Playing It Cool & Playing It Right
Keith Hudson
Playing It Cool & Playing It Right
Boomkat Product Review:
One of the most distinctive and legendary vocal/dub albums of all time, recorded in 1981 by the “dub dentist” Keith Hudson, ‘Playing It Cool & Playing It Right’ is now back in circulation for the first time in over 20 years, when it was first given overdue flowers via Basic Channel And Honest Jon’s ‘Basic Replay’ programme. It still burns with a rare energy, making it an untouchable, foundational text for the ages.
Keith Hudson (1946-1984) was one of dub reggae’s most distinctive innovators, renowned for a run of classic solo albums and productions for U-Roy, Big Youth, Ken Boothe and Horace Andy between 1972 and his untimely passing in 1984. However, Hudson's late period is where the real imperial juice can be found, a time that saw him move from Jamaican to London and New York studios, applying his unfathomable production style to a heavily americanised strain of vocal Soul. ‘Playing It Cool & Playing It Right’ is the pinnacle of that late period, an album that builds layer upon layer of alchemical brilliance.
Hudson’s combination of hooks and complex, highly unusual production is really unlike anything else from the period, or since, crooning in a soul mode made more haunting by a discreetly judicious application of tape FX, endlessly heavy subs, and mixing desk tricks deployed to delirious, almost psycho-acoustic effect. The album was originally meant to feature one of Hudson's teenage sons to voice the dubs, but in the event the Love Joys, Wayne Jarrett, and inimitably Hudson himself featured at the microphone, with the dozen cuts co-produced by Wackies founder Lloyd ‘Bullwackie’ Barnes - the only collaboration between the two producers. It was originally issued on Hudson’s own label, Joint International, with subsequent pressings on Basic Replay in 2003, making it increasingly sought-after in the years since.
Alongside reggae’s first concept album, ‘Flesh of My Skin, Blood of My Blood’, ‘Playing It Cool’ remains one the genre’s most important and unusual releases, picking up new disciples with every new wave of listeners taken aback by its stark, brooding blooze and brittle, spectral rendering.
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Boomkat Product Review:
One of the most distinctive and legendary vocal/dub albums of all time, recorded in 1981 by the “dub dentist” Keith Hudson, ‘Playing It Cool & Playing It Right’ is now back in circulation for the first time in over 20 years, when it was first given overdue flowers via Basic Channel And Honest Jon’s ‘Basic Replay’ programme. It still burns with a rare energy, making it an untouchable, foundational text for the ages.
Keith Hudson (1946-1984) was one of dub reggae’s most distinctive innovators, renowned for a run of classic solo albums and productions for U-Roy, Big Youth, Ken Boothe and Horace Andy between 1972 and his untimely passing in 1984. However, Hudson's late period is where the real imperial juice can be found, a time that saw him move from Jamaican to London and New York studios, applying his unfathomable production style to a heavily americanised strain of vocal Soul. ‘Playing It Cool & Playing It Right’ is the pinnacle of that late period, an album that builds layer upon layer of alchemical brilliance.
Hudson’s combination of hooks and complex, highly unusual production is really unlike anything else from the period, or since, crooning in a soul mode made more haunting by a discreetly judicious application of tape FX, endlessly heavy subs, and mixing desk tricks deployed to delirious, almost psycho-acoustic effect. The album was originally meant to feature one of Hudson's teenage sons to voice the dubs, but in the event the Love Joys, Wayne Jarrett, and inimitably Hudson himself featured at the microphone, with the dozen cuts co-produced by Wackies founder Lloyd ‘Bullwackie’ Barnes - the only collaboration between the two producers. It was originally issued on Hudson’s own label, Joint International, with subsequent pressings on Basic Replay in 2003, making it increasingly sought-after in the years since.
Alongside reggae’s first concept album, ‘Flesh of My Skin, Blood of My Blood’, ‘Playing It Cool’ remains one the genre’s most important and unusual releases, picking up new disciples with every new wave of listeners taken aback by its stark, brooding blooze and brittle, spectral rendering.
Boomkat Product Review:
One of the most distinctive and legendary vocal/dub albums of all time, recorded in 1981 by the “dub dentist” Keith Hudson, ‘Playing It Cool & Playing It Right’ is now back in circulation for the first time in over 20 years, when it was first given overdue flowers via Basic Channel And Honest Jon’s ‘Basic Replay’ programme. It still burns with a rare energy, making it an untouchable, foundational text for the ages.
Keith Hudson (1946-1984) was one of dub reggae’s most distinctive innovators, renowned for a run of classic solo albums and productions for U-Roy, Big Youth, Ken Boothe and Horace Andy between 1972 and his untimely passing in 1984. However, Hudson's late period is where the real imperial juice can be found, a time that saw him move from Jamaican to London and New York studios, applying his unfathomable production style to a heavily americanised strain of vocal Soul. ‘Playing It Cool & Playing It Right’ is the pinnacle of that late period, an album that builds layer upon layer of alchemical brilliance.
