Faith Tests

KEITH HUDSON Testing of My Faith

This track is by the deeply-missed Jamaican producer Keith Hudson, unofficially known as the Dark Prince of Reggae. He also plied his trade as a dentist, though his level of achievement in that department must be considerably less spectacular than his dank productions of heavy dub low-end menace. His mid-70's work, for the most part neglected on Trojan's recent The Hudson Affair, ranks with the best of classic-era Jamaican analog productions. The album on which this track appears, Flesh of My Skin Blood of My Blood, is perhaps reggae's What's Going On, its political balance more tipped to the personal than the usual Rasta chant-downs. From start to finish it's full of aching soulful singing and midnight melodies, a shadow companion to Marley's more popular positivism. (Also recommended: Playing It Cool, which features some versions of these tracks and is, almost unbelievably, a darker, more disturbing listen.)

TAPPER ZUKIE feat. KNOWLEDGE Make Faith (12" version)

This track is just fun. Tapper Zukie is another famous Jamaican producer from the golden era, but outside of In Dub, I don't think his stuff necessarily stands above. This track is an exception. I think it sounds like The Selecter in its resolute bounciness. The second half is the dub and unlike some extended mixes it doesn't feel superfluous in the least. The guitar part gets reverbed into space, the tempo kicks up, and some guy named Knowledge toasts about faith: good stuff.