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Llwybr Llaethog - Mewn Dyb (In Dub)

Llwybr Llaethog - Mewn Dyb (In Dub)
Label - ROIR
Released - 1991
Style - Welsh Dub, Hardcore, Industrial, Funk

Question: What do you get when you cross Front 242, Adrian Sherwood and Pere Ubu? Answer: I don't know either, but I didn't expect it to speak Welsh. Llwybr Llaethog may be the world's only Welsh reggae band, and that's probably just as it should be. This collection of dub tracks with completely unpronounceable titles (including the hits "Medru Dal y Pwysa" and "Mae'd Bywyd Braf") may look forbidding, and the photo of the band in cowboy outfits even more so, but don't be scared: this is some of the most interesting and compelling instrumental reggae you'll ever hear. From the powerhouse rockers beat and twisted samples of "Marion McKeone" to the Middle Eastern ullulations and turntable scratches of "Rhyfel (War in Baghdad Isn't My Bag Daddio)," the whole album bounces and bops with scintillating riddims even as it bubbles and seethes with subtle political anger. On the other hand, maybe you should be scared after all. ~ Rick Anderson, All Music Guide

Tracklist:
1 Ai Bod Dub (To Be Dub) (5:46)
2 Mynd Adre' Dub (Going Home Dub) (4:46)
3 Marion Mckeone (4:59)
4 Rhyfel (War In Baghdad Isn't My Bag Daddio) (5:47)
5 Baile Atha Cliath (Dublin) (7:30)
6 Cariad (Lover) (7:38)
7 Medru Dal Y Pwysa (Can Stand The Pressure) (5:57)
8 Mae 'N Bywyd Braf (It's A Great Life) (4:24)

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HR - Its About Luv [OTR LP 101]

HR - Its About Luv [OTR LP 101]
Label - Olive Tree Records (DC)
Released - 1985
Style - Reggae/Dub/Punk/Hardcore/Metal

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Tracklist:
1 Roots
2 It'll Be Alright
3 Were Gonna Get You / Heaven Forbid
4 Lets Have A Revolution
5 Who Loves You Girl ?
6 Its About Love
7 Happy Birthday My Son
8 Free Our Mind

Again taking the non-traditional route with this 'review' - The record is classic HR style, so if you don't know what that means then use your imagination. You can hear elements of Bad Brains but I think this album is more metal + weed smoking. Plus the band is a totally different lineup than BBs. I love it. Originally I had the SST tape back in high school, but lost it long ago. Found this on vinyl a few weeks ago off the Olive Tree label (original pressing! DC PO Box address on label) and it sounds just as awesome as it did to me in high school.

Here's the interview, which isn't really a record review at all but I don't give a fuck. Still in FTW mode from the Rock For Light review...




Suburban Voice Interviews Bad Brains

Probably the most unusual interview I've ever encountered in my 4 years of doing this 'zine. In a haze of marijuana smoke, surrounded by several moribund hangers-on, a dialogue with HR aka Paul Hudson aka Joseph I, dynamic vocalist for the Bad Brains. Most people know the Brains' story by now, including their explosive comeback in '85 and the recent release of their album "I Against I." HR is also involved in a band bearing his nickname and the reggae band Zion Train. The rest of the band includes Dr. Know (guitar), Darryl (bass) and HR's brother Earl on drums. What can be concluded form this interview? Beats me. Read on...

SV: What led you guys to get back together?

HR: Mostly, I and I was missing each other, still missing the vibes that we was cultivating.

SV: What's "I Against I" all about?

HR: Basically, that's about the continual battle of good against evil where you have man and man or even a man fighting against himself, even self-hatred, which we feel is going on a lot in these times and when you investigate and do research into the lyrics you can see a man saying, "him have this, him have that" but he's still not happy, even for his family and he still don't have it, like I against I. Do you see it?

SV: So how do you find this happiness?

HR: Well, you know the answer to that.

SV: I think I know the answer, but why don't you tell me, anyway. What is it for you?

HR: Each man has to find God.

SV: Are Zion Train and HR still going?

HR: Yes, Zion Train is moving forward. We've just released I and I first LP on Olive Tree Records. We're hopefully going into the studio real soon to record. The lead singer and leader of Zion Train is named Julius Selassie and he lives in Washington, DC and he's a very positive brethren and he's working very hard still for Zion Train to move forward and we really appreciate the people that are checking for I and I because it means a lot to us. We're really hoping that Zion Train can move forward in due season, just as you see I and I move forward with the Bad Brains at this present time.