Hudson’s combination of hooks and complex, highly unusual production is really unlike anything else from the period, or since, crooning in a soul mode made more haunting by a discreetly judicious application of tape FX, endlessly heavy subs, and mixing desk tricks deployed to delirious, almost psycho-acoustic effect. The album was originally meant to feature one of Hudson's teenage sons to voice the dubs, but in the event the Love Joys, Wayne Jarrett, and inimitably Hudson himself featured at the microphone, with the dozen cuts co-produced by Wackies founder Lloyd ‘Bullwackie’ Barnes - the only collaboration between the two producers. It was originally issued on Hudson’s own label, Joint International, with subsequent pressings on Basic Replay in 2003, making it increasingly sought-after in the years since.
Alongside reggae’s first concept album, ‘Flesh of My Skin, Blood of My Blood’, ‘Playing It Cool’ remains one the genre’s most important and unusual releases, picking up new disciples with every new wave of listeners taken aback by its stark, brooding blooze and brittle, spectral rendering.
Boomkat Product Review:
One of the most distinctive and legendary vocal/dub albums of all time, recorded in 1981 by the “dub dentist” Keith Hudson, ‘Playing It Cool & Playing It Right’ is now back in circulation for the first time in over 20 years, when it was first given overdue flowers via Basic Channel And Honest Jon’s ‘Basic Replay’ programme. It still burns with a rare energy, making it an untouchable, foundational text for the ages.
Keith Hudson (1946-1984) was one of dub reggae’s most distinctive innovators, renowned for a run of classic solo albums and productions for U-Roy, Big Youth, Ken Boothe and Horace Andy between 1972 and his untimely passing in 1984. However, Hudson's late period is where the real imperial juice can be found, a time that saw him move from Jamaican to London and New York studios, applying his unfathomable production style to a heavily americanised strain of vocal Soul. ‘Playing It Cool & Playing It Right’ is the pinnacle of that late period, an album that builds layer upon layer of alchemical brilliance.
Hudson’s combination of hooks and complex, highly unusual production is really unlike anything else from the period, or since, crooning in a soul mode made more haunting by a discreetly judicious application of tape FX, endlessly heavy subs, and mixing desk tricks deployed to delirious, almost psycho-acoustic effect. The album was originally meant to feature one of Hudson's teenage sons to voice the dubs, but in the event the Love Joys, Wayne Jarrett, and inimitably Hudson himself featured at the microphone, with the dozen cuts co-produced by Wackies founder Lloyd ‘Bullwackie’ Barnes - the only collaboration between the two producers. It was originally issued on Hudson’s own label, Joint International, with subsequent pressings on Basic Replay in 2003, making it increasingly sought-after in the years since.
Alongside reggae’s first concept album, ‘Flesh of My Skin, Blood of My Blood’, ‘Playing It Cool’ remains one the genre’s most important and unusual releases, picking up new disciples with every new wave of listeners taken aback by its stark, brooding blooze and brittle, spectral rendering.
In Stock (Ready To Ship)
Newly mastered re-issue, comes with printed inners including liner notes by Lloyd "Bullwackie" Barnes in conversation with Olaf Karnik and Jan Lankisch, plus a download of the album dropped to your account.
Boomkat Product Review:
One of the most distinctive and legendary vocal/dub albums of all time, recorded in 1981 by the “dub dentist” Keith Hudson, ‘Playing It Cool & Playing It Right’ is now back in circulation for the first time in over 20 years, when it was first given overdue flowers via Basic Channel And Honest Jon’s ‘Basic Replay’ programme. It still burns with a rare energy, making it an untouchable, foundational text for the ages.
Keith Hudson (1946-1984) was one of dub reggae’s most distinctive innovators, renowned for a run of classic solo albums and productions for U-Roy, Big Youth, Ken Boothe and Horace Andy between 1972 and his untimely passing in 1984. However, Hudson's late period is where the real imperial juice can be found, a time that saw him move from Jamaican to London and New York studios, applying his unfathomable production style to a heavily americanised strain of vocal Soul. ‘Playing It Cool & Playing It Right’ is the pinnacle of that late period, an album that builds layer upon layer of alchemical brilliance.
Hudson’s combination of hooks and complex, highly unusual production is really unlike anything else from the period, or since, crooning in a soul mode made more haunting by a discreetly judicious application of tape FX, endlessly heavy subs, and mixing desk tricks deployed to delirious, almost psycho-acoustic effect. The album was originally meant to feature one of Hudson's teenage sons to voice the dubs, but in the event the Love Joys, Wayne Jarrett, and inimitably Hudson himself featured at the microphone, with the dozen cuts co-produced by Wackies founder Lloyd ‘Bullwackie’ Barnes - the only collaboration between the two producers. It was originally issued on Hudson’s own label, Joint International, with subsequent pressings on Basic Replay in 2003, making it increasingly sought-after in the years since.
Alongside reggae’s first concept album, ‘Flesh of My Skin, Blood of My Blood’, ‘Playing It Cool’ remains one the genre’s most important and unusual releases, picking up new disciples with every new wave of listeners taken aback by its stark, brooding blooze and brittle, spectral rendering.
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