Version Dread (2006)

As the liner notes say, "Before there was Dub there was Version." A collection that will thrill the roots reggae fanatic on rarity alone, Version Dread presents 18 previously unreleased versions, allowing dub fanatics a chance to hear how the Jamaican B-side went from strictly instrumental to radical exercises in echo and atmosphere. Getting there took some growing pains, and early on the collection presents a string of tracks that are simple, too short, and not all that interesting for casual fans. Most of these cuts were ... Read More

As the liner notes say, "Before there was Dub there was Version." A collection that will thrill the roots reggae fanatic on rarity alone, Version Dread presents 18 previously unreleased versions, allowing dub fanatics a chance to hear how the Jamaican B-side went from strictly instrumental to radical exercises in echo and atmosphere. Getting there took some growing pains, and early on the collection presents a string of tracks that are simple, too short, and not all that interesting for casual fans. Most of these cuts were designed to be mixed into the original track by a DJ. In that setting they'd extend the groove for another two and half minutes and without many vocals to interfere, DJs could rally the crowd with their own toasting or merely advertise upcoming gigs. Early on, Version Dread presents too many of these unambitious backing tracks, but as the collection rolls on, versions become dub and the B-side becomes almost as important as the A-side. Fully realized tracks "Declaration Version," "Zion Lion," and "Train Is Coming, Pt. 2" are unearthed treasures from the Studio One vaults that stand on their own. After dub, the version died off. The reasons why it died are here, but so are the fascinating ramshackle experiments and awkward ideas that never caught on. Essential for historians, less so for everyone else. ~ David Jeffries, Rovi Read Less