Dread More Dan Dead

Ari Up – Dread More Dan Dead
Reviewed by Sadie O., 11/5/10
Modern Dancehall from the Slits vocalist/queen of European punk-reggae. Unique and original sounds, lyrics that often come from a rather unusual angle. Ari died a couple of weeks ago at this writing, and I ran out and got this very belatedly – we should have had it in the collection from jump. It kills.
Clear FCCs in track 12, AFTER the vocal-only version ends. MIGHT be one on track 2 – I can’t tell!
1. 3:43 ***uptempo syncopated dancehall.
2. 3:29 FCC? Fucking? I’ve listend to it several times and can’t really tell whether that’s what she says or not…****midtempo guitar-based dancehall, vocal warblings, great sound.
3. 3:59 *spoken diatribe intro, midtempo electronic dancehall. Odd trance-y electronic sounds kind of detract from the sound, IMO.
4. 5:12 ****bouncy midtempo electronic dancehall skank with woobles. Same vocals as on the Noiseshaper song, but totally different music – I love the other version, but I think I like this one even more…
5. 4:00 ***bit of patois chatting intro, cool syncopated dancehall, female take on the rather horrible 60’s hit “Young Girl”.
6. 3:43 FCC: “shit” (I think…) ***male vocal diatribe intro, midtempo electronic dancehall with interesting added musical elements, guest male dancehall rap.
7. 4:34 ****bloopy, rather lounge-y/clubby, swingy skank, very sweet sung vocals. Different, but very cool.
8. 3:57 ***slow super-dub morphing into punk reggae with heavy guitar. Vicious lyrics, but KILLER bass.
9. 3:56 ****slow bass heavy dub, almost whispered vocals.
10. 4:14 ***high-pitched pwings and odd vocals, then slow skank, true talk.
11. 6:14 ***Instrumental (extended) version of track one – fine uptempo syncopated dancehall.
12. 9:22 FCC – “shit” right at vocal intro to second part of track, “fucking” in the middle of the punk number. **vocal-only of track 4. Diatribe about the pointlessness of relationships with men, lots of echo on lead vocal, bits of chanted background vocals. lasts for 4:27, then a couple of seconds later she says “punky reggae shit” and launches into pretty much pure punk rock about grownups. Which is great stuff, too, except for clear FCCs.