Various

Jonny Greenwood is The Controller

BY Brent HagermanPublished Mar 28, 2007

While Trojan comps are a dime a dozen, here’s one that should not be overlooked. Radiohead guitarist Jonny Greenwood apparently gained reggae credentials after Easy Star All-stars turned OK Computer into a dub-scape last year and he’s reaping the benefits by selecting the tracks for this CD. Greenwood clearly favours ’70s roots material, with a special place in his heart for dub and Lee Perry, but the tracks he chooses are rarely obvious and his taste is impeccable. Ranking deejay Linval Thompson’s "Dread Are the Controller” might just be the boss-est sound around and Joe Gibbs’s twelve-inch mix of Marcia Aitken’s "I’m Still in Love” not only has one of the most beloved bass lines in reggae but this version also morph’s into Trinity’s calling card, "Three Piece Suit.” Experimental dubs by Scientist and Jammy ("Flash Gordon Meets Luke Skywalker”), Lee Perry ("Black Panta”) and Bunny Lee ("A Ruffer Version”) will have you questioning what actually defines a reggae song, while Junior Byles’s cover of Peggy Lee’s "Fever” and Marcia Griffiths’ take on Curtis Mayfield’s "Gypsy Man” will remind you that reggae has always been able to successfully mix the commercial and the dread side of the music business successfully. There’s so much more here to discover. You just got to buy it.
(Trojan)

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