SV: So does each different project serves a different function for you?

HR: Well, each project is definitely a different arrangement of ideas, but it's all one function because we all have the same goal, which is basically, simply to spread Jah message near and far.

SV: So that's your prime motivation for playing music.

HR: Yes, for everything and yes, for me.

SV: Could you tell me a little more about Rastafarianism?

HR: Rasta is not no black nothing. Rasta is a function of the heart, it's the first law. Now, we have the first nation, which is Africa and we give credit to the dynasty of the Solomon lineage so this is the only reigning diplomatic credited Christian Orthodox function today but we do not function for blackness. I and I live for humanity. A man can be any color and be a Rasta. (gives me a pamphlet on Rasta which also contains info about HR's recent police troubles).

SV: What's all this about "Joseph has recently suffered a heavy burden"?

HR: I just came out of jail after 4 months incarceration for possession of marijuana with intention to distribute, so, in Babylon, I man is a criminal and they lock I man up for this.

SV: There's a lot of anti-drug mania in the US right now.

HR: Well, I man is against drugs, too. I man is an anti-drug mania, too. But herb isn't a drug and that's where they make their mistake. Now, when we get a brave, credited politician to stand forward and tell these people that they're wasting their time and their energy and making things harder on themselves by locking up innocent victims who use herb just like they use caremelle, mullein, peppermint, golden seal and the list goes on and on and on. Nobody has to take the marijuana and put it in a machine and process it. If we was to do that, regulate it, then. But we don't do that, so how come they want to restrict I and I from smoking it. It's not true and from God, in the Bible, Genesis 2, verse 7-11, I could be mistaken, but you can see where God give man herb and vegetation and he saw that it was good and in Psalms, Jah show I and I that he give I and I herb for the service of mankind. So if we have this herb in the bible, why is there going to be a contradiction to I and I. So we're ready to suffer the penalty for marijuana to the bitter end. We love I and I herb and we will never stop smoking it, ever.

SV: What made you decide to record "Sacred Love" over the phone?

HR: I and I record "Sacred Love" through the suggestion of a producer, Ron St. Germain, who produced "I Against I." After I man's second month of incarceration, this man asked I and I if I'd be into it, so I and I say yeah. I really didn't have much to lose being in I man's position. So when I heard about it, I was a little odd, a little astounded. However, I love to sing, in jail, out of jail, it don't matter.

SV: Where do you see the Bad Brains going from here?

HR: I and I don't make no plans so I really couldn't tell the future. I only know the present and what I hope I live to do which is live to dwell another day in Jah temple. So I couldn't tell you what's going to happen. Only Jah know. I just give thanks for the people here tonight, to the youth that support I and I near and far, and I want to encourage all the youth that are just starting out in the world today, whether they be musicians or carpenters or maybe nobody, still I want to encourage them to live up and not to let people discourage them, that they do have an identity and that they are what they're going to live up and they're going to make it, regardless of what these negative ones may say to them and I want to tell them to keep moving forward. Don't fall to that temptation...

Printed in Suburban Voice #21 (1987)
http://www.operationphoenixrecords.com/suburbanvoicebadbrains.html


**Special request a gwaan.... Sup Slobo! Peep this dude's blog for the real deal :: http://only-in-it-for-the-music.blogspot.com/

Bad Brains - Rock For Light [original PVC pressing]

Bad Brains - Rock For Light [Original Pressing]
Label - PVC
Released - 1983
Style - Punk/Hardcore/Dub/Reggae

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Tracklist:
A1 Coptic Times (2:13)
A2 Attitude (1:12)
A3 We Will Not (1:40)
A4 Sailin' (1:50)
A5 Rally Round Jah Throne (4:44)
A6 Right Brigade (2:30)
A7 F.V.K. (0:48)
A8 Riot Squad (2:02)
A9 The Meek Shall Inherit The Earth (3:43)
B1 Joshua's Song (0:34)
B2 Banned In D.C. (2:05)
B3 How Low Can A Punk Get (1:56)
B4 Big Takeover (2:40)
B5 I And I Survive (5:13)
B6 Destroy Babylon (1:25)
B7 Rock For Light (1:25)
B8 At The Movies (2:20)

LEGITIMATE Review (excellent - by somebody whose been around)
ILLEGITIMATE Review (worthless, but unintentially hilarious)


I assume anyone who found my blog already knows the deal with this music and with Bad Brains specifically. So instead of doing a straight review, I'd rather review a review of the record I found recently. The review in question is from Punknews.org and the only good part of this review is the reviewer's name (Smooth_BM). The original review seems more like a joke than anything else, but I think the fool is actually serious (link: http://www.punknews.org/review/1252). Points/counterpoints...


