Downbeat The Ruler: Killer Instrumentals From Studio One

[coll]: Downbeat the Ruler: Killer Instrumentals from Studio One (Heartbeat)
Reviewed by Sadie O., 2/17/06
Rock steady instrumentals from the late 60’s and early 70’s from famed producer Coxsone Dodd. The success of Dodd’s “Downbeat” sound system dances led to the formation of Studio One. Many tracks have been used repeatedly for songs and versions over the years. A half dozen are first-time CD releases. Most are quite short (inside booklet has the years as well as times listed.) (A “skank” is hard guitar strums on the offbeat, a “bubble” is double-time hand-to-hand back and forth on keyboard. One-drop is heavy drumbeat on third beat of measure.) Music gets a bit loopier as CD progresses.
No bad tracks. I like 12, 17 because they are most completely divorced from sanity. 18 is actually extended version – 10 minutes.
1. midtempo, rather relaxed skank with great horns, recognizable tune.
2. midtempo rock steady with farfisa and cornet, heavy one-drop.
3. **laid back midtempo with snaky trumpet, a bit exotic.
4. midtempo march skank with full horn section, upbeat.
5. sweet lover’s rock bubble.
6. rather uptempo bubble with cheesy farfisa as well as quite full instrumentation (piano, horns, guitar).
7. *midtempo bubble with very jazzy sax and trumpet solos.
8. upbeat bubble, rather primitive sounding production, guitar and clarinet (?).
9. *upbeat bubble, honking sax, farfisa, cornet.
10. **upbeat and dubby, keyboards and guitars way back in mix, percussion in front. Highly skankable.
11. **upbeat and full-sounding bubble, horn section and keyboards, interesting drum work, rockin’ farfisa solo.
12. ***interesting combo of ska bubble, nyahbinghi drumming, yells, and farfisa. This is a nutcase standout!
13. **midtempo instrumental of “Norwegian Wood” with hand drums.
14. marching intro breaks into swingy midtempo skank with keyboard and guitars, very early dub effects. Kinda odd.
15. **wow! Piano chords. Wasn’t expecting that. Midtempo skank with cool walking bass and wild horns.
16. *sweet and mellow midtempo bubble with wah wah on the farfisa.
17. ***upbeat bubble with horn section and shouts (by Dodd himself), vocal ska percussion. Gotta love a song where the lyrics are “mookarooka! Outa sight! Shukka shukka shukka…”
18. **downtempo, defiant skank with horn section, prominent rhythm guitar. Time listed is 3:50, but there’s an extended version and dub which seems to continue non-stop – I-tunes gives it 10:00.