LKJ in Dub, Volume 2

A true original, Linton Kwesi Johnson came to prominence in the mid-'70s with his Forces of Victory album released on the Mango division of Island records during a peak if interest in progressive reggae and dancehall in the mid-'70s. On all of his albums he used the Dub Band, led by Dennis Bovell, bass player, engineer, and producer par excellence. The second edition of In Dub is an excellent dub session which reshapes some of his jazz-inflected roots sound. With his poetry flying in and out of the delay and echo and with the phenomenal weight of Dennis Bovell's bass pinning everything down, In Dub, Vol. 2 is up there with best dub of the '70s. Along with Forces of Victory and the classic Bass Culture, these are amongst his best sessions. The dub revisions are a compelling and vital addition to the shelf of the Linton Kwesi Johnson collector and come highly recommended to those looking for an introduction to this great, underrated reggae poet. ~ Skip Jansen