Phantoms. Given the emergence of the digital age of music in terms of its availability, I suppose it is over for the most part, but I will miss the era when we really had to track stuff down! These days it's reserved only for the collectors amongst us (and I am one of them on occasion), and it's much different now, but once upon a time not long ago when it came to the type of music we look at around here, you had to do some serious legwork to track down releases from artists of almost all different types. You couldn't walk into the long forgotten record store and pick up what you were looking for and going online, for the most part, was the major avenue most people took. It will be one of my 'back in my stories' in a few years when I'm old[er] and talking to youths whose phones, by that point, can probably read their minds and come up with literally any tune that they think of and play it. Because I did a lot of this work myself, I am happy to say that while I may not or may have some stuff that is worth a great deal or will be financially, I definitely have quite a bit of material which looks damn good in my collection, is increasingly difficult to find and is, personally, worth very much to me. Two of my favourite pieces are physical copies of "Red, White & Black" and "The Chronicles", which're the debut sets from Soca superstars Destra Garcia and Bunji Garlin, respectively. As CD's, they're both gone. They're sitting in boxes in people's houses and may or may not be listened to again any time soon. "Red, White & Black", fortunately, did make it to the digital side a few years ago when Soca music FINALLY caught on, but "The Chronicles" never did make that trip and I'd be surprised if it ever did at this point. I've also been fortunate to accumulate increasingly rare releases from the likes of Queen Omega (have physical copies of her first three albums), Mark Wonder, Pressure Busspipe, Prince Theo, Wevolusion, Norris Man and the usual overactive names who would obviously have a greater opportunity to have had something fall between the proverbial cracks and VANISH (and now I feel like doing some mining to see exactly what else I have). Today we're going to look at someone who.... probably doesn't belong in that group in terms of sheer output, by comparison (and only by comparison), but is someone else who, looking back, I'm pretty happy I made a concerted effort to collect.
Jah Mason has had a fantastic career and he still does. It's taken him around the world (probably a few times), given him the opportunity to provide a nice life for himself and others and he's made music which people like you and I will be singing as long as people exist. He's done amazing with a history stretching back around thirty of his now fifty years (if the bio I'm reading is correct, Jah Mason will be fifty-one in three days as of this writing). He's spent the last twenty of those years making albums and he's turned out some truly terrific work there as well. I'll always go back to 2003 when he gave us "Never Give Up" which is not only my favourite Mason album but also one of the best albums I have ever heard from anyone, period (Modern Classic #7). He's also scored with drops such as "Wheat & Tears", "Most Royal" and "Princess Gone.... The Saga Bed" ["I RATHER LIVE, BUT NUFF A DEM RATHER DEAD!"], which is probably his most popular set to date - named after his single biggest hit and released via VP Records (they did the exact same thing with Turbulence as well). If you go back to through Jah Mason's album catalogue, you're sure to find a few gems and you're also going to find some.... which you... you can't find anymore. There was his debut album, "Keep Your Joy" for Ghetto Technology in 2002. It has never arrived digitally (it won't) (it just won't) and, even in its day, it was pretty hard to come across. His second album, "Working So Hard", for KJ Records from later in the same year, was and remains even harder to track down. "Working So Hard" was unpolished and just not very good but it is a TRUE collector's item and I'm proud to own it (actually saw it a few days ago looking for Queen Omega's debut) (Queen Omega, new EP, "Stars Align", out now) ("Working So Hard" did carry I'm Going Home' which was excellent). And I just wouldn't feel myself if I didn't mention "Saddle To The East", a criminally overlooked compilation which featured tunes from Mason as well as Anthony B and ("the criminally overlooked") Steve Machete, which I also have a physical copy of. While it did take Reggae music just a minute to catch on to availing the cyber side of things, Jah Mason was at work on one more project which spent awhile behind the scenes before stepping forward.
