(A1) Augustus Pablo / Various - The Mystic World Of... The Rockers Story (Shanachie) 4xCD/1xDVD Box

Firstly, the facts. Overseen by Shanachie’s Randall Grass with input from Pablo associates and aficionados worldwide including Pablo’s business manager Joan Higgins and his widow Karen Scott, this is an ambitious four CD collection, beautifully illustrated and packaged as a fold out presentation pack that includes a twenty page booklet featuring several never seen before photos of Pablo and others augmented by a short DVD feature containing footage of Pablo in concert during the late eighties, and all to brief but priceless footage of Pablo and Hugh Mundell from 1979 shot as part of the Word Sound & Power documentary but never used. The CD’s feature an astonishing sixty-seven tracks that span Pablo’s thirty-year career. All selections are produced by Augustus Pablo with the exception of one track from Herman Chin-Loy, his first release Iggy Iggy, two from Leonard ‘Santic’ Chin, Pablo In Dub and Hap-Ki-Do, Vibrate On from Lee Perry and Pablo Dread Ina Red from Yabby U. There are career defining vocals from Jacob Miller, Hugh Mundell, Earl Sixteen and Junior Delgado, Delroy Williams, Te Track and The Immortals, and of course Pablo’s own beautiful instrumentals, mainly featuring his melodica, the cheap metal or plastic keyboard played by blowing into a mouthpiece, commonly used in Jamaican schools to teach students the rudiments of music, that Pablo made his own. The four CD’s are arranged under headings such as Classic Rockers, Roots Rockers, New Style Rockers and Rare Rockers, though in truth they all range across the breadth of his music in fairly scattershot fashion with some cuts of the same rhythm segued and others not, while the track notes often don’t appear to tie them up. Also, the claim to be definitive is misleading. However, these are minor quibbles. It’s obviously a labour of love for all concerned and once the CD’s are playing all that remains is the music, and of course, Pablo’s music is amongst the most sublime roots reggae music ever made. 

Track Listing:

CD One:
11. East Of The River Nile
12. False Rasta - Jacob Miller
13. 555 Crown Street
14. 555 Dub
15. Love Won’t Come Easy – The Heptones
16. Take It Easy – Dillinger
17. Frozen Dub
18. Baby I Love You So – Jacob Miller
19. Cassava Piece
20. King Tubby Meets Rockers Uptown
21. Skanking Easy
22. Skanking Dub
23. Blackman’s Heart
24. Africa Must Be Free (1983) – Hugh Mundell
25. Park Lane Special
26. Keep On Dubbing
27. Selassie Verandah – Jah Levi

CD Two:
1. El Rockers – Jah Iny
2. Changing World – Earl Sixteen 
3. Havendale Rock
4. Why Do Black Man Fuss & Fight – Hugh Mundell
5. Rockers Meets King Tubby Inna Firehouse
6. AP Special
7. Earth Wind & Fire – Paul Blackman
8. Think Twice – Delroy Williams
9. Israel In Harmony (extended)
10. Vibrate On
11. Silent Satta
12. Black Force – Norris Reid 
13. Ital Sip
14. Thunderclap
15. Let’s Get Started – Te Track
16. Pablo Dread Ina Red

CD Three:
1. Earth’s Rightful Ruler
2. Jah Light
3. Entrance To Jah World – Norris Reid (extended)
4. King David’s Melody
5. Short Man Dub
6. Raggamuffin Year – Junior Delgado
7. Java
8. Upful Living
9. Rude Boy – Johnny Osbourne
10. Creation Blues
11. Drums To The King
12. One Day – Junior Delgado
13. Zion Way Dub
14. Eastern Code
15. No War – Willie Williams
16. Drum Song

CD Four:
1. Iggy Iggy
2. Pablo In Dub
3. Hap-Ki-Do
4. Stop Them Jah – Hugh Mundell (extended)
5. Humble Yourself – Asher & Trimble
6. Humble Version
7. Foxhole – Delroy Williams
8. Son Of Man Dub
9. One In The Spirit – Sister Frica (extended)
10. Twin Seal (extended)
11. Can’t Keep A Good Man Down – The Immortals
12. Can’t Keep A Good Dub
13. Freedom Fighter – Earl Sixteen
14. Third Eye
15. Third Eye Version
16. Zion A Fe Lion – Jah Levi
17. Abashanti Dub
18. Full Up (extended)