Reggae producer
Niney the Observer was one of the key figures in Jamaican music during the wildly fruitful period in the '70s that gave birth to many of reggae's classic albums.
Niney (nicknamed thusly after losing one of his fingers) worked with everyone of note in his day, engineering sessions for Bunny Lee and
Lee "Scratch" Perry as well as producing some intense dubs at
King Tubby's studio. Some of the best results of
Niney's time at
Tubby's studio are represented here, with drastically alternate mixes to some of his best-known hits. From the start of the collection, signature sounds of
Tubby's dubs infiltrate the mixes. The studio's brand is all over
Dub Plate Specials 1973-1975, from the echo-saturated tape delay of "Set Dub Free" to the minimalist deconstruction of the bass-heavy "Tenement Dub." ~ Fred Thomas