I want to say that (I'm almost certainly incorrect) "Continental Universal" had been out maybe a year or so before most people even knew of its existence. It just sort of popped up one day, had a date of 2010 and instantly became very difficult to track down. Produced under the guide of the venerable Gussie P for his Gussie P Records and Sip A Cup Records (more on him later and if you want to talk about someone who has had "an amazing career", break into Gussie P's vault) this album would have come about around at time when Jah Mason was still motoring steadily along with releases. Also near its day were the likes of "Keep Ya Head Up" and "The Journey". The former was a Rastar Records release which was a bit too varied for my tastes despite being quite popular in its day, while the latter came courtesy of an Albany Records and was probably a little better than most of us gave it credit for being ["Mi nah nyam no Burger King pie. No fast food ting, that's not I. No ting weh swim, nor walk or fly"]. Despite the popularity of one and the quality of the other, neither one were (or both of them together), presumably, the type of set which kind of buries an album. From the moment it arrived, "Continental Universal" was just an album seemingly destined to spend most of its time in the shadows. There is a very special place which exists only amongst collectors for albums like this one, where it kind of has this cool distinction and if you have it, when around other fans, you brag about it and they (we) are jealous, but that is also something which has diminished given the readily available-ness of the digital medium and THANKFULLY it is completely gone in this case as one day "Continental Universal" just sort of popped up on the digital side and we're all better people because of it. Surely it's just on my tastes, but I've found that the more straight-forward (for the most part) that the Mason tends to be as far as albums go, the better he is. For me at least, when he's able to find a balance of just solid Roots Reggae music to go over, the results can be explosive because of his own natural style. He has this kind of 'volatility' to him at times which gives the vibes this building sense to his work. When you listen to Jah Mason at his best (even on the easiest and most laidback of tunes) it constantly feels like something crucial is about to occur. Well, lo and behold when we finally got a listen to "Continental Universal", it was about as straight-forward of modern Roots Reggae record that he'd had to date. I'd always meant to come back and write a review for this one because along with spending awhile as this cool and mystical album, there was something else remarkable about "Continental Universal": IT WAS KINDA REALLY, REALLY, GOOD. Let's discuss.
On its surface, "Continental Universal" was too short. It really was. There were only eleven tracks and two of those were sub-minute intro/interlude types, so I'm gonna need more than that. Thankfully it would do substantial damage in its nine pieces of actual music and then there was the matter of Gussie P and co. providing this one with a 'secret weapon'. Getting things started was a very familiar tune and a definitive highlight from this one, 'Up To My Neck'. This was the first of several whose true origins are unknown to me but are familiar in some way or another (I can't say if this is the first version or if he did it somewhere else first, even given its age, but I know this song either wholly or partially) that appear on "Continental Universal" which wasn't necessarily a bad thing even when it was new. These days I love 'Up To My Neck' which was a VERY clever praising piece ["Its up to my neck now, Jah protect mi from drown. Dem neva thought I would be around"]. Next in, following our first interlude, 'How Mi See Herbs', was another very familiar sounding vibe, 'Good Marijuana'. The song isn't 'groundbreaking' or 'revolutionary' in any way and you've basically heard its match a few dozen times, but 'Good Marijuana' is EXCELLENT! It is a fantastic ganja tune and it shows precisely what I meant when I said that Jah Mason really does fine on more normal Roots Reggae. That riddim (gorgeous but very simple) does its thing behind him and he can jump in and out and increase and decrease the intensity as he goes. What ends up happening is (again, although very much routine) downright sublime and one of the best of its kind the chanter has ever produced. Sitting here looking at it now, "Continental Universal" really gets out to an outstanding start as the entire opening quartet of songs are top notch and, as I said, there're only nine of them altogether. Things go to the absolute top when we arrive at 'As the Wind Blows', the single biggest tune on the entire album to my opinion.
"Even when the wind blows, I can feel Jah
His presence I-dore for i-ver
Tell my people do not wonder and do not try ponder
Caan go round, dem caan go ova, dem caan go under
Jah nah go no weh
So tell mi wah dem ah look fah?
