Yabby You - Dub It to the Top: 1976-1979

Awesome King Tubby mixes - up there with the BEST.

Of all my dub and reggae CD's -- and I have many -- DUB IT TO THE TOP has proven to be a TOP-player in my home. This is one of the absolute finest roots dub-reggae productions I have heard. The production sound of Yabby You combined with the dub mixing of the great King Tubby is really awesome.

The core of this release is a dub album of singer Michael Prophet from 1977, mixed by King Tubby, and the snatches of his vocals through the mix add a sweet and rasta-feeling vibe. The mix is organic-sounding, smooth and soothing yet very percussion-based. I guess it's hard to describe -- all I know is I have played this consistently ever since I got it, as much as any other CD I own. Only caveat is the presence of syndrums on a few tracks -- but you get used to it.

If you love roots music, great spiritual vibes, deep dub mixes, muted horns, you will love this. Plus there are a few DJ interludes, and the great tenor Sax of Tommy McCook on a couple of tracks... a multifaceted package yet sounds of a piece. Great late at night. CD clocks in at over 66 min, and with the nice informative booklet you're getting full value for your cash. Could I more highly recommend it?! January 18, 2006

Great album, but what is Dub???

I was feeling stupid for not knowing what DUB meant in all of these reggae descriptions and reviews, so I did some research. So if you're like me, here's a brief description quoted from www.reggaemovement.com.

"The word 'dub' today is used to describe a genre of music that consists predominantly of instrumental re-mixes of existing recordings. These re-mixes radically manipulated and reshape the recording(through the use of sound effects).

The production and mixing process is not used just to replicate the live performance of the recording artist, but audio effects and studio 'trickery' are seen as an integral part of the music. The roots of 'dub' can be traced back to Jamaica in the late 1960s, where it is widely accepted that Osbourne Ruddock pioneered the style. Ruddock turned the mixing desk into an instrument, with the Deejay or mixer playing the role of the artist or performer. These early 'Dub' examples can be looked upon as the prelude to many dance and pop music genres." January 14, 2005

DUBROOM.com Review

Dub It To The Top is an 18 track collection of great DUBS by tracks which Yabby (helped) produce(d).

Many of the riddims are well-known in the inner circle of Reggae enthusiasts.

The first part is reserved for some crucial and militant Rockers music mixed skillfully by the Master. The second contains brain-smashing dubs from some of the hottest Michael Prophet tunes.

You must buy this album!

The versatility of possibilities within Reggae music becomes apparent when you realize the different vibe in each tune.

Heavy dubbing, jazzy vibes with hornsman Tommy Mc Cook blowing his way over the rhythm. Vocal snippets from singers and deejays echoing on top of essential drum and bass lines.

And the styles are manifold too. Don't ever think that Reggae Music is just another style, no it is a RHYTHM with many styles and varieties. On this album you'll get acquainted with some of these styles.

In a period of just three years, Yabby managed to produce some crucial Rockers music as you can hear in the first part of the disc.

And in the second part you'll be introduced to some early Rub a Dub music, dancehall music before it became the coke headed babylonian style shortly after Bob Marley's death.

All tunes have been used by Reggae Singer MICHAEL PROPHET (One of Yabby You's Discoveries, along with Black Uhuru's Michael Rose) who you can hear throughout the many crucial DUBS that Blood and Fire put on that second part.

In fact it wasn't Blood and Fire who did the selection. They just reissued "Yabby You Meets Michael Prophet: Vocal & Dub". And according to the LINER NOTES that come with this release, the "crème de la crème" of Jamaican Dub participated on it. But you don't have to read these notes to know this: the sound speaks for itself.

Dub it from the top to the very last drop in this essential course how to dub it to the top!
November 7, 2004

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