African Dub All-Mighty Chapters 1 & 2 (Rocky One, 1994 [orig. released 1975 & 1976])

Warning: If you're like me, this CD may very well drive you insane.   That's because the two albums included in this set are the type of dub albums that you listen to and repeat to yourself, "I know this song...and this one...and this one!"  The thing is, you can't always recall where you know the song from, and so too many sound tantalizingly familiar and just out of reach of your brain power.  The more crackheaded of us may even scour through our reggae collections searching for the songs that contain the rhythms heard on African Dub All-Mighty Chapters 1 & 2.  Don't drive yourself crazy, though; otherwise you won't truly appreciate the brilliance of the music contained herein, as Joe Gibbs and Errol Thompson's production proficiencies team up to encapsulate the golden era of reggae in 24 short tracks.  These two albums just feel historic, as wave after wave of music hits you, from the classic bass line of "African Dub" to the swirling keyboard of "Midnight Movie" to the horn-driven "My Best Dub" to one of my personal favorites, the jazzy trumpet of "Ghetto Skank" (the best kind of skank there is).  But where do I know these rhythms from?  It's maddening in the best way.  It's easy enough to recognize some: "Angola Crisis" rides the music behind "Uptown Top Ranking," and both "East Africa" and "Chapter 2" have the "Queen Majesty" beat.  For other tracks, you might recognize the oft-versioned rhythms from more modern tunes, as in Morgan Heritage's use of the "Jamaican Grass" music (from the Cables' "What Kind of World") on "Down By the River," or Ras Shiloh's adaptation of "Schooling the Beat" on his "Slavery."  And even if you aren't familiar with this music, you'll relish getting to know it.

Chapter 1:

Chapter 2:

Chapters 1 & 2: