js Every now and then you come across an album on which every note is so perfectly placed that it sparkles like a rare gem. Such is the case with Geir Sandstol’s “The Studio Sessions Volume 1”. Geiris is a very popular session musicians who specializes in a variety of string instruments such as guitar, dobro, pedal steel, banjo and the Indian Shankar guitar. He occasionally releases solo albums which are usually sparse ambient affairs that reflect the wide open spaces of Norway, but his new album reveals something entirely different, dub reggae from Jamaica. The Nordic guitar work is still there, but everything is backed with very well played dub riddims.

This music is attractively somber and melancholic, often reminding one of early Bill Laswell albums such as “Hear No Evil” and “Hallucination Engine”, and also Ry Cooder’s sparse slide guitar work for the “Paris Texas” soundtrack. This is music for reflection that reaches deep into your soul. Every track is thoughtful and essential, there are no wasted moments on here. Album opener, “Gem”, features the purest dub, while other tracks are closer to dub fusion similar to the work of Laswell again, and Jah Wobble. The Indian Shankar guitar blends with the pedal steel guitar providing nice tone colors on “Dogg”. On “Snik”, Geir plays the stringed harp producing an exotica styled melody. Sampled choir gives album closer, “Whole” a spiritual impact. The top track though may be “C’est Vide en Ville”, on which Middle eastern melodies alternate with a folk melody sung in French. Throughout the entire album the expected dub style ambient breaks and psychedelic effects add to the soundscapes.

js The Beat’s (English Beat in the US) first album, “I Just Can’t Stop It”, was a high energy ska punk barn burner infused with politically savvy lyrics, and it was a huge success in England and all around the entire world. Conventional wisdom would dictate that they should keep the same formula for their follow up album, but instead The Beat decided to challenge themselves, and their followers, by changing course for their follow up, “Wha’ppen”. The Caribbean rhythms from drummer Everrette Morton were still there, but instead of just high speed ska, The Beat delved into a wide variety of additional ‘riddims’ including dub, calypso and various hybrids that were their own creation. Likewise, their lyrics delved more into personal relationships and a certain malaise where disappointment in relations intersect with political concerns creating a more somber mood. Critics were quick to pan this album claiming The Beat had lost their way, but the band had not lost any creativity or integrity with this second opus as repeat listens reveal an interesting mix of island rhythms and art pop ambitions. The art pop leanings were no accident as band leaders Dave Wakeling and Ranking Roger were just as much into David Bowie as they were into the Skatalites.

Yes, “Wha’ppen” is not the exuberant dance fest of their first outing, but as a deeper listening experience, in many ways it is the better album, critics be damned. If I may indulge a bit here, I had just lost a girlfriend when this album came out and it became the perfect soundtrack as I came to terms with the fact that it was indeed all over. I wonder what the guys in The Beat were going through that pushed them in this direction, possibly similar failed partnerships, disillusionment with musical stardom, restless youth back home dealing with terminal unemployment and the growing menace of a possible nuclear war. All of these concerns come together in the lyrics in which personal troubles combine with political apprehension in ways that make it hard to separate the two.

It may sound like this album is just one big downer, but it is not. The song writing is excellent and the syncopated Jamaican rhythms celebrate life no matter what the obstacle. I think many critics missed the boat on this one, its definitely not a repeat of the first album, but it is one of the best art pop albums of the 80s, easily challenging the best work by Bowie, Prince or The Police during this same time period.

js Back in the late 70s, when a record said ‘dub’ on it, you knew what you were going to get, audio heaven usually, but during the onset of the digital ice age, dub became all sorts of very un-dubby things, finally hitting rock bottom with the horrendous ‘dub-step’. Are you looking for the real deal, then look no further than Vin Gordon’s new album, “African Shores”. Everything on here was played by real humans on analog instruments and recorded with analog tape and equipment. The effects sound analog as well, and quite possibly not computer aided. The end result is pure natural dub, the kind that was prevalent during the reign of Prince Jammy, King Tubby and Scientist. Speaking of those great masters, more than likely Gordon played trombone with them all, plus other greats like the Skatalites and Bob Marley. If his name is not familiar to you, then possibly you know him by his other name, Don Drummond Jr, named after famous trombonist, Don Drummond.

