Jah Wobble - Long Read

I just finished reading the updated version of Jah Wobble’s ‘Memoirs of a Geezer’. Someone proclaiming themselves as a geezer might normally rub me up the wrong way but it’s a thoroughly entertaining and amusing anecdotal read, and credit where it’s due he does seem like a top geezer - Whilst that’s obviously also a nod to his east end roots, you have to admit he comes across as a relatable (minus the talent), down to earth guy.

It made me think about putting together some of my favourites of his. Naively I thought I’d had a good dig into his catalog, which I swiftly realised was not the case. That should come as no surprise given his fingerprint runs through popular (& more importantly, less popular) music, stretching back from his beginnings as a founding member of Public Image Limited up to the current day, seeing him collaborate with everyone from Sinéad ‘Connor to Weatherhall to Arthur Russell. By no means a definitive list, just some personal favourites, so far at least..

One of his first ever releases is this 7” on Virgin, & it is a perfect set up for what you could come to expect from his output. No surprise that both tracks are heavily Dub influenced and showcase his penchant for experimentation. This would still of been fairly early days in what would develop into the Post-Punk/New-Wave scenes, but as is a reoccurring theme with his music, it’s fair to say he was ahead of the game from the go. Although raw, the sound on the B-side in particular is one which becomes much more familiar in the following years, and it’s hard to imagine it didn’t have some influence on subsequent groups/bands, such as New Age Steppers to name just one..

This next one is taken from his first solo LP ‘V.I.E.P’. He openly states that although still an active member of PiL, he perhaps wasn’t being fairly compensated (music industry 101). This incentive, combined with studio time to burn, lead him to take up solo work which he wouldn’t of otherwise, and I got no complaints. The whole LP is great, displaying early adaptation of drum machines and synthesizers into his music, again it’s ahead of it’s time, even within the context of Post-Punk & New Wave. The one below is an upbeat blend of Jazz, Funk & Dub influences, and a clear precursor to one of many sounds he would forge later down the line with his band, Invaders of the Heart.

My favourite stuff does lean heavily from the earlier years and it’s difficult to pick out what to choose, but I I had to include his first link up with Holger Czukay & Jaki Liebezeit, both members of seminal Krautrock band Can (It would be remiss of me not to mention his first encounter with Holger, where he recalls him cutting about in a full white Luftwaffe officers uniform, which I thought was hilarious and without meeting the guy, paints a pretty vivid picture..). Really love this one, it’s got a killer funky bassline and blends a Disco & Dub sound which in todays age isn’t anything you’ve never heard before but yet again, was way ahead of it’s time back then. He gives a lot of credit to his engineer Mark Lusardi throughout the book, and between the two of them this one is extra futuristic, by (analog) sampling two girls who gate crashed the studio whilst they were recording the track and started asking about equipment, hence the title ‘How Much Are They?’. While digital samplers were just beginning to reach the market at that time, they were way out of reach for most musicians, and they were doing it their own way by cutting up tape recordings from mics.. I won't say it again, you get the picture.

My pick from the fifth release on his Lago label is not the title track ‘Voodoo’ but the B-side, ‘East’. It’s around this same time that he started to succumb to alcoholism and drug abuse which would ultimately see him step away from the music for a good few years, but you would struggle to detect that on this track. Like many artists its feasible that he sought refuge in his music, and this one’s the kind of breezy, laid back track that could provide some brief respite. Drawing from his endless melting pot of inspirations, there’s no doubt about the Latin influence, which is used in just the right measure to form a sound still unmistakably his own.

Taking a big jump forward from these previous tracks to his 2001 collaboration with fellow bassist, Bill Laswell. Given their credentials and tastes it’s a totally logical partnership, and I do need to go through more of their work together, but find it hard to imagine this one being topped. Despite the jump in time all those same influences are present, it’s a perfect blend of Dub, Jazz & Ambient. Like so much of his music it has the Balearic sensibilities down to a tee and you can easily imagine a lot of these tracks in one of José Padilla’s Café del Mar mixtapes - maybe aside from the super slick production, which is holding up very well nearly 25 years later. More a random pick than anything, I’ve gone for the Alam Dub, but I’d definitely recommend listening to the whole album in one go if you’re wanting to kick back..

Peace x