"Rock For Light is one of the most annoying albums I've heard in my life."

- Not even four sentences deep into the review, and this dude requires a proper curbstomping.


"Mr. Ocasek must not be familiar with black people and music. It's all about the bass, listen to rap, funk, reggae, R&B. The bass is drowned way into the backround, to the point if you can hear the bass, it sounds like a palm-muted guitar."

- We've now hit the fourth sentence and the nagging seedling of stupidity has blossomed into a fullgrown, stupid ignorant tree. Must kill. Or 'palm-mute' at the very least. Fuck you.


"This makes the reggae numbers abysmal, I'd rather listen to No Doubt's ska or whatever the hell people call it than this garbage."

- That comma needs to be a semi-colon or period, fuckface.

- - abysmal;
a·bys·mal –adjective
1. of or like an abyss; immeasurably deep or great.

- - - Yes, the reggae/dub explorations of Bad Brains were immeasurably deep and great. You completely lost credibility by mentioning No Doubt in a Bad Brains review. The two bands are not even slightly comparable in any context. Fuck you x2.


"I bet Lee Perry turned over in his grave when this was released, assuming he's dead, but I'm not sure."

- He didn't, because he's not, and you're an idiot. Fuck you x3, x4, and x5.


"Bad Brains' reggae/ska was mediocre for the most part, on their debut it was actually really good, but this stuff...terrible."

- IT'S NOT SKA. You are mediocre in every aspect. And most importantly - FUCK YOU x6.


"Excluding the reggae, the songs are top notch, but the production and HR ruin everything."

- What the hell are you talking about??? HR makes everything better, including Beatles songs. Fuck You x7 (lucky numba!)


"Like with the debut, there's two guitars layered in the mix. One plays rhythm, while the other handles solos (I'll just say lead for lack of a better word)"

- OK I slightly agree with you on the guitar solos. But Fuck You x8 anyways. Bad Brains are one of the few bands that can get away with the questionable guitar solos and still rock your face off. But wait - who are you to critique guitar solos on a Punk review forum? Punk was defined by its lack of musicianship and anti-hero ethos, so don't try and compare Dr. Know to Yngwie Malmsteen or Eddie Van Halen. That brings us up to FUCK YOU x9 (very unlucky! black cats hiss in your face as they walk under ladders with hats on every fucking bed in the house on Friday the 13th)


"The debut made me get up and kick ass, while listening to this makes me just sit there. The absense of the bass drains out those awesome ass-grabbingly good beats."

- You sound like an undercover raver to me. Who the hell says "ass-grabbingly good beats"??? If you want bass, pick up some 2 Live Crew and bass it up. If you think you can handle it, beat your meat to the bass-friendly Egyptian Lover. Go ahead and google some Maggotron, bitch. FUCK YOU x10!!!



The comments section for this mockery of a review was equally entertaining...

"I bet Lee Perry turned over in his grave when this was released, assuming he's dead, but I'm not sure"

He's still quite alive, actually.

-BSD


I know Willie Nelson didnt start country music but what i'm saying is that he has been very important in making it what it is today. But there was another guy (still cant remember his name) who was black who was a big influence on Willie Nelson.
Posted by CallingLondon on 2002-09-26 15:46:16


no doubt most certantly was a ska band back in the day. now, i don't know what the fuck they are. perhaps "shit" is the best description.
Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, September 25, 2002 at 7:38 PM (EDT)


The reviewer is a dumbass. Bad Brains is not annoying;the singer from nfg is annoying. the African American culture practically invented all of the music we hear nowadays except country and polka. punk is a form of expression, and lets be honest it doesn't take an exceeded amount of talent to play punk.
Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, September 24, 2002 at 12:48 PM (EDT)


