Nuh Skin Up

Some albums have to be heard to be truly believed, and so it is with Keith Hudson's Nuh Skin Up, the dub companion to his 1979 vocal album, From One Extreme to Another. That title was even more apt for the dub set, so far removed is it from anything else being produced in Jamaica (or anywhere else for that matter). As a vocalist, Hudson was no great shakes, and although an emotive singer, his vocals sounded a bit like a strangled cat. But as a producer he had no peers, and on From One Extreme to Another he led his studio group, the Soul Syndicate Band, down brooding, bluesy byways they never navigated on their own. But it was with the dubs that he and the band seemed to leave this planet entirely. On "Troubles," the group steams straight into a swamp -- imagine Delta blues done steppers style or John Lee Hooker born Jamaican on a number with an unstoppable rhythm, as Earl "Chinna" Smith's guitars flicker out of the Spanish moss-lined gloom like St. Elmo's fire. The equally magnificent "Ire Ire" has an upbeat feel but quivers with militancy, its disjointed rhythm continuously throwing the listener off balance, the off-kilter feel heightened by the instrumentation that seems totally out of whack with the rhythm itself. That dub is driven by the beats, while "Dreadful Words Dub" is powered by Fully Fullwood's thick-as-a-stump bassline -- a big, bold dub that echoes and reverberates into the ether. The title track follows a similar trajectory, but ladles on the effects, juxtaposed against bright splashes of organ. "Mercy," in contrast, is a masterpiece of deconstruction, as Hudson strips down the original vocal track, then feeds the various elements back in one by one. Not all the numbers are dark and moody -- both "Bad Things Dub" and "Keeping Us Together" are sprayed with bright splotches of melody, the former particularly so, the latter as beams of light cut across hefty, reverberating rhythms. "Desiree Dub," too, has gleaming pieces of melody scattered about, but in between times, Hudson hollows out the sound until the dub sounds like it is echoing out of a vast cavern. Smith's fabulous guitar licks are showcased across "No Commitment," and fans have few chances better than this to hear the feted guitarist in all his glory at his roots-era heights. The organ/synth players (there are at least two) are spotlighted on "Words Dub," a lavish keyboard extravaganza far removed from the sparse "Dreadful Words Dub." Equally instructive are the differences to be heard on the second version of "Bad Things Dub" -- compare them and you can hear a genius at work. Unbelievably, this stunning set was barely noticed in its day -- reggae fans preferred his two earlier dub sets, Pick a Dub and Brand, and although both are excellent, this one was obviously the most creatively inspired of the trio. If Hudson had never made another album, this set alone would have ensured his legendary reputation. ~ Jo-Ann Greene