The British Motion label is gradually assuming a place second only to the mighty Blood & Fire in the roots reggae and dub reissue marketplace. The latest in its ongoing series of crucial reggae reissues is a collection of classic
Niney the Observer rhythms originally produced by
Errol Thompson and
Phillip Smart (except for two Cimarrons tracks, both produced by
Syd Bucknor), all of them dubbed up in classic style by
King Tubby. Except for the Cimarrons selections, all of the instrumental tracks are played by the redoubtable
Soul Syndicate band, which at the time was anchored by bassist
George "Fully" Fullwood and drummer Carlton "Santa" Davis. Davis had mastered the "flying cymbal" drum style that had recently become popular and that can be heard on so many singles of the time, as well as many of the tracks on this album. Sledgehammer Dub includes purely instrumental dub versions of classic songs by
the Heptones ("Why Must I") and
Dennis Brown ("Voice of My Father"), among others; the CD version's four bonus tracks include a haunting dub cut of
Big Youth's "4 Dead 19 Gone a Jail." No dub fanatic should pass this one up. ~ Rick Anderson