Dread Meets Punk Rockers Uptown  (EMI, 2001)

*GUEST REVIEW*
I feel just a slight fraud doing a review of this album. The reason is that I still don't own a copy despite borrowing it from the library 4 or 5 times in the last couple of years. On a quick glance at the track listing you may be slightly annoyed, thinking this is another damn reggae compilation. Let's face it, there are loads of compilations out there that recycle the same old tracks and have fairly shoddy packaging to boot. I would place this compilation in the upper echelon of dub compilations. The main reason is that it has 16 great tracks of roots reggae, dub and toasting. These include The Congos, U-Roy, Tappa Zukie and Junior Murvin as well as slightly lesser known artists such as Big Youth, Syford Walker and U Brown. The standout tracks are the acidic "Tackro" by Lee Perry and "Train to Zion" by U Brown. The tracks are accompanied by DJ links and samples in a Mikey Dread fashion which makes for a lovely blend. The second reason for rating this album so high is the interesting story behind the album and its compiler Don Letts. Don was a DJ at the Roxy in London in 1976-77 when punk broke in the UK. He was one of the first DJs to play reggae to a punk audience and used to play tracks like those he included on this album. The packaging of this album documents DL’s experience of the two cultures of punk and dub meeting and its influence on bands such as The Slits and The Clash, as well as an adventure in Jamaica with U-Roy. I love to make dub compilations, but I doubt I’ll ever make one this good!

- ragudave