Now I’m High on LKJ

People in the streets protesting racism. A feeling that black lives are regarded as worthless. A lack of prospects & deep division. All of these are amply handled by Mr. Johnson. 

 

Linton Kwesi Johnson (aka LKJ) was born in Chapelton, Jamaica. He moved to Brixton, UK at age 9. In high school, he joined the English Black Panthers. Together they created a poetry workshop called "Rasta Love". LKJ began to be published in the magazine "Race Today" in 1973. He released his first book of poetry in 1974 (Voices of the Living & the Dead) followed by his second in 1975 (Dread Beat an' Blood) which was also the title of his first album in 1978.

On his albums, Linton Kwesi Johnson doesn't sing. He doesn't DJ. On record, Johnson simply speaks his verses over a deep, heavy rhythmic backing, a style that became known as Dub poetry. He has always used his Dub poetry to fight racism, giving voice to the fact that black lives are not worthless, that there are indeed prospect to be found & pathways to bridge the deep division. 

I have been asked what is the point of LKJ without the words. Dub has the ability to tranlate all the meaning of the words into sounds that tap the heart of our unity. The point of LKJ in Dub is obvious to any ear that truly gives listen. But to please everyone, I'm including one of LKJ’s greatest Dub poetry volumes, his very first.  

Poet & the Roots - Dread Beat an' Blood, Front Line FL 1017, 1978.
all decryption codes in comments

Side One -
Dread Beat an' Blood
Five Nights of Bleeding
Doun di Road
Song of Blood (vocals by Vivian Weathers)

Side Two -
It Dread inna Inglan (for George Lindo)
Come Wi Goh Dung Deh
Man Free (for Darcus Howe)
All Wi Doin is Defendin 

The rhythms of his Dub poetry albums, already deep & deadly, further come into their own on LKJ in Dub, a mesmerizing instrumental remix album of tracks from Bass Culture & Forces of Victory. On all of his albums & live performances, LKJ appears with the Dub Bands, led by Dennis Bovell - producer, bass, percussion, piano.

 

 

Linton Kwesi Johnson - LKJ in Dub, Mango MLPS-9650, 1980.

Side A -
Victorious Dub
Reality Dub
Peach Dub
Shocking Dub

Side B -
Iron Bar Dub
Bitch Dub
Cultural Dub
Brain Smashing Dub

 

 

 

 

With snippets of his poetry sliding in & out of the delay / echo, with the phenomenal weight of Dennis Bovell's bass pinning everything down, LKJ in Dub Volume Two is up there with best OG style Dub.

 

Linton Kwesi Johnson - LKJ in Dub Volume Two, WEA Music 3984-24819-2, 1992.

Historic Dub
Cold War Dub
Guyanese Dub
Timeless Dub
Sensical Dub
Sensical Dubprise
Face Card Dub
Dub Tale
Dubbin di Revalueshan

 

 

 

 

All of the fine LKJ in Dub platters offered here are produced & mixed by Dennis Bovell. His mixing is infinitely subtle yet drops like thunder. It is the original British Dub sound distilled.

Volume Three continues this series that began in 1980. Dub's greatness is its ability to whittle reggae down to its barest, most primal essence, the beat & the bassline. Well, LKJ has the ability to push Dub even further. This volume is a perfect distillation of Dub's power, at once achingly sparse yet at the same time profoundly deep.

 

Linton Kwesi Johnson - LKJ in Dub Volume Three, LKJ Records LTD - LKJ CD 0021, 2002.

Dirty Langwidge Dub
Rootikal Dub
Liesense fi Dub
Dubbin di Tradition
Time fi Dub
Row Man Tik Dub
Mensch Dub
Afro-German Dub
Dubbin di Diaspora
Poetic Dub

Enjoy,
NØ