EASY STAR ALL STARS
Dub Side of the Moon [Easy Star - 2003]
Radiodread [Easy Star - 2006]
Easy Star's Lonely Hearts Dub Band [Easy Star - 2009]
For the most part, just the mention of tribute albums these days pretty much provokes dismay or worse, indifference. But a few years ago when we first heard of a reggae tribute to Dark Side of the Moon, our first reaction was "Damn, what took them so long?" After all, Pink Floyd's seminal album is a pothead classic, so giving it the reggae/dub treatment was a no-brainer. New York's Easy Star All-Stars were up to the task, and what could've been a lazy parody turned out to be a fun, able re-imagining of a legendary album.
After the critical and commercial success of Dub Side of the Moon, the All-Stars tackled what many believe to be the 21st century Dark Side of the Moon itself: Radiohead's OK Computer. Fans of the beloved Oxford quintet held their breath and braced for the worst--the pun in the album title didn't help--but if ever fears were unfounded, this was it: Radiodread succeeds in such a way that reggae fans unfamiliar with the source material would surely embrace it; and those of us who love OK Computer can't help but be amazed by the seemingly effortless nature of these well-crafted covers, featuring such reggae icons as Horace Andy, Toots and the Maytals, and Israel Vibration.
Despite successfully reinterpreting two timeless recordings, setting their sights on the best known album in Western Civilization must've been a bit of challenge. Doesn't sound like it: the All-Stars adeptly make The Beatles' ornate 1967 masterpiece their own, without a blemish. However, unlike their previous two releases, they mostly equal and rarely surpass many of the exceptional reggae covers of the Fabs' material already out there. Then again, we're talking about some of the most covered material in pop music, so the most fair of assessments would be to recognize Lonely Hearts Dub Band gets the job done in an enjoyable and satisfying manner, nonetheless. Special mention: the dreamy dub arrangement of "Fixing a Hole" and "She's Leaving Home".
While we are mostly partial to Radiodread, all three of these releases are worth picking up and for much more than just the novelty/curiosity factor. With this trilogy of recordings the Easy Star All Stars have admirably and successfully managed to breathe life into the album-length tribute, a phenomenon that had sadly become tired and rote. More, please.
