Towering Dub Inferno (ROIR, 1990)

Towering Dub Inferno is a favorite amongst the dub heads, and while it does contain some nice tracks, I'd don't know if it's that special.  If nothing else, this album is varied, featuring acts from Jamaica (Lee "Scratch" Perry, Prince Far-I)  to the UK (Mad Professor, Dub Syndicate) to Japan (Mute Beat, 21st Century Dub).  As with the '90s Dub Or Die series, the tunes on Towering Dub Inferno are culled from ROIR's '80s releases; as such, some of the tracks are shared between the two sets.  This album starts and ends on flat notes, with tracks like Scratch Perry's "Satan Dub" -- which features a monotonous beat over an even more monotonous newscast -- Dub Syndicate's "Overloader" and "Substyle," Scientist's "King Pharaoh Dub," and Roots Radics' "Joy to the World Dub" liable to put you to sleep.  However, the chewy center is pretty tasty, highlighted by Ras Michael's classic percussion-heavy "None a Jah Jah Children a Cry," the funky "Pleasures of the Dance" by the punk-meets-dub combination of Ruts DC and Mad Professor, Black Uhuru's synth and fiddle (?) "Painful Dub," and 21st Century Dub's "Beggars Suite."  Perhaps the most valuable aspect of Towering Dub Inferno for listeners is the exposure it gives to acts you might not otherwise hear: 21st Century Dub, Mute Beat, Ruts DC, Puls Der Zeit, et al.