Various

The increasingly prolific Rough Guide series of books and albums documenting the ever-growing history of modern music has compiled another hit in The Rough Guide to Dub. Packed with 20 classic dub reggae tracks predominantly from the ’70s golden decade (with a few strong early ’80s additions for good measure), this compilation features great picks that collectively forms both a vital introduction to the genre itself and a worthy addition to any dub fanatics collection, as it makes readily available more than a few obscure rarities. Dub master King Tubby makes the most appearances on this disc with a grand total of ten tracks, but since all of them are versus-style collaborations (with the inimitable likes of Yabby You, Keith Hudson, Vivian Jackson and Soul Syndicate, among others) it never seems as though you’re listening to the same visionary jive. Upsetters, Revolutionaries, Dennis Brown, Prince Jammy, Aggrovators and Horace Andy are also among this veritable frontline of potent performers and producers, but those curious about the quality of this compilation need not worry: there isn’t a bum track here.