This album is a strictly vinyl release on the Dr. Buster Dynamite label pressed in the limited quantity of 500 copies. The Dr. Buster Dynamite label is associated with the famous Jamaican Gold CD label. The label that brought out some well documented releases from various Jamaican producers like Clancy Eccles, Bunny Lee, Lloyd Daley, Byron Lee, Alvin Ranglin and Derrick Harriott. From shuffle, ska, rock steady, soul to reggae; Jamaican Gold documented all outings of Jamaican music. Almost all releases came with a small but extensive history booklet with detailed information about the tracks, the artists and the producers written by Jamaican music documentalist Aad Brakus, alias Dr. Buster (Dynamite). Early 2000 it became very quiet around the Jamaican Gold label. Huub Hermus one of the thriving forces behind the label had passed away, and since then no new Jamaican Gold releases came out. Many fans of the label were still waiting and hoping for more releases. The label was the subject of many discussions on the various reggae message boards on the net.
September 2011, Dr. Buster Dynamite came back again. Strictly vinyl this time with 2 new releases; “Bunny Striker Lee presents a skanking rockers party” focusing on some nice 12 inches from the seventies, and the Harry Johnson, Joe White and Sylvan Morris album. This album presents some nice dub cuts from Harry Johnson’s studio. It brings together the best tracks from three very hard to find dub albums from the seventies; Joe White - Jah Jah dub (Roosevelt), Cultural Dub (Harry J) and Sylvan Morris – Morris on dub (Jay wax). The sound quality from this 180 grams vinyl album is splendid! Most tracks come straight from master tape and are technically well cleaned and transferred. As a master sound engineer Sylvan Morris will be very satisfied! In all the tracks you can hear the sound quality of Harry J`s Studio and Sylvan Morris` approach. Technically and musically the balance in the music is great. The dubs may sound a bit less raw than some of the other studio`s that marked the sound of Jamaican dub music in the seventies, but they are certainly not less attractive. You can hear the work of a top quality sound engineer. What also makes this set attractive is that most versions are recognizable and well known riddims. The first track, Expression dub, is a haunting melodica delivery from Joe white over a chucking version of Perry`s “Curly locks” riddim. Another recognizable track is “breakdown dub”. A skanking dub with spooky sounding snipes of Sheila Hylton's voice are bringing you a version of her hit “breakfast in bed”. And if you occasionally don`t recognize a riddim, you can always fall back on the traditional extensive liner notes to find out which it is.
Actually this dub set is almost entirely a Joe White album, because his melodica work is present in most of the tracks. Joe White is a multi-instrumentalist like Augustus Pablo and like Pablo mostly known for his melodica work. In my opinion, compared to Pablo, his style is very different. He plays his melodica sharper, more swinging and less dreamy. The track “skank indigo” that versions Harry J`s famous Liquidator riddim is a nice example of that. Another outstanding track is “Black Impressions” a melodica version of the Heptones hit “Book of rules”. Everything is working in that track; a heavy bass line, melodica, percussion, piano. Sometimes the riddim is empty (strictly drum & bass), then nicely timed back to full force. Super dub Jamaican Style! Then there is “Undermind dub” that almost has the feel of a Channel One dub, with lots of echoes and delays. For a dub album the music and the mixing are well varied in style and atmosphere which makes it a very enjoyable album from start to finish.
After all the heavy dub work the album closes of with an original instrumental Joe White tune “Meditation of Sound”. Fully blown by Joe in the Far East style it certainly provides you with a moment for meditation. Could there be any better closure for this great album on which Joe White puts a mark on most of the tracks? But like the music it is all in balance; Harry Johnson (the producer), Joe White (the artist) and Sylvan Morris (the Engineer). The great picture on the front of the sleeve shows it all!
In my opinion this is another outstanding release of Dr. Buster! High quality music, nicely documented with a extensive liner notes and interesting photo`s.
Flying D.
The 5th of April 2013 the sad news came out that Harry Johnson died at the hospital in western Jamaica. Harry Zephaniah Johnson was best known as Harry J – founder of Harry J Recording Studio - where Bob Marley & The Wailers recorded their first four Island Records albums.
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