Blog

Track: Lovely Rita (feat. Bunny Rugs and U Roy) (full track)
Artist: Easy Star All-Stars (13 April 09)
Album: Easy Star's Lonely Hearts Dub Band
Tags: reggae, dub, covers, downtempo, my gang rotw
Video: Click the pic...

YouTube, amateur video


Easy Star All-Stars are a collective who are basically a covers band but it's how they do what they do that's so special. With the utmost care and precision, with extremely careful attention to the smallest detail, they take apart and reimagine classic albums. They're not the only band to do so, there are plenty of others trying to do the same, but no one does it as well as Easy Star All-Stars.



Let me show you what I mean - here is The Great Gig In the Sky (featuring Kirsty Rock) from their very first covers album, Pink Floyd's Dark Side Of The Moon, entitled Dub Side of the Moon (2003). It's nothing short of a masterpiece. The most popular track according to Last.fm is On the Run, which is more drum 'n' bass, jungle, ragga. And you must also hear the very funny Money, with the opener of the sound of a cigarette lighter as someone coughs in frustration, trying to light his water bong. Someone has done an amateur video of this to The Wizard of Oz in YouTube, which is a must-see. Musique concrete at its wittiest.

For their second, they covered Radiohead's OK Computer and called it Radiodread (2006). This is where most of my 381 plays come from. It's so well done. I can even listen to Fitter Happier, which I've never been able to do on the original. My personal favourite from this album is Electioneering. I adore the original. This adds another dimension.

These guys know what they're doing and I trust them. When I heard their next project was none other than The Beatles and not only that but Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band I couldn't wait. It's got some lifelong favourites in there, songs I knew before I could talk.



The reimagining begins with a twist on the name - Easy Star's Lonely Hearts Dub Band. Maybe I was expecting too much, but on first listen, I wasn't sure. I left it alone for a bit and came back to it - and it's all fallen into place and sounds superb, but I still don't think it reaches the heights of the first two. It may just be down to my expectations or maybe I love the other two more, I don't know. It definitely sounds better with every listen. I'd be interested to hear from people listening to the band for the first time.

I think the initial trouble I had was that the interpretations are unexpected. I adored Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds (feat. Frankie Paul) and She's Leaving Home (feat. Kirsty Rock) straight off, no question, but the rest of the album has required a little effort and patience on my part. The project is ambitious, the sheer scale of the challenge unimaginable, and man, it's The Beatles. We all know every note and every nuance. It's like messing with the air we breathe.

From their album blurb (in Last.fm):

Following the widespread critical and commercial success of 2003’s Dub Side of the Moon and 2006’s Radiodread, Easy Star Records announces the Easy Star All-Stars’ complete reggae re-imagining of the Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. The album, titled Easy Star’s Lonely Hearts Dub Band, is set for release April 14 on Easy Star Records and features guest vocals from an impressive list of reggae, dancehall and dub greats including Steel Pulse, Matisyahu, Michael Rose (Black Uhuru), Luciano, U Roy, bunny rugs (Third World), Ranking Roger (English Beat), Sugar Minott, Frankie Paul, Max Romeo and The Mighty Diamonds. The first single, “With A Little Help From My Friends,” featuring Luciano, will be released as an iTunes exclusive February 10. It will be paired with a b-side dub version featuring the legendary U Roy.

Dub Side of the Moon, (Easy Star’s reggae tribute to Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon) is one of the most successful reggae albums of the 21st century and spent over five years on Billboard’s Top Reggae Chart. Mojo selected the record as the second greatest cover album of all time. Radiodread, which tackled Radiohead’s OK Computer, spent over 18 months on Billboard’s Top Reggae Chart and earned praise from Radiohead themselves.

Of the decision to infuse reggae into the Beatles classic, producer Michael Goldwasser says “We’ve focused on re-envisioning concept albums as reggae and it’s really important that the source material works as a whole and is not just a collection of songs. So, what better to take on next than the mother of all concept albums?”

