Musician (5/96, p.101) - "...a terrific compilation of early King Tubby dubs..."
Personnel: Keith Hudson (vocals); Earl "Chinna" Smith (guitar); Augustus Pablo (melodica); Aston Barrett (bass); Carlton Barrett (drums); The Soul Syndicate.
Recorded at Harry J Studios, Kingston, Jamaica. Includes liner notes by Dennis Alcapone and Steve Barrow.
Keith Hudson was one of the earliest dub artists from Jamaica. Dub is one of the offshoots of reggae, where a producer virtually recreates a song by using a studio mixing board to boost the bass and drums WAY up, and turning the song inside-out until all that remains are some snatches of vocal melody. Aside from his dub explorations, Hudson produced many of the greatest artists of reggae, among them Augustus Pablo, Delroy Wilson, U Roy, and Big Youth.
PICK A DUB is a re-release of Hudson's dub recordings (from 1974), which feature the haunting melodica of Pablo and the bass and drums of Aston and Carlton Barrett. Compared to his peers King Tubby and Lee "Scratch" Perry, Hudson's style of dub is much more earthy and heavily rhythmic, focusing more on the actual sounds of guitar, bass, and drums than on adding sound effects. While not quite as otherworldly sounding as Perry or Glen Brown, Hudson made dub that was powerful and even more direct and immediate. Dub fans (casual or obsessive) rejoice!