Although some classic dub tunes would get into pop type chord changes and melodies, “African Shores” is in a different style, much more stripped down and hypnotically repetitive. Every song is in a dry minor key, and there are few chord changes. Some songs stay on a single minor chord skank, but that is the style Vin and his crew are going for on here. There is plenty of variation in rhythmic approaches and ensemble make up with some tracks featuring full horn arrangements, while others just short melodic snippets from Gordon’s horn. Many of the tracks on here are done in two versions, with the second one being more dubbed out than the first. The icing on the cake is the jazzy and sometimes ‘out there’ solos from Vin, David Fulwood on trumpet and a couple of saxophone players too. Some top cuts include, “Spill Over” with its infectious funk drive, and the up tempo, “Dubbing Style”, which true to its title carries the most creative and rhythmically connected dubbing effects on the album.

Matt Released in 1980, recorded in Jamaica on Chris Blackwell’s label, Island Record’s , with quite a few big names included and not only from Jamaica but the U.S.A as well with the Brecker brothers included with Michael on sax and Randy on trumpet with Joe Faddis, Mike Lawrence supporting and Gwen Guthrie being one of the backing vocalists.. Plenty of big Jamaican names also with Ansell Collins, Sly and Robbie, Mikey Chung with a few others from the area as well for Manu Dibango’s Reggae excursion with the album “Gone Clear” which has also been re released on the French label Sonodisc in 1990 under the name “Rasta Souvenir” on two discs which does include Manu’s following Reggae release on Island “Ambassador” on each disc respectively albeit with a slight track order change the albums are still separate in their entirety on each of the discs.

“Full Up” puts the Reggae beat straight to the fore with Manu’s sax riding right over it all on this great album opener being primarily an instrumental with just the backing vocalists repeating the title on occasion. Funk and fairly quick moving is the basis for the highly enjoyable instrumental “Goro City” with some great sax input from Dibango’s sax being all over it and some wonderful band backing. More full on Reggae beat in “Doctor Bird” where we finally get to hear Manu adding those deep vocals and jive he usually does in French and the delight just keeps coming in another great take on his most famous number the Makossa where this time it’s the “Reggae Makossa” and good it is, being delivered in quick time. “Frozen Soul” is vibe time for Manu with a highly similar time to “Full Up” but no matter it is Reggae and the album finishes up with one of its highlights, for me anyway with it s loopy opening and more of those backing vocals and saxes just keeping a firm reminder of the time this music was made in being the late 70’s and early 80’s with that Manu Dibango stamp.

Lovely groover to have on and even if Reggae is not your thing try this as it only fairly mild with its influence and basically it’s still Dibango presenting his style of Cameroonian French influenced African Music but still I really don’t know too many African music fans that don’t like Reggae anyway.

js The Beat, or The English Beat, as they were known in the states, were a musical super nova that burned bright for about four years and then abruptly broke up while they were still successful. Sporting a mix of Caribbean rhythms and punk rock energy, they were a natural to ride the ska revival of the early 80s, but The Beat were always way more than ska imitator wannabes. With at least three band members with bona fide reggae/ska musical roots, The Beat had an authenticity and natural nimble grace to their music that was not matched by their counterparts in the two tone movement. All of this was on full display when they released their opening opus, "I Just Can't Stop It", one of the best dance-able art pop albums in the 80s or in any decade.

In a manner similar to other rhythmically kinetic groups such as The Meters or the JBs, everything great about The Beat starts at the drum set and works its way forward from there. Everett Morton is one of the most overlooked innovative drummers in contemporary music. His ability to play syncopated Caribbean rhythms at break neck tempos made The Beat an irresistible sonic force. Add to that beat foundation a driving dub style bass, two interlocking guitars and Saxa's melodic Jamaican horn lines and you have a rich sonic tapestry. The icing on the cake was the duo vocals of Englishman Dave Wakeling and the Jamaican toasting and harmonies from Ranking Roger which gave The Beat a broad pallet of vocal deliveries.

The icing on the icing is the fact that these guys could write great songs and lyrics that were often either politically clever or sardonically dismayed with relationships. On "I Just Can' Stop It", they also include some creative covers that blend well with their originals. THere are no bad cuts on here, but if you are looking for the high energy barn-burners, try "Click Click", "Noise in this World" or "Two Swords".