The nice people at their label have permitted us to listen to full tracks that automatically advance to the next, so we can set the album to play and enjoy. Thank you, nice people! (I hope all regions have the same permissions)



So this week's reco, Lovely Rita (feat. Bunny Rugs and U Roy). The original, Lovely Rita, is a song that I've never been able to shift from my mind. So many things seem to trigger it: watching Rita in Coronation Street (above), seeing car parking meters, reading the meter for my electricity bill... there has been no escape! And yet I still love the song. The reworking is joyous, a bit slower, with some rasta chat to chill out to. The video I've chosen is an amateur work of old cine footage filmed around Vienna, Gumpoldskirchen, Hohe Wand, Burgenland and moedling set to the music.

As an aside, if you only listen to one track from this album, try Within You Without You (feat. Matisyahu), a psychedelic mix of reggae and sitars. It's a difficult track in the first place and serves as a good showcase of their ingenuity. If you want to compare it to the original, this trippy video should help.


Official Site
MySpace


Babs _{My Gang}



Admin - Stats as of today:

Last.fm listeners of this track - 135
No. of plays scrobbled in Last.fm - 204
Position in Last 7 Days: 56 / 124
Position in Last 6 Months: n/a

Video
Date Added: 21 April 2009
Views: 15, Ratings: 1, Responses: 0, Comments: 0, Favourited: 1 times

Stats after 7 days:

Last.fm listeners of this track - 261
No. of plays scrobbled in Last.fm - 515
Position in Last 7 Days: 54 / 137
Position in Last 6 Months: n/a

Video
Views: 71, Ratings: 2, Responses: 0, Comments: 1, Favourited: 2 times

426 Unique Visitors
501 Page Views


Unique Visitors
Page Views

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TOP 50 MUSICIANS FROM JAMAICA

(All lists in www.selcukschoices.blogspot.com - Tüm listeler için www.selcukschoices.blogspot.com)

1. Bob Marley
2. Toots & The Maytals
3. Lee Scratch Perry
4. The Upsetters
5. Harry Belafonte
6. King Tubby
7. Peter Tosh
8. The Ethiopians
9. The Gladiators
10. Burning Spear
11. Max Romeo
12. Jimmy Cliff
13. The Heptones
14. Horace Andy
15. The Congos
16. Augustus Pablo
17. Alton Ellis
18. The Abyssinians
19. Gregory Isaacs
20. Desmond Dekker
21. The Mighty Diamonds
22. Ken Boothe
23. U-Roy
24. Black Uhuru
25. Sugar Minott
26. Freddie McGregor
27. Don Drummond
28. Culture
29. Scientist
30. Johnny Osbourne
31. Big Youth
32. Jacob Miller
33. Junior Murvin
34. Barrington Levy
35. Bunny Wailer
36. The Pioneers
37. Prince Far I
38. The Paragons
39. Linton Kweli Johnson
40. Eek-A-Mouse
41. The Skatalites
42. Israel Vibration
43. Dennis Brown
44. Prince Buster
45. Grace Jones
46. I Roy
47. Delroy Wilson
48. Derrick Morgan
49. Dandy Livingstone
50. Shaggy

Comment about missed names which should be in list and not deserving ones.

Hi guys,

The following press-release just arrived in my inbox. This is fantastic news and I just wanted to share it. A review will follow in time.

Easy Star Records announce The Easy Star All-Stars’ reggae re-imagining of

Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band

EASY STAR’S LONELY HEARTS DUB BAND

Set for UK Release on April 14, 2009

The new album follows the huge success of the classic reggae albums

Dub Side of the Moon (2003) AND Radiodread (2006)

Dub Side of the Moon:
“Astonishing.” ***** Loaded
“Dub Side of the Moon is a success, turning Floyd’s dystopic vision into something uplifting” The Observer

Radiodread:
“…a wondrous, lilting take on the original.” Mojo
“This album is a delight.” 8/10 Classic Rock



Following the widespread critical and commercial success of 2003’s Dub Side of the Moon and 2006’s Radiodread, Easy Star Records announces the Easy Star All-Stars’ complete reggae re-imagining of the Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. The album, titled Easy Star’s Lonely Hearts Dub Band, is set for release April 14 on Easy Star Records and features guest vocals from an impressive list of reggae, dancehall and dub greats including Steel Pulse, Matisyahu, Michael Rose (Black Uhuru), Luciano, U Roy, Bunny Rugs (Third World), Ranking Roger (The Beat), Sugar Minott, Frankie Paul, Max Romeo and The Mighty Diamonds. The first single, “With A Little Help From My Friends,” featuring Luciano, will be released as an iTunes exclusive February 10 and will be paired with a b-side dub version featuring the legendary U Roy.

Dub Side of the Moon, (Easy Star’s reggae tribute to Pink Floyd’s Dark Side Of The Moon) is one of the most successful reggae albums of the 21st century and spent over five years on Billboard’s Top Reggae Chart. Mojo selected the record as the second greatest cover album of all time. Radiodread, which tackled Radiohead’s OK Computer, spent over 18 months on Billboard’s Top Reggae Chart and earned praise from Radiohead themselves.

Of the decision to infuse reggae into the Beatles classic, producer Michael Goldwasser says “We’ve focused on re-envisioning concept albums as reggae and it’s really important that the source material works as a whole and is not just a collection of songs. So, what better to take on next than the mother of all concept albums?”

Goldwasser is once more the musical mastermind behind this album, having arranged and produced the music, assembled the musicians and guest artists and played guitar throughout. Goldwasser is joined by Victor Rice (bass), Victor “Ticklah” Axelrod (keyboards) and Patrick Dougher & Eddie Ocampo (drums, percussion). Members of the touring version of the Easy Star All-Stars also contribute, including Ras I Ray, Jenny Hill, Buford O’Sullivan, Ivan Katz, Kirsty Rock, Tamar-kali, Junior Jazz and Menny More. In addition to producing six albums for Easy Star, Goldwasser has produced albums for Corey Harris, Hatikva 6 and others, and has had compositions featured in the motion pictures Failure To Launch and Woody Allen’s Cassandra’s Dream.

For over a decade, Easy Star Records has been a trendsetting independent reggae label. Dub Side of the Moon and Radiodread form the backbone of a catalogue that includes progressive albums from John Brown’s Body and Easy Star All-Stars keyboardist Ticklah, reissues of classic material from Sugar Minott and Linval Thompson and new recordings from reggae legends The Meditations and Sister Carol.

On today’s show I’m going to follow up on last week’s all dub set by playing live tracks from Dubmatix and talk to the man behind Dubmatix, Jesse King.

Dub is a tricky genre. While the basic elements of dub are understood, but it’s difficult to do good dub well. I’ve wasted hours that must surely equal to weeks of sifting through some truly uninspired dub to find the true gems. The sort of stuff that’s flat, unimaginative and, worse, ungroovable. And Dubmatix’s Jesse makes some great dub.

Dubmatix has charted both in Canada and internationally and tours domestically and abroad. Jess has also collaborated with reggae greats like Sugar Minott, Michael Rose and Alton Ellis.

I’ve been a fan of Dubmatix since first playing “War, Peace & Dub” on one of dub sets. When I recently realized for all the live shows on solipsistic NATION and with all the different genres of electronic music those shows offered I hadn’t gotten around to featuring dub. I immediately thought of Jesse and asked him if he’d come on solipsistic NATION and share some music from some of Dubmatix concerts.

Oh, and I have a retraction from Bruno Natal, the director of the Dub Echoes documentary, who was my guest on last week’s show. When Bruno was talking about Joe Gibbs he really meant Errol Thompson.

01. Dubmatix feat. Kulcha Ites “Burn Out The Rich”
02. Dubmatix Soundsystem “My Selecta”
03. Interview with Jesse King of Dubmatix
04. Dubmatix Soundsystem “War, Peace & Dub”
05. Dubmatix Soundsystem “Sensi”
06. Dubmatix Soundsystem “Dub Phanatique”
07. Interview with Jesse King of Dubmatix
08. Dubmatix “Soul Dread Dub”
09. Dubmatix Soundsystem “Pirate Dub”
10. Interview with Jesse King of Dubmatix
11. Dubmatix & Howie Smart “Heavy Living”
12. Dubmatix feat. Treson “Praise Jah”
13. Dubmatix Soundsystem feat. Ranking Joe “Tornado”
14. Dubmatix Soundsystem “Jump & Twist”
15. Dubmatix Soundsystem “Champion Sound”
16. Interview with Jesse King of Dubmatix

