One of many
exceptional politically charged dub albums from Adrian Sherwood’s most
excellent On-U Sound stable of artists, End of The Century Party brings
together a wide and diverse array of talent. From the ex-Sugarhill house band
trio of bassist Doug Wimbish, guitarist Skip “Little Axe” McDonald, and the
beats programmer/multi-instrumentalist extraordinaire Keith Le Blanc
(collectively aka Tackhead), to ex-PiLsters Jah Wobble and Keith Levene, to roots
merchants such as the late Bim Sherman and Style Scott’s Dub Syndicate, plus a
host of other label luminaries. Throw in an ex-roofer (allegedly) from Bristol
with a loud hailer voice, one Gary Clail, have Sherwood himself take care of
the mixing and production, and well … you’ve got an irresistibly potent brew.
Who cares that
they decided to celebrate the end of the century a decade or so early?
Clail and Tackhead
had worked together before, most notably on an album called Tackhead Tape Time
(1987), but also when Clail was employed as a ranting/chanting/toasting MC with
a live/touring version of the band. On End of The Century Party however, it’s Clail
who takes centre stage, and this album to some extent acted as the launching
pad for an otherwise sporadic “solo” career which included four more
full-length releases – Emotional Hooligan (1991), Dreamstealers (1993), Keep
The Faith (1995), and Nail It To The Mast (2014). Rumour has it another one is
due in 2019, but I can’t be sure about that.
End of The Century
Party combines helpings of techno, dub, funk, sampling, and spoken word (though
not necessarily rap), with large chunks of social commentary and a set of
highly politicised lyrics. Themes include vegetarianism (on ‘Beef’), corporate
corruption (on ‘Two Thieves And A Liar’ – with specific targets being
Stockbrokers, Accountants, and Lawyers – you decide who’s what), dreaded
privatisation (on ‘Privatise The Air’ – parts 1 and 2), and of course, football
(a particular passion of Sherwood’s as expressed on ‘Leroy Leroy’).
‘Beef’, later
released as a single and given a bpm boost, and also included on Clail’s
Emotional Hooligan album, is probably the best known track for non-On-U Sound
devotees, but the rootsy dub of ‘Two Thieves’ and the quite phenomenal ‘A Man’s
Place On Earth’ are the stand-out moments for me.
If you’re a fan of
Adrian Sherwood and/or Gary Clail and/or Tackhead, or the On-U Sound label
itself, you’ll likely already have this album. If you’re not yet a convert, but
keen to learn what all the fuss was about, then this is a great place to start.
I ordered the CD/T-shirt bundle for this release as long ago as March (a
pre-order for a June release), so my excitement when the package turned up in
my letterbox last week was palpable. I may be a grizzled middle-aged man, but
my inherent ability to revert back to "kid in a sweet shop" mode
right on cue really is quite remarkable at times.
Of course, that's really just another way of saying that anyone hoping
for a balanced or objective review of the latest On-U Sound compilation release
will probably be best served going to another site. The second volume of Adrian Sherwood's At The Controls series showcases
a selection of the On-U label's extensive archives from the period 1985 to
1990. It's a follow-up to last year's impressive first instalment, which
featured producer/label guru Sherwood's work from 1979 to 1984. More generally
this release covers what was arguably Sherwood's most productive period, and
highlights the man's uncanny ability to sprinkle fairy dust across a variety of
different musical genres.
As such, hard-edged industrial post-punk electronica from the likes of
Mark Stewart ('Hypnotised' 12-inch) and KMFDM ('Don't Blow Your Top') sits
comfortably alongside the heavy funk beats of Tackhead ('Mind At The End Of The
Tether') and Doug Wimbish & Fats Comet ('Don't Forget That Beat').
Naturally there's the obligatory helping of dub (roots/reggae and
electro) with tunes from Lee Perry ('Music & Science Madness'), Bim Sherman
(a stripped back dub version of 'Haunting Ground'), African Head Charge ('Hold
Some'), plus a couple of tracks from label stalwarts Dub Syndicate ... although
one of those is little more than a short interlude, effectively paying tribute
to label legend Style Scott, R.I.P.
Other highlights include the so-very-Eighties politically-charged early
hip hop of The Beatnigs with 'Television' ("it's the drug of the
nation"), which features a pre-Spearhead Michael Franti. There’s a genuine
synthpop relic from pre-hard industrial era (read: pre-heroin) Ministry with
'All Day', and Pankow's completely bent but still wonderful take on Prince's
'Girls And Boys'.
Contributions from Tackhead drummer and frequent co-conspirator Keith Le
Blanc, ex-anarcho-punks Flux, Afro-German outfit The Unknown Cases, plus the otherwise
little known Italians, Rinf, take the track-listing up to a generous 16 cuts in
total - or just over 72 minutes of listening pleasure all up.
And yet, despite the wide variety of artists and styles merged together
for this compilation - as with the first volume - nothing feels out of place. Every
track is drenched in Sherwood signature moments - be it his absolute
understanding and mastery of space through the use of echo FX or reverb, be it
the careful placement of a politically-motivated sample or three, or be it some
other odd sound-shape or subtle bass drop just when it's least expected. This
is Sherwood at the controls, as uncompromising as always, and operating at
something of a career peak.
Finally, the quality of the liner notes - not always an On-U label
strength - was a nice surprise. The CD release comes with a booklet containing
a very comprehensive set of notes, which provide some of the best commentary
I've yet read about this remarkable label. There's a good selection of rarely
seen photos - including one of a young Sherwood, with hair.
Oh, and I love the Tee, black with the album cover design, even if it is
somewhat tighter fitting than I had anticipated it would be … three months clearly
being an unruly length of time in the life of your blogger's ever expanding
waistline.
I can hardly wait for the next volume already. Make mine an XL.
Here’s Tackhead’s ‘Mind at The End of The Tether’ ...
Now we’ve lost Lincoln ‘Style’
Scott, better known simply as Style Scott, drummer and riddim guru extraordinaire.
Having emerged in the Seventies
as a key member of the legendary Roots Radics, one of Jamaica’s most prominent backing
bands, Scott worked alongside many of the greats of Jamaican music over the course
of his life. I think his best work was reserved for Adrian Sherwood’s On-U
Sound label, as the driving force (with Sherwood) behind Creation Rebel and Dub
Syndicate, who provided so many great riddims for the likes of Prince Far I,
Bim Sherman, and Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry, among many others. Scott also operated
his own label, Lion & Roots.
Details of his death are
sketchy at present, reports coming out of Jamaica suggest the 58-year-old was
murdered at his home.
Going way back, here’s a
tune from the missing channel, ‘Geoffrey Boycott’ …
