Dub Gone 2 Crazy (Blood & Fire, 1996)

"Sequel" to Dub Gone Crazy, this album collects King Tubby and then-Prince Jammy (now King Jammy) mixes of Bunny Lee productions between 1975 and 1979.  Johnny Clarke fans in particular should relish the fact that more than half of these tunes are versions of his songs (3 of his songs themselves being remakes -- of the Abyssinians' "Declaration of Rights," Bob Marley's "Time Will Tell," and Alton Ellis' "Breaking Up," the latter forgoing the original's classic music for much more mundane backing).  These tunes feel a bit like leftovers from Dub Gone Crazy, as few are terribly interesting -- tops being "Dub of Rights" ("Declaration of Rights") and "Drums of Africa" ("Time Will Tell") -- although music from Eric Donaldson's "Cherry Oh Baby" on "A Stalawatt Version" (a dub not of "Cherry Oh Baby," but of Cornell Campbell's "Stal-O-Watt") and John Holt's "Ali Baba" on "The Poor Barber" (again, not a dub of the original tune, but of another one using that music, in this case Jah Stitch & Dr. Alimantado's "The Barber Feel It") will sound familiar.  Jammy & Tubby's mixing effects are actually a bit obtrusive at times on this album -- as with the harsh, jarring claps and clashes on "A Living Version," "A Heavy Dub," "The Poor Barber," and "Dub of Rights."  All in all, this compilation is OK for diehard Tubby and '70s dub fans, but ho-hum otherwise.