Only Roots Schallplatten & CDs

Review: Reissued via Only Roots in full, rejuvenated form, Rockers Meets King Tubbys In A Firehouse is a dub studio album by Augustus Pablo and King Tubby, first released in 1980. "Fire House" is a reference to the Waterhouse section of Kingston, where King Tubby's studio was located; however, one could consider it a double-entendre, not least since the only place to safely record such incendiary music is in a proverbial "fire station", otherwise all manner of fiery dub hell would presumably break loose. With the likes of Mickey "Boo" Richards, Leroy Wallace and Albert Malawi on drums, Robbie Shakespeare on bass guitar, and Earl "Chinna" Smith on guitar - together credited as the Rocking All Stars - the group conspire to produce such well-sculpted dub firebombs as 'Jah Say Dub' and 'Zion Is A Home'. This new reissue comes in the crispest quality yet, and once again rejumbles the original tracklist slightly.

Review: Only Roots come through with a classic wedge from Barry Biggs. These pure vibes first came in 1976 and on this package you're also treated to the Clarence Wears guitar piece from the same year, plus a couple of spicy dubs. "Work All Day" is a golden offering with an aloof and soulful vocal that drifts up top like a wispy cloud on a summer's day. Muted chords enrich things and the natty riffs keep things subtly funky. That original Wears guitar piece is a real heart wrencher - the guitar rings out into the sky with oodles of reverb giving it even more poignancy.

Review: Only Roots has head into 2014 in busy fashion with several new7"s all dropping to keep dub lovers in a happy mood. This one tackles the delightful Marie Bowie, who was produced by Barry Biggs for 'It's My House'. It's a soul drenched sound with her vocals adding all the lovestruck vibes you need next to plenty of sunny melodies. On the flip is 'House In Dub' which is a killer dub in its own right but if you prefer this without the vocal, you have us worried.

Review: Only Roots Records continues to delve into the bulging vaults of Randy's Records, an imprint set up by producer Vincent Chin. He's naturally at the controls on this two-tracker by long-serving Jamaican vocal group the Gaylads. Both cuts date from 1970, though for one reason or another they were never given a commercial release. A-side 'Wha Sha Do Now' is a sweet rocksteady number in which the group's harmonic, rhythm & blues-influenced vocals rise above a fine rhythm rich in Hammond organ and deep bass. Arguably even better is flipside 'I Love The Reggae', a fuzzier and more up-tempo celebration of reggae culture that has all the makings of a future scene anthem.

Review: Melodica maestro Augustus Pablo released a number of influential albums during a golden period in the 1970s, though little quite as ground-breaking and far-sighted as 1976's "King Tubbys Meets Rockers Uptown". Mixed by King Tubby, it was one of the first great dub albums and is still one of the finest examples of the stripped-back, rhythm-heavy style around. If you don't already own a copy, we'd heartily recommend picking up this reissue. Musically, the tracks sound as warm, weighty and spacious as ever - all heavy Robbie Shakespear/Family Man Barrett bass, idiosyncratic drumming and killer melodica/Clavinet/organ action from Pablo - while the screen-printed artwork is a delight.