Forward the Bass: Dub From Randy's 1972-1975 (Blood & Fire, 1998)

Forward the Bass -- which re-packages the rare 1975 album Randy's Dub with 5 other dubs from the same time period -- contains inventive dubs recorded at Vincent "Randy" Chin's (founder of VP Records) short-lived but eventful studio.  Featuring the mixing talents of Errol Thompson and the musicianship of, well, every friggin' great musician in Jamaica in the '70s, this material has a great sound.  The music is simple and yet imaginative, from the bluesy harmonica of "Last of the Jestering" to the whistling and mouth-clicking of "Ordinary Version Chapter 3" to the motor running and tape rewinding sound effects of "Extraordinary Version."  However, beyond the first two tracks -- Middle East-flavored versions of Augustus Pablo's "Jaro" -- and the second two tracks, little else is quite as fresh.  It's not bad, just not as unique or fulfilling.