Download:
http://m.podshow.com/media/9683/episodes/127449/nation-127449-10-03-2008.mp3

Permalink:
http://solipsisticnation.com/?p=167

solipsistic NATION website:
http://solipsisticnation.com

This Wednesday, August 6, I will be playing at the Phoenix Landing in Cambridge, opening up for Pat Fontes. 19+ please (why 19, anyway?). This is my first time playing at the Phoenix and I am rather excited. The address is: 512 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, MA. Nearest public transit is Central Square on the Red Line or numerous busses. (Hint: even though a lot of 4xx busses go to 'Central Square,' that's in Lynn, not Cambridge)

As a preview for Wednesday, I packed all the records I expect to play and let them all out last night. I am still holding onto some surprises, so don't think that listening to this gets you off the hook for showing up Wednesday! There was also a pretty big pile of new stuff that came in over the past two weeks and thus the recording is a little longer than usual Playlist after the break. Enjoy!

Download

10:05PM CD-R and Quest.Room.Project "Part 4" from "CD-R and Quest.Room.Project" on Musica Excentrica
10:09PM Underworld "Play Pig (Pig and Dan Mix 2)" from "Play Pig Pig and Dan Remixes" on underworldlive
10:17PM con_cetta F/ N. Ferloni "Hexagram" from "Sclerosis"
10:20PM astrowind "Autumn Drifting" from "In Memoriam Andrei Tarkovsky" on Musica Excentrica
10:29PM the black e "Y-O-Y Jack" from "Found on the Floor of the Foundry EP" on Sleep Debt
10:35PM Glimpse "For Fleur" from "Elephant Skins EP" on Leftroom
10:41PM Arne Weinberg "Minotaurs" from "Son of the Sun" on Styrax
10:48PM Dan Curtin "Tromp" from "Shining" on Dust Science
10:56PM Mathew Jonson "Twin Cobras" from "Symphony for the Apocalypse" on Wagon Repair
11:07PM Chica and the Folder "Daleko (Dinky's Splastik Rmx)" from "Chica and the Folder" on Schatulle
11:11PM The Martian and Eddie Flashin' Fowlkes "Sex in Zero Gravity" from "Sex in Zero Gravity" on Red Planet
11:19PM Brett Johnson "Space (Basstrumental Mix)" from "The Pop Up EP" on Cynosure
11:24PM Annette "Dream 17 (Mayday Mix)" from "Remixes 01" on Not on Label
11:27PM Inner City "Praise (Future Sound of London Conceptual)" from "Praise Edition 1" on Ten
11:37PM James Priestley & Dan Berkson "Chariots" from "Chariots" on Simple
11:46PM Introvert "Times We Live In (Original Mix)" from "Lemon Days" on Night Vision
11:53PM methodology "Da Soul Track" from "Can't Stop Won't Stop" on Iridite
12:02AM Redshape "Telefunk" from "Telefunk" on Styrax Leaves
12:08AM Kevin Saunderson Feat. Inner City "Good Life (Mathew Jonson's Acid Mix)" from "History Elevate 3" on KMS
12:15AM kakaka "Ka" from "Kakaka First" on Reel Musiq
12:24AM Tigerskin "Desperate Mouselives" from "Desperate Mouselives" on Opossum
12:32AM Repeat Repeat "Blippy" from "Blippy" on Soma Quality Recordings
12:40AM DJ T-1000 "Untitled" from "Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Now Invisible" on Pure Sonik
12:50AM Gys "Soultek Remix" from "Lon" on Zero G
01:00AM Duplex 100 "Extrapoliert" from "Extrapoliert" on Initial Cuts
01:03AM Nurse With Wound "Groove Grease" from "Huffin' Rag Blues" on United Jnana
01:08AM Miss High Heel "The Family's Hot Daughter" from "The Family's Hot Daughter" on blossoming noise
01:14AM Sugar Minott "So We Dub IT" from "Dance Hall Showcase Vol 11" on Wackie's
01:16AM Alva Noto "u_03" from "Unitxt" on Raster-noton