If it's corroded, then get crowded dem ah wonder where it shook from
Man of right is Jah, written inna di Holy Book yah
SEEK KNOWLEDGE, KNOW KNOWLEDGE AND YOU WILL GET DI ANSWER
Salvation order, Iyah Mason no waan no sponsor
Mi nah go give up, mi haffi live up
Yow, long liva longa"
I know at least a couple of versions of this tune and while I have absolutely no clue which was first.... I don't give a damn. The other lick (for Positive Star's Bad Mind Riddim) dates all the way back to 2004 but that doesn't mean anything. They're both excellent and if I had to choose one, this track is getting my vote as the Mason delivers a very EARTHY style of gratitude to His Majesty. I also want to mention this riddim which just grows and grows and adds in so many different elements (especially horns) pinnacling at just around two minutes and fifty seconds in - which is not to be missed! If I hadn't chosen 'As the Wind Blows' as my favourite of "Continental Universal", then that distinction would have likely passed on to the very next track, 'Gwan Choose Joy'. Though it sounds nothing like it, lyrically 'Gwan Choose Joy' reminds of Mason's timeless 'Saga Bed' (might just be his single best piece of work ever for me) in that they both speak about choosing the positive over the negative ["SAGA BED! I RATHER LIVE BUT NUFFA DEM RATHER DEAD!"] and while it doesn't quite grab that lofty level, you won't care. Where it does hit is very strong. I'm also tempted to mention 'Love Jah & Live' in this stretch of really strong openers (on track six out of eleven) (I told you it was really good). It just isn't as good as the first four, but it isn't lacking much at all. This one really sounds like a vibe. It sounds as if the Mason just heard the riddim (another winner) and put together his words relatively spontaneously and what happened, despite not being at the head here, was far more than respectable (and I say that, largely, because I listen to it and I get blurbs from other tunes with which I am familiar. He says things like "no put up no barrier, no put up no bridge" and "wi nah go forget, but wi gwan forgive" which I recognize from other songs, that one especially being 'Most Royal', I believe).
I was wondering what the direction of 'Continental Universal' might be and what I would take from the most curiously selected title track (I will admit is a better title for an album than 'As The Wind Blows' but I think I may've chosen... well looking through the rest of them, it isn't that bad at all actually. The best would have probably been "Love Jah & Live", but everything besides that is up for debate, and "Continental Universal" does definitely grab your attention) and what I got from it was that it is a song about Jah Mason traveling the world and spreading his message and music to the masses ["Well get purged and cleansed. No stand up like no statue, stop move like yuh tense. When di world ah fall apart, you need contact lens. Go tell it to di nation, like also your friends"]. There is this very cool and calm vibes around 'Continental Universal' which is really one of its highlights (as strange at that is to say) and while it does it burn a little, here and there, it stands up because of just this nice relaxed type of effect. It also serves as a very nice intro to 'Whatever You Do' which follows and speaks on the omnipresence of The Almighty.
"Whatever you do-
Jah is always watching
Whatever you say-
Jah is always listening
Well why not?
Mankind just be true to yuhself
So in time of need, in time of help-
Rastaman reaping glory
Di wicked man ah melt
Puppet master, mi si yuh inna jacket and yuh felt
Mi and yuh don't have no dealings with who you ah dealt
Love Jah and live or yuh surely gwan melt
Give thanks for di blessings also for my wealth
Rastafari give thanks for the help"
If you take them less specific, songs like this are really powerful because what they do is to tell you, simply, is to be careful of your behaviour. Whatever road you may walk in life doesn't matter, if you do something WICKED, someone is paying attention You're human, you will make many mistakes but be mindful and always at least attempt to do your best. Check the classic vibe of 'They Think I'm Crazy' where the Mason speaks on the struggle and fight you may encounter when attempting to live in a righteous way ["Well suppose di book no have no cover, tell mi how you ahgo judge it?"] and 'Run For Cover', a social commentary on which he tells us to protect ourselves and loved ones from the ills of the world. Both pieces (especially 'Run For Cover') are amongst the very best "Continental Universal" have to offer and I caught myself thinking while listening to them that, because it was SO nice (again, especially on 'Run For Cover'), I would have really enjoyed it if someone would.... maybe feature the music more in some type of way.
