What to listen for in dub

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The tension between space and massive groove? Echo? Great harmolodica lines?

― our hoo could be your steen (hoosteen), Saturday, 16 December 2006 00:58 (seventeen years ago) link

just listen with your third eye

― M@tt He1ges0n (Matt Helgeson), Saturday, 16 December 2006 01:00 (seventeen years ago) link

BASS

― chaki (chaki), Saturday, 16 December 2006 01:54 (seventeen years ago) link

BASS seconded. Also unusual forms of percussion, pretty much.

― nathan explosion (natepatrin), Saturday, 16 December 2006 02:01 (seventeen years ago) link

Hearing an original track first (i.e. Jacob Miller's "Baby I Love You So") and then listening to the dub later (Augustus Pablo's "King Tubby Meets the Rockers Uptown") is a pretty good tutorial if you wanna train yourself

― nathan explosion (natepatrin), Saturday, 16 December 2006 02:03 (seventeen years ago) link

The best bit is just concentrating really intently on the percussive/rhythmic elements and letting the melodic touches kind of sneak up on you.

― nathan explosion (natepatrin), Saturday, 16 December 2006 02:04 (seventeen years ago) link

I just feel heretical for really getting into shit like No Protection and some of the Scientist albums vs. "foundational" stuff like Blackboard Jungle Dub. I totally prefer King Tubby to Scratch, for example. I feel like I'm missing something in Scratch, cause he's supposed to be THE DOOD.

― u got yr hoo in my steen! (no reese's) (hoosteen), Saturday, 16 December 2006 02:12 (seventeen years ago) link

Nah Scratch's dubs are not even his best material.

― Alex in SF (Alex in SF), Saturday, 16 December 2006 02:30 (seventeen years ago) link

There's nothing heretical about liking Scientist! Heavyweight Dub Champion is fantastic.

― nathan explosion (natepatrin), Saturday, 16 December 2006 02:36 (seventeen years ago) link

I mean if you don't like Heart of the Congos or Party Time or Super Ape or any of the vintage Black Ark vocal/DJ stuff than yeah you are missing something, but if you find the most of the dubs of those tracks less exciting than Tubby's best stuff well don't worry cuz it probably is.

― Alex in SF (Alex in SF), Saturday, 16 December 2006 02:39 (seventeen years ago) link

There's nothing heretical about liking Scientist

I took it as heretical to prefer a dude like Scientist to Scratch.

― u got yr hoo in my steen! (no reese's) (hoosteen), Saturday, 16 December 2006 02:41 (seventeen years ago) link

What to listen for in _____

fuck these threads

― amon (amon), Saturday, 16 December 2006 02:47 (seventeen years ago) link

Fuck off with yr fuckin.

― u got yr hoo in my steen! (no reese's) (hoosteen), Saturday, 16 December 2006 02:56 (seventeen years ago) link

are you asking for recommendations? cuz there's a dub listening thread: What dub have you been listening to recenty?

but if this is "how do i ~~shot~~ listened to [insert genre]?" then .........

― amon (amon), Saturday, 16 December 2006 03:14 (seventeen years ago) link

I'm not asking for recommendations, I'm asking if I'm missing something in preferring so-called "lesser lights" like Mad Scientists to supposed titans like Lee Perry. I figure if dude is revered there's a reason, and I was missing it completely. Was I just hearing it wrong, listening for the wrong things? Hence thread.

I mean if you don't like Heart of the Congos or Party Time or Super Ape or any of the vintage Black Ark vocal/DJ stuff than yeah you are missing something, but if you find the most of the dubs of those tracks less exciting than Tubby's best stuff well don't worry cuz it probably is.
-- Alex in SF (clobberthesauru...)

Sorta did it for me though.

― u got yr hoo in my steen! (no reese's) (hoosteen), Saturday, 16 December 2006 03:22 (seventeen years ago) link

I just feel heretical for really getting into shit like No Protection and some of the Scientist albums vs. "foundational" stuff like Blackboard Jungle Dub. I totally prefer King Tubby to Scratch, for example. I feel like I'm missing something in Scratch, cause he's supposed to be THE DOOD.

-- u got yr hoo in my steen! (no reese's) (merlindude04@yahoo.com), December 16th, 2006.

dude, I felt the same way for the first year or whatever of listening to reggae. I eventually realized, fuck it, King Tubby is the true king of dub and Lee Perry just kind of sucks but is a funny character.

