellent and you can hear Pablo announcing the song name before each track performed. My favorites on this one are: #1 (Ancient Harmonies), #5 (Rockers Rock), #7 (East of the River Nile), and #8 (Africa 1983). Rockers Rock is a great real rock version that you probably won't find to many places and Africa 1983 showcases Pablo's live instrumental talents while performing his classic Hugh Mundell backing rhythms. My copy of this disc was published in 1991 by Rockers International and is a UK release. Augustus Pablo passed away only eight years later in 1999. His talents were legendary and his influence will be missed in the world of reggae music. Check my other Pablo reviews for more track highlights and info on other CD's. If you have your own favorite Augustus Pablo material, let me know so I can check it as well. Long live Pablo !!!

Original Rockers : Augustus Pablo

This is known as one of the definitive Augustus Pablo albums in his extensive catalog of work. The tunes on this one were mostly recorded from 1972 to 1975 and feature work with Clive Chin and King Tubby. It's original release was 1979, my copy of this disc is a 1991 Shanachie with 10 tracks total. My favorites on this one are #2 (Up Warrika Hill), #3 (Cassava Piece), and #4 (Tubby's Dub Song). This disc is a good mix of dub and instrumental tracks. This is definitely the Original Rockers and I can see how many Pablo CD's have been spin-offs from different labels and engineers, but the original is the best.

The Red Sea : Augustus Pablo

This is an interesting Augustus Pablo album featuring mostly early workings with Herman Chin Loy on the Aquarius label from 1970 - 1973. The Red Sea features that original rockers sound we all love from the early seventies. It has classics like "East of the River Nile" and "The Red Sea". My favorite tracks on this one are #2 (Iggy Iggy), with it's slow and easy melody, #5 (Song of the East), and #14 (Darker Shade of Red) which features a mean horn section that commands your attention. Most of the tracks were recorded at Randy's Kingston Jamaica and feature legendary instrumental talents like Santa Davis, Familyman Barrett, Bobby Ellis, and Tommy McCook. Many of the songs on this one have a deejay intro that runs well in to the track. A brief liner note write-up on the works of Pablo written by Paul Coote rounds out this album. My copy of this CD was released through the Black Solidarity label more recently. I'm a huge Augustus Pablo fan and I'm constantly searching for new tracks and lost versions. Let me know what your favorite songs and discs are ...........

This is Augustus Pablo - Rebel, Rock, Reggae : Augustus Pablo

Another Pablo disc worth checking out. This is said to be Pablo's first album. My CD is a Heartbeat release from 1988. When listening to a Pablo set I usually get blindsided by a track or two, but I found five solid tracks on this one: #4 (Arabian Rock), #7 (Skateland Rock), #8 (Dread Eye), #10 (Assignment #1), #12 (Lover's Mood). I find it a little harder to run across an Augustus Pablo disc that represents his solid rootsy sound from start to finish. Also many discs have some of the same songs or similar versions which make it even harder to sift through all the Pablo out there in the marketplace. With so much producing and contributing to other artists' success, pure Augustus Pablo is a great thing when you can find it. Check your set lists carefully so you don't buy a disc that you have half of already on another album.

Authentic Golden Melodies : Augustus Pablo

With tons of Augustus Pablo music in the marketplace, I've decided to use this disc as a simple introduction to those of you who aren't familiar. This CD was released in '92 by the Rockers label, but the vinyl has been around much longer. Mostly classic Augustus cuts, my favorites on this disc are #8 (Islington Rock) and #4 ( New Lots Express) which is a perfect example of the haunting effect Pablo can produce with his melodica. This disc also includes a Satta version and an All-Star lineup of featured musicians: Robbie Shakespeare, Santa Davis, Tommy McCook, and Chinna Smith. Only ten songs total on this one makes it short but sweet.

Blessed Youth : Hugh Mundell

Most people know Mundell from his album "Africa Must be Free by 1983", but there is so much more than that to experience. "Blessed Youth" is a great set of tracks that represents Mundell productions from '78-'81. My favorite tracks on this disc are #1,8,9, and 12. Track #1 is totally hypnotic and sets a great pace for the rest of the album. Supporting cast includes: Fully Fullwood, Chinna Smith, Santa Davis, Augustus Pablo, Pablove Black, and others ..... The accompanying booklet is in French and English, telling a brief story of Mundell and describing much of his other work. This disc is a MUST HAVE for any serious collector.