Here is my playlist from Sitka, Alaska's premier reggae show on 104.7 KCAW

Sugar Minott -- "Mary (Remix)"
John Brown's Body -- "Full Control"
Peter Tosh -- "I'm The Toughest"
Steel Pulse -- "No More Weapons"
Augustus Pablo - "Jah Dread"
Passafire - "Theivery"
Bedouin Soundclash -- "Jealousy and the Get Free"
Rebelution -- "Feeling Alright"
Bob Marley & The Wailers -- "So Much Trouble In The World"
The Black Seeds -- "Cool Me Down"
Easy Star All-Stars -- "Karma Police"
Junior Delgado -- "Armed Robbery"
Scientist -- "War & Crime"
Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad -- "On The Moon"
Rootz Underground -- "Victims Of The System"
Bob Marley & The Wailers -- "Rebel Music (3 O'clock Roadblock)"
Fat Freddy's Drop -- "Midnight Marauders"
Groundation -- "Me Na In De"
Damian Marley -- "Me Name Jr. Gong"
The Gladiators -- "Chatty Chatty Mouth"
Katchafire -- "Say What You're Thinking"
Dry & Heavy -- "Dog Sniffs Chicken Pecks"
10 Ft. Ganja Plant -- "Born Free"
Cornerstone Roots -- "Mankiller"
Rasta Heroes -- "I Know You Groove"
Scientist -- "The Mummy's Shroud"

Deepfrequency.com
9-11pm UK Time, Tuesdays.

Downloadable archives to follow shortly at deepfrequency.com If you like what you see here, please tune in!

Martin Denny - Moon Of Manakoora

Psapp - Rear Moth

Bobby Womack - How Could You Break My Heart?

Johnny Hammond - Can't We Smile?

Sven Libaek - inner space: music for eels

Gavouna - Three

Machinefabriek - 20

Morgan Packard - They Will Rise Forever

Sugar Minott - Informer

Fingers Inc. - Distant Planet

Heatwave - Star of the Story

Jóhann Jóhannsson - Eg Heyrdi Allt An Pess Ad Hlusta

Jack Rose - Revolt

Masta Ace - Sittin On Chrome

Loscil - First Narrows

Richard Crandell - Zen Dagger

The Dead Texan - La Ballade d'Alain Georges

Xela - Bobble Hats in Summer

Tenniscoats - Oetsu to Kanki no Nanoriuta (Given Song by Sob and Joy)

Hannu - Winter Song

17 Pictures - short description of wishes

The Boats - Information For Employers

Sawako - purple sky coming

Machinefabriek - Oi Polloi

Morning Recordings - Songs from a Hotel Bar

Stanley Cowell - Sienna: Welcome My Darling

17 Pictures - Sora Star

Wednesday, January 16th, 2008
My reggae return to the airwaves, blastin' the dub stylee.
8-10 pm. Raven Radio, 104.7 KCAW

The Black Seeds - "Black Sunrise"
Damian Marley - "Halfway Tree"
Dr. Israel - "Counting Out Stones"
Bob Marley - "One Love" (from the ambient dub remix album)
Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad - "Incognito"
Katchafire - "I & I"
Fat Freddy's Drop- "Cay's Crays"
10 Ft. Ganja Plant - "Bass Chalice"
Black Uhuru - "Soliditary"
The Aggrolites - "Heavier Than Lead"
Sugar Minott - "Oppressor (Remix)"
Damian Marley - "There For You"
Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad - "Burkina Faso"
The Black Seeds - "Lets Get Down"
Bedouin Soundclash - "Shadow Of A Man"
The Drastics - "Kevlar Version"
Mad Professor - "Dub In D Minor"
Dry & Heavy - "Tiger Claw Skank"
Trinity Roots - "The Dream"
Damian Marley - "In 2 Deep"
Fat Freddy's Drop - "Midnight Marauders"
Twilight Circus Dub Sound System - "Dub Squad"
Katchafire - "Collie Herb Man"
De Facto - "Mitchel Edwards Klik Enters a Dreamlike State... And It's Fucking Scandalous"