Dub Chill Out (Music Club, 1996)

For a mainstream, non-reggae label, Music Club can put out some "keepin' it real" compilations that even the most hardcore reggae fan can enjoy.  In the case of Dub Chill Out, no fan of '70s dub could really pooh-pooh this effort.  Although it never reaches beyond the standard big, pioneering names in dub -- King Tubby, Lee "Scratch" Perry, King (AKA Prince) Jammy, Scientist, Augustus Pablo, and Sly & Robbie -- the selection of tunes is hard to argue with.  While it doesn't feature the predictable line-up of songs you can find on any of a dozen dub compilations, there's enough familiar material to keep you involved: from Horace Andy's "Zion Gate" ("Zion Gate Dub"), "Money Money" ("Money Dub"), and "My Guiding Star" ("Lee Perry Guiding Star Dub") to the Mighty Diamonds' "Jah Jah Bless the Dreadlocks" ("Rasta Dub It Everywhere"), Barry Brown's "Fittest of the Fittest" ("Fittest of the Fittest Dub"), and music from classics like "Ali Baba," "Bam Bam," and "Cherry Oh Baby."  Dub Chill Out is so rock solid from start to finish, I can't really pick any standouts.  They all stand out on this stellar showcase of dub that should entertain dub beginners and veterans alike.