Positive Dub

A dub version of Black Uhuru's 1987 album POSITIVE, POSITIVE DUB is an interesting instrumental effort. Producer Steve Stanley isn't a radical dub mixer in the style of Lee "Scratch" Perry or Augustus Pablo; there are no weird sound effects or oddball mixing-desk tricks here. Instead, Stanley wisely foregrounds the exemplary bass and drum work of Sly Dunbar and Robbie Shakespeare, adding percussion tracks and other audio ephemera along with ghostly shards of the tracks' original lead vocals by Junior Reid, Duckie Simpson and Olafunke. The eight extended tracks are excellent to whatever extent the original vocal versions are, which means that "Dub Town" is magnificent and "Space Within Your Dub" is interesting though not earth-shattering. Fine late '80s dub. This is a dub version of the POSITIVE album. Includes liner notes by Dr. Dread. Recorded at Tuff Gong, Dynamics & Music Mountain, Kingston, Jamaica. Black Uhuru: Michael Rose, Puma Jones, Ducky Simpson. Additional personnel: Chinna Smith (guitar); Cat Coore (cello); Rass Brass (horns); Asher (keyboards); Robbie Shakespeare (bass); Sly Dunbar (drums); Sky Juice (percussion).