by Matt Whalley
In Roots Vibe simply captures yet another solid collaboration between Augustus Pablo and King Tubby. All the classic elements of great dub music are present and in full force. King Tubby echoes Augustus Pablo's melody, relentlessly making each track airy and full of smoky ambience. Upon occasion, King Tubby allows the vocals from the original track to shine through, only to be effectively accented by Pablo's mastery of the melodica. The use of the original vocal track in &King Tubby's Rock Steady Dub& is combined with the melodica to give the album its funkiest track. Each track is solid in its own right with an occasional surprise thrown in. Showing a uniquely Jamaican sense of humor, Pablo ties elements of the children's song &Three Blind Mice& as well as the hook from a Johnny Cash song into two of the tracks on the album. These two departures from the standard dub that plays throughout the album do not seem entirely out of place when Augustus Pablo and King Tubby are handling them. The only thing robbing this album of being a truly great dub record is the feeling that it is not entirely cohesive. In Roots Vibe is a very solid collection of great dub tracks that is only shown to be lacking when compared to masterpieces like &King Tubby Meets the Rockers Uptown.&