― hm (modestmickey), Saturday, 16 December 2006 05:33 (seventeen years ago) link

u r idiot

― friday on the porch (lfam), Saturday, 16 December 2006 05:34 (seventeen years ago) link

Agreed.

― Alex in SF (Alex in SF), Saturday, 16 December 2006 05:35 (seventeen years ago) link

i mean, king tubby may be better (not that i agree but i don't really care) but lee perry does not "just kind of suck."

― friday on the porch (lfam), Saturday, 16 December 2006 05:36 (seventeen years ago) link

you must have tin ears

― friday on the porch (lfam), Saturday, 16 December 2006 05:36 (seventeen years ago) link

Agreed.

― Alex in SF (Alex in SF), Saturday, 16 December 2006 05:36 (seventeen years ago) link

I mean seriously anyone who upon listening to any of the four albums I listed above, plus the Junior Murvin, George Faith and Max Romeo albums and about three or four essential compilations of absolutely classic singles that Perry did in the same period PLUS the pre-Island Wailers stuff and various Junior Byles things and tons of smoking pre-dub instrumentals and probably at least 6 or 7 other things I am forgetting then who would then argue that Scratch "just kind of sucks" is an idiot.

― Alex in SF (Alex in SF), Saturday, 16 December 2006 05:41 (seventeen years ago) link

i suppose that if you approach his music wanting some hazy sci-fi sound effects trip through outer space and the small intestine you'll be dissatisfied but if you just come to it listening for beautifully written songs with careful loving ear-massaging production then everything should work out.

― friday on the porch (lfam), Saturday, 16 December 2006 05:43 (seventeen years ago) link

I just remembered the Susan Cadogan album!

― Alex in SF (Alex in SF), Saturday, 16 December 2006 05:45 (seventeen years ago) link

and in my opinion you can save yourself some time and just listen to heart of the congos if you are unsure of your status as an idiot. if you like that, keep exploring. if you think it just kind of sucks,, musiclaly, you know what to do.

― friday on the porch (lfam), Saturday, 16 December 2006 05:47 (seventeen years ago) link

because what alex describes requires a whole two days or so to digest, you'd have to be unemployed or bedridden or something to do it

― friday on the porch (lfam), Saturday, 16 December 2006 05:48 (seventeen years ago) link

eh, I can't get over Lee Perry's constant voice over his tracks. it annoys the shit out of me and ruins the dub experience. if you want to say I am an "idiot" because of that to earn your Never Dropping The Grudge Merit Badge or whatever, so be it.

― hm (modestmickey), Saturday, 16 December 2006 05:53 (seventeen years ago) link

his voice is found on pretty much NONE of the albums Alex listed!

lee perry productions are dub-by but not dub so the comparison with king tubby (an engineer/sound-man, not a producer) is silly.

scientist albums are perfect getting-your-feet-wet dub records for newbies. not the absolute best but solid throughout and very creative.

― amon (amon), Saturday, 16 December 2006 06:10 (seventeen years ago) link

and they're easy to find and cheap

― amon (amon), Saturday, 16 December 2006 06:12 (seventeen years ago) link

i would have said that to anyone mickey

― friday on the porch (lfam), Saturday, 16 December 2006 06:18 (seventeen years ago) link

i don't care who thinks lee perry sucks, if they are posting on an internet message board meant for music obsessives, i think there is something wrong with them

― friday on the porch (lfam), Saturday, 16 December 2006 06:20 (seventeen years ago) link

amon, re: "lee perry productions are dub-by but not dub so the comparison with king tubby (an engineer/sound-man, not a producer) is silly."

...weren't we talking about lee perry's dub albums?

after all, the comment that started the comparison was:

I just feel heretical for really getting into shit like No Protection and some of the Scientist albums vs. "foundational" stuff like Blackboard Jungle Dub

and like the dude who said that, I also prefer Scientists' dub albums over Perry's. it's been a few years since I've listened to this stuff (never re-bought these albums after my computer/music was taken, sort of ended my reggae phase) but if I remember correctly Blackboard Jungle Dub was loaded with Perry's vocals. almost every one of his dub albums I listened to was, and I tried to give him numerous chances. but shit, his voice just kills the dub for me. I can't get past it.

― hm (modestmickey), Saturday, 16 December 2006 06:28 (seventeen years ago) link

"but if I remember correctly Blackboard Jungle Dub was loaded with Perry's vocals"

You don't remember correctly.

― Alex in SF (Alex in SF), Saturday, 16 December 2006 08:25 (seventeen years ago) link

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