Search - Augustus Pablo :: This Is

* CLASSIC EARLY PABLO LP *

Jasper | New England | 05/10/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"There are about four (!) CD versions of this great Augustus Pablo LP on Amazon at the time of this writing. The version I am reviewing here is the "Above Rock" release. The "Above Rock" label was created by Clive Chin, the producer of this album and many others, to release his own material personally. The distribution is done by Prince Jammy's Jammyland. Heartbeat released a cd of this recording in the late 80s, but this set has two extra tracks, and is straight from the producer. Comments about the sound quality of the Heartbeat release give me reason to think that the sound quality is quite improved here, as it is quite crisp and clean; clearly transfered from master tapes. My only complaint is the minimal album notes...just a paragraph printed on back, though with some nice session photos.



This LP was recorded by Clive Chin at Randy's studio in 1973. Augustus Pablo (AKA Horace Swaby) had a lot of input in the arrangements, and was sort of a co-producer along with Chin. The session engineer was Errol Thompson. Photos from the session shows some of the musicians microphoned-up in the studio and playing TOGETHER, at the same time! In addition to the prominent melodica, Pablo plays some clavinet, piano, and some synth (just one track).



The music here is instrumental, though some dub touches are sprinkled about nicely. The line-up is very straight forward, and skanks it up in a crisp, early-regggae style. Instrumentation consists of bass, drums, percussion, keys (piano or organ) and guitar laying a nice foundation on which Pablo really shows his melodica skills. Musicians include Lloyd Parks, Carlton "Santa" Davis, Earl "Chinna" Smith, Ranchie McLean, Aston "Family Man" Barrett, and Ansel Collins. This is one of the clearest productions on which to experience Pablo's playing in its essence, and it holds together stylistically as an actual album. While, overall, the production does not go into as many wild places as Pablo's later 70s instrumentals, it often comes close, such as with the awesome "Arabian Rock," "Point Blank," and "Skateland Rock," to mention a few tunes where we really hear the birth of Pablo's mystical minor-chord "eastern" stlye. If "This Is..." is not quite as essential as Pablo's top three LPs, "East of the River Nile," "Original Rockers," and "King Tubby Meets Rockers Uptown," it is close, and a classic in its own right, utterly essential for any Augustus Pablo fan.



Happy skanking, my friends."