Various Artists - Soul Constitution: Instrumentals & Dubs 1971-1982

Aston ‘Family Man’ Barrett is much more than just one of the most renowned reggae bass players of all time. As the bassist of choice for Bob Marley and the Wailers from 1969 up until Marley’s untimely passing, Barrett acted as chief musical arranger and bandleader for the Wailers, greatly altering the course of reggae in the process. He has also been one of the most important Jamaican session musicians, beginning with the Hippie Boys in the late 1960s, and after helping reggae to become better established internationally as a member of Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry’s Upsetters band, he also performed bass duties for a range of noteworthy producers, including Bunny Lee and Keith Hudson, among many others. What is less known, but equally important, is that Family Man produced some of the most challenging and experimental reggae of the 1970s and 80s, issuing unique works in small quantity in Jamaica on a range of short-lived record labels. Soul Constitution collects the best of Family Man’s instrumental and dub output, issued between 1972 and 1982. Aside from a few early tracks recorded at Randy’s studio in the heart of downtown Kingston, much of the work was crafted at the rehearsal room of the original Tuff Gong, based at Marley’s uptown home at 56 Hope Road; some of these works have the very first instances of a drum machine being used in reggae, and all are marked by the supreme musicianship and unorthodox production techniques that has made Family Man’s releases greatly prized by reggae collectors.

Label: Dub Store Records

Cat No: DSRLP022

Format: 2 x 12" Vinyl LP Gatefold

Genre: Dub / Reggae / Roots

Tracklist:

A1. Aston "Family Man" Barrett - Soul Constitution

A2. Aston "Family Man" Barrett & Knotty Roots - Distant Drums

A3. Aston "Family Man" Barrett & The Rebel Arms - Eastern Memphis

A4. Max Edwards - Gideon High

A5. Aston "Family Man" Barrett & Dizzy - Cell Block 11

B1. The Wailers - Guided Missile

B2. The Wailers - Work

B3. Aston "Family Man" Barrett & The Rebel Arms - Family Man Skank

B4. Aston "Family Man" Barrett & The Rebel Arms - Dub Combination

C1. Aston "Family Man" Barrett - Cobra Style (Disco Mix)

C2. Aston "Family Man" Barrett - Well Pleased (Disco Mix)

C3. Aston "Family Man" Barrett & The Rebel Arms - Tribute To Y Mas Gan

D1. The Wailers - Rebel I Am

D2. Aston "Family Man" Barrett & Knotty Roots - Distant Drums Version

D3. Aston "Family Man" Barrett & The Rebel Arms - Steppers Rock