No Doubt??? What the fuck was this guy on when he reviewed it, they suck, but I wouldn't mind boning that girl.
Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, September 22, 2002 at 1:29 AM (EDT)


you sure are a fool. the reason why this record sounds so bad is because caroline fucked up and mastered it at the WRONG SPEED. which is why HR's voice is really high and the songs are too fast. stop being a poser and track down the original vinyl on PVC records from '83 and not this sad 90's reissue.
Posted by Anonymous on Monday, September 23, 2002 at 1:03 AM (EDT)


Unlike the non-offensive pop "punk" bands of today, bands like Dead Kennedys, Bad Brains, Black flag, and Minor Threat couldn't afford glossy high production- in other words, they didnt' kiss ass- their live show was what mattered and records were secondary but still great. Also, it isn't the producer's fault, it's just the old and very minimalist equipment due to budet restraints you fucking idiots. Even with this low budget it blows the shit out of all that high gloss fake music like new found glory.
Posted by Anonymous on Monday, September 23, 2002 at 1:50 PM (EDT)


***** XMP SUGGESTS EVERYONE READING THIS TO PURCHASE THE BAD BRAINS - LIVE AT CBGB'S 1982 DVD!!! Fuck what you heard... This live show at CBGB's will blow your mind! For a band not even from NYC, all black and doing *very* risky shit for the early 80s in the punk/hardcore scene - their performance was absolutely fearless. You can see the expression on peoples' faces who are in the crowd, clearly NYC locals - they start out looking unimpressed and snobby. But halfway through the gig the expression changes to bewilderment and shock - obviously! They go from breakneck hardcore to chilled-out dub with no warning whatsoever. Cop that shit.

http://www.amazon.com/Bad-Brains-Live-CBGB-1982/dp/B000GI3RKQ

Ruts DC vs Mad Professor - Weak Heart 12"

Ruts DC vs Mad Professor - Weak Heart 12"
Label - Bohemian (UK)
Released - 1983
Style - Punk/Dub

Just picked this up a couple weeks ago at the local Orpheus record shop outside DC (go check them out!! on Wilson Blvd in Clarendon). If you don't know who Ruts DC are, do your homework. My first exposure to them was on ROIR's Rhythm Collision Dub album (also featuring Mad Professor). They are another one of those few special punk bands from the 70s/80s who found it natural to merge punk with dub and came out with a killer sound. This release is no exception. All 3 tracks are great, but I love 'Accusation' the best with all it's floaty backwards guitars. Can't beat Mad Professor on the mix!

The Ruts were one of a second wave of English punk bands which were inspired by the Sex Pistols, the Clash and the Damned. Although in the earlier day reggae music was often played in punk clubs while there still were only few punk records available, Ruts were one of the first bands (along with the Clash) to take direct influences from it. Ruts were also known for their straightforward, political lyrics.

The line-up was: Malcolm Owen (vocals), Paul Fox (guitar), John "Segs" Jennings (bass), and Dave Ruffy (drums). Owen died of a drug overdose in July 14, 1980, after which the group changed its name to the Ruts D.C. (D.C. = Da Capo = new beginning). Their style also changed to more dub oriented music. However, without Owen, the group's original spirit was never quite the same.

*The sleeve and label are actually bright red, but I didn't have time to scan it so I grabbed the only one I could find online and inverted the colors. All the red made it impossible to look at.

Tracklist:
A1. Weak Heart
A2. Militant
B1. Accusation


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Wartime - FFfT

Wartime - Fast Food For Thought
Label - Chrysalis (Promo Only)
Released - 1990
Style - Rock/Hardcore/Funk/Go Go

Wartime is one of the most underrated and least well-known Henry Rollins side projects. This is the only release they ever put out, and it's unclear whether it ever got a full release. The vinyl says "For Promo Only" (which is what I'm doing now) and only has 4 full 'songs.' But this is possibly my favorite Rollins record outside of the Black Flag stuff. This cassette had heavy play back in '91/92, but I never appreciated the go go flavor until I just recently found it again on vinyl... I believe it's just vocals, drum machines and various layers of bass. The bass is what pulled me the first time around... Lots of distortion, flange and envelope filter - which really gives it alot of rock guitar character at times. And the percussion is all drum machines and go go rhythms. Excellent.

Tracklisting:
A1 Mindfield (1:34)
A2 Wartime (5:46)
A3 Right To Live (7:43)
B1 The Whole Truth (5:50)
B2 Franklin's Tower (7:38)

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