Time Warp Dub Clash: Old School Vs. New School (Island, 1993)

It's old school dub vs. new school dub in this great showcase of a sub genre that has become a genre unto its own.  The first 10 songs -- originally released as an album by themselves entitled Raiders of the Lost Dub -- represent the "old," but they aren't as old as they could be.  All of these songs are from 1981 (a testament to the magical output of that year), so they don't have the really old feel of '70s dub (a positive for some listeners, a negative for others). Instead, these songs have the crisp, polished, digital sound of a musical form beginning to be accepted into the mainstream. A large part of this has to do with the fact that 6 of the 10 tracks are produced by dub masters Sly and Robbie.  Few can deny that the "Riddim Twins" could do little wrong in the early '80s, and they display their skills to good effect here, although it is a bit annoying that 4 of their songs are Black Uhuru dubs.  A little variety would help, but who can possibly resist the "Sponji Reggae" dub, here called "Convoy Hijack"?  Aside from that one, my favorite S&R rhythm may be that of the Viceroy's "Heart Made of Stone," here titled "The Dub of Gold." Pure gold indeed.  Any dub, though, will be hard pressed to top one of the greatest rhythm tracks of all time, the music to Ijahman's "Moulding," here called "Whip That Tarantula."  The sheer power is breathtaking.  I suppose I should address the "new" section also.  It's not that it's bad, but it certainly pales in comparison to the "old."  Two excellent tracks caught my hear, however: Jah Shaka's "Smiling Dub" and Manasseh Meets the Equaliser's gorgeous "Absentee."  Needless to say, the old school wins this battle, but the new school has also passed to the next grade.