| LKJ
was the first known DUB Poet. He spoke his
poetry over deep and fat DUB music. The
difference between the Toasting of U Roy was
subtle yet very obvious.
He became popular in the early 1980's,
when the Punk Movement was still going
strong in the UK and many people were aware
for the need of social action in order to
protest against the injustice and equality
so present in what is known as Babylon.
But let's not talk too much about LKJ's
poetry in this review. We can do that in our
reviews of "Forces Of Vicktry" and
"Bass Culture", from where the
tracks for this album are taken.
Let's not forget, that there's no DUB
Poet without DUB Music. And this album is
all about the music that came with Linton
Kwesie Johnson's outstanding poetry.
The riddims used for Linton Kwesie
Johnson's albums have -as far as we know-
not been used for any other recording.
Dennis Bovell, the man behind LKJ's DUB
music, selected and mixed eight top riddims
into some of the fattest, heaviest dubs from
the early 1980's, late 1970's.
And so, actually he should be credited
for this album in the title as well. The
work he did with and for Linton Kwesie
Johnson happens to be among the top of
Reggae around 1980 and beyond.
In this great album, you can hear just
how great these riddims actually are. The
basslines (created by LKJ, according to
lkjrecords.com) are allways intense, the drum and
percussion play the rhythm in deep Roots
style. Most tracks have majestic Horn
themes, sounding even greater in this DUB
style.
LKJ's voice is used on a minimal level.
Most tracks are without any voice, but you
just don't miss it in the intense style of
mixing, another skillfull job by Dennis
Bovell. Especially when you realize this
music is played, recorded and mixed around
1980. The fact that this album still goes
strong, should speak for itself.
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