Zion Train - Dub Revolutionaries: The Very Best of Zion Train

  by Maarten Schiethart

published: 26 / 5 / 2011

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Review

Zion Train have toured the world of reggae and, with their music regularly available from the Universal Egg label, have very much become the eggheads of dub. Their conscious messages saved ska, dub and reggae from cokey music business matters as they arose at the same time that junglists upset the Rastafarian community in the early 1990s. Initially Zion Train enjoyed great success, but by destiny they were also to explore the paths of slum dubbing. But as Pablo Gad said, "dubbing is a must", and Zion Train persevered even when the band had retreated to Wales without a contract. This compilation skips that tumultuous past and goes on forever like radio does as you drive down the M62. The troublesome past that Zion Train has endured makes the release of this double CD bonanza worth a listen. As junglists, or even the 'intelligent drum and bass' posse started to dictate new dance styles, Zion Train got pushed aside towards the end of the 1990s. Zion Train soon, however, found ways to start up their own business and Universal Egg Records was born. This 2 CD set captures much more; it features the anxious bubbling acid dubrock cover of 'Babylon's Burning', originally by the Ruts, which captures about three decades from punk to reggae rock in itself. That alone would be sheer injustice in revealing the other ways in which Zion Train melted British dub music with Carribean and extraterrestial riddims. It members ultimately spread out and ended up living in, for example, Cologne, or starting a farming life in Wales. 'Dub Revolutionaries' is not just a best of collection of all sorts. This compilation comprises two decades of reggae and dub in and outside of Britain. Zion Train played a major part in that together with Ragga Twins they distinguished the evolution. The compilation also paves the way for their upcoming next studio album, from which the single 'Fire In The Hole' is out as a ten inch single on 6th June.

Track Listing:-

1 Dub Power
2 Dub To Power
3 Ross Ice Shelf
4 Fox
5 Cuttlefish
6 Through The Legs / Scottish Warrior (Peel Session)
7 Get Ready
8 Follow Like Wolves
9 Eagle Ray
10 The Healing Of The Nation
11 Dance Of Life
12 Babylon's Burning
13 Procession
14 Speaker Shaker
15 War In Babylon
16 Fly
17 Hailing Up The Selector
18 King Of The Sound And Blues
19 Love Revolutionaries
20 Can't Keep A Good Man Down
21 Terror Talk
22 Baby Father
23 Give Me Good Sensi
24 Dub That I Choose (Prof Skank Remix)

Band Links:-

https://twitter.com/ziontrainindub
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Zion-Tr
https://twitter.com/ziontrainindub
https://www.youtube.com/user/neilperch

Label Links:-

http://www.demonmusicgroup.co.uk/
https://www.facebook.com/DemonMusicGro
https://twitter.com/DemonMusicGroup
https://www.youtube.com/user/DemonMusi
https://instagram.com/demonmusicgroup/