Well, Gussie P was of an identical mind to me in that thought because packaged with "Contintental Universal", and available digitally, was a second disc which featured the music. It contained an 'unplugged mix' of our title track, an intro and then, WONDERFULLY, a dubbed out version of every single tune on the album! What a GREAT idea! It was a stroke of genius and one which I hope we saw more of (like from Teka on Cali P's latest release, "Vizion", for example). As I alluded to earlier (at least I think did), if you go through Gussie P's catalogue, you'll see that he's no stranger to the art and having this album with such an addition DEFINITELY makes it stand out, even just on paper. Thankfully, the actual musical results were strong as well. Skipping ahead to 'Run For Cover', because I really wanted to hear it, its dub, 'Dub Fe Cover', stands in all of its golden simplicity as one of the best. It's also worth noting that the difference between the original tune and the dub is twenty-six seconds which is by far the biggest gap you'll find (I think that the second largest is eighteen seconds). I really like this one and the fact that they decided to do it even more. 'They Think I'm Crazy' is now 'Crazy for Dub' and it, like 'Dub Fe Cover', it succeeds on a lovely amount of 'restraint'. It is what it is and doesn't particularly try too hard, which is a good thing (and I'll use this to make my point - while listening to 'Crazy for Dub', it ended and in came 'Dub Fe Cover' and I barely even noticed the transition). 'Up to My Neck' is now 'Protect I Dub' and it may just be THE single finest dub on the whole of "Continental Universal". Besides the track (duh), I also enjoyed the interspersing of the lyrics. You hear from Jah Mason from time to time, which is a good touch. When I first heard 'Dub Marijuana Dub' (not gonna insult your intelligence by telling you what the original is called) I was a little disappointed because the horns weren't present initially and they really never get going, but what does materialize, although not a favourite of mine, is solid. The sterling 'As the Wind Blows' is now 'Salvation Order in Dub'. I was very curious in this case because the original riddim builds and builds as it progresses through and while I didn't expect it to be the case here, I was eager to see what did happen. I was wrong. It does build but not necessarily in a more intense manner. It takes things away, it adds things and other elements seem to come and go as they please. Just as its vocal track was, 'Salvation Order in Dub' proves to be a standout here. I'll say the same for the downright DENSE 'Dub of Joy' (it would make for a really delicious pound cake). If 'Protect I Dub' isn't the strongest dub on "Continental Universal", then 'Dub of Joy' may just take top honours. AND IF IT DOESN'T - also in the running would be both 'Love Dub' and 'All Things in Dub' (you know what the former is, the latter used to be 'Whatever You Do'). The former settles into this sublime vibe following this big and dramatic entrance and it features this very subtle drum in there somewhere (like a hand-drum, not a big one). 'Love Dub' is the one that makes you lose track of time (and probably because I'm right at that point now, I'm thinking THIS is the best dub on the album but I don't feel like rewriting it). It starts and you just go somewhere in your head and before you know it, you've been through it three or four times. 'All Things in Dub', on the other hand, is probably the most chatty instrumental on "Continental Universal" and that helps it. At two different points we get nearly full verses and you also have relatively constant vocals and I do like that as a practice, just in general, but particularly it stands out on this album because you don't have very much of it, so it rises as an excellent changeup. And lastly is the colourfully named 'The 33rd Step of Dub' whose vocal track is our title track. This is another one which does not sit as one of my favourites but I can respect the effort and the intent as well. It almost has an unusual sound to it at times and I would really think this one would find its biggest audience amongst the HEAVIEST of Dub heads. I am not such a person, but it isn't completely lost on me either.
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