Never Trust a Hippy (Real World, 2003)

British dub pioneer Adrian Sherwood is a veteran in the reggae industry, having paid his dues for over 20 years producing and mixing artists like Prince Far I, Bim Sherman, Creation Rebel, Singers and Players, and African Head Charge through his On-U Sound label, not to mention his work with non-reggae acts like The Cure, Garbage, Nine Inch Nails, and Depeche Mode.  As such, it's amazing that he hasn't released a solo album until now.  Listening to Never Trust a Hippy, though, it's evident that, while he hasn't officially had a solo release, his fingerprints are all over the works of his On-U Sound fold.  You hear in his music, for instance, the African chanting of African Head Charge, the hard-edged old school dancehall of Prince Far I, the softer roots style of Bim Sherman, the experimental dub of Dub Syndicate or Audio Active, and the rock/electronica/funk/New Wave/whatever sound of acts like Barmy Army, Voice of Authority, and Playgroup.  Additionally, Sherwood incorporates the varied sounds of the Middle East, jazz, pop, modern dancehall, and a host of permutations of electronica (drum 'n bass, jungle, ambient, trip-hop, techno; I can't really tell you the difference, but there's ample amounts of at least some of these in here.), wrapping it all up in a quizzically bland goulash of sound deemed "sci-fi world dancehall...dubwise."  I want to say that there's too much going on here, but it's not necessarily too busy; on the contrary, I found it somewhat dull.  The reason is simple: as a reggae fan, I found that this music -- even with its often prevalent driving bass lines (the unfortunately less prevalent roots rhythms) -- has strayed too far from its reggae origins.  Let's face it, what passes as dub music today very often isn't the dub that emanated out of Jamaica in the 1970s.  It has evolved outside of the Caribbean into a less rootsy, more sterile electronic bastard child.  Some people might have a similarly adverse opinion of the modern digital dancehall sound that has sprouted out of reggae since the mid-'80s, but to me dancehall at least still has a genuine energy, a dynamic rhythm that reflects the pulse of Jamaica as accurately as roots reggae did in the 1970s.  Granted, I'm probably not be the target audience, but I don't feel that same energy from Never Trust a Hippy.  That said, I don't think that this album is any worse than what I've heard from the more experimental On-U Sound groups (which I also don't care for), and if you do like the modern dub sound of the UK and elsewhere, then this may be right up your alley.

Becoming a Cliche (Real World, 2007)

*GUEST REVIEW*
Cliche is Sherwood's second solo album. Solo is a flexible term, as this project incorporates a wide variety of performers and players such as Mark Stewart, Little Roy, Lee Perry, and Dennis Bovell. This is typical On-U Sound collage material. We have dub, roots, samples and lots of fresh craziness. Think of Asian Dub Foundation with the best of Transglobal Underground and Zion Train. This fusion manages to avoid coffee table smoothness but is less raw that the Sublime Frequencies set. Sherwood has a remarkable ability to ape Mark E Smith. Both are the page-makers but rely on musicians and other collaborators. They also make music that always evolves even though it stays the same.

- ragudave