AMG Review of Bionic Dub

Rob Ferrier
All Music Guide

This is an odd one for a dub record boasting the holy trinity of King Tubby, the Aggrovators, and Bunny Lee on its front cover. The first half of the record lopes along in a languid fashion, horn solos drifting over borrowed melodies from better-known songs. Just when you're starting to wonder if you bought a Tommy McCook solo record by accident, things change. The band kicks into gear, space opens up, and here it is: the strident beat, the brooding horns, and echo, echo, echo. It's not the usual thoughtful vibe one expects from Tubby, however. This one's altogether creepier, especially with the repeated fugue from "Pop Goes the Weasel" referenced over and over. Music this weird should never include nursery rhymes.