Roots Radics

The Roots Radics have been the hottest backing band in reggae for more than two decades now, working with legends ranging from crooners like Gregory Isaacs and Culture to dancehall toasters like Yellowman and Eek-A-Mouse. So it comes as little surprise that this album -- the 1989 dub version of their Hot We Hot album, which is being released on CD for the first time -- has a classic feel. As always, the grooves are as tight as Style Scott's syncopated "one-drop" drumbeats, with Flabba Holt's subterranean basslines and Bingy Bunny's guitar accents providing perfect rhythmic punctuation. Some of the studio effects sound a tad dated at times, as do Earl Fitzsimmonds' '80s-style synthesizers, but Hot We Hot Dub is still a retro reggae gem that deserves to find a home in any dub fan's CD collection. ~ Bret Love, All Music Guide