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Chris Coco Presents... The Dub Club (Trojan)
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By Matthew Hirtes
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Monday, 01 August 2005
Description:
Born out of BBC Radio 1 DJ Chris Coco's regular ‘Dub Club’ section on his late-Saturday-night (if you’re a clubber)/early-Sunday-morning show (if you’re not), ‘Blue Room’, comes this compilation. Which means? Coco has raided the archives of legendary reggae label, Trojan, to explain why dub's been good to him. As well as original and dub versions of Dennis Brown and Prince Mohammed's 'Money In My Pocket' and Junior Byles' 'Curly Locks/Dreader Locks' side by side, Coco remixes Dawn Penn's 'Love The One You’re With' and re-edits Tommy McCook, Dillinger and The Upsetters' 'Dub Organiser'. Is it much cop? It’s police. And thieves. As Junior Murvin would have it. How many good tracks? Of the 18 featured, 17. It starts off with King Tubby's 'A Better Version' featuring a skylarking Horace Andy and gets better and better until a disappointing denouement. Coco reaches a zenith with his fusion of Dillinger, King Tubby and The Agrovators' 'Jah Jah Dub' with Vin Gordon's 'Magnum Force'. These nonsense rhymes owe as much to Edward Lear as they do to dub pioneer, Osbourne Ruddock. And the worst? Final track, 'One Drop'. Sure, it’s Lee Perry. But it’s not dub. Nor is it anywhere near the best the Scratchmeister has released. Biggest disappointment? That Coco was restricted to a one-CD compilation. Here’s hoping for a Dub Club 2. Verdict: Coco is obviously a dub nut. You’ll be too if you embrace the madness that lies within this collection. I should Coco.
(4/5)
Release Date: 01 August 2005
Chris Coco Presents... The Dub Club |
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