Never Trust A Hippy

Before I was through the first track, I feared that the rest of the album would spin in place on its techno-beat heels, but in fact the music of the album is surprisingly diverse. This includes a helping hand from a couple Real World artists that adds even more color. However, this tracks suggest that Sherwood is only as good as the samples he has to work with, and it's the album's saving grace that he collected some very choice ones. Another saving grace is that, unlike some experimental music, it's musical and inviting rather than pretentious and antagonizing. Regardless, this album's experimental, hybrid nature won't make it a hit among the purists, but more open-minded and adventurous dub and techno fans will likely find it to be an enjoyable head-trip.


For the clubs? Er, maybe not   June 8, 2003
 5 out of 6 found this review helpful

Sherwood has been around a long time, and considering his experience, if he's going to put out a solo album now, it had better be good. I think Sherwood has a very good album here, although I'm not sure it qualifies as moving dub/dancehall reggae a step forward. It's apparent he's trying to out do himself and the artists he's previously worked with, and ends out striking an intriguing balance between dub and electronica. What we get out of this is tracks that are as musical, entrancing and laid-back as the best dub around, but it's intertwined with robotic, slightly alienating electronica elements. The resulting "worldly" hybrid is a bit neither/nor: this seems to be a genuine experiment at making new music. The most pressing problem I find with this is, I don't think Sherwood really had in his mind any audience as he was making this album, and thus this particular mix of dubbing, juxtaposing and tweaking seems better suited for home listening than the clubs, as is the case with other experimental electronica.

Before I was through the first track, I feared that the rest of the album would spin in place on its techno-beat heels, but in fact the music of the album is surprisingly diverse. This includes a helping hand from a couple Real World artists that adds even more color. However, this tracks suggest that Sherwood is only as good as the samples he has to work with, and it's the album's saving grace that he collected some very choice ones. Another saving grace is that, unlike some experimental music, it's musical and inviting rather than pretentious and antagonizing. Regardless, this album's experimental, hybrid nature won't make it a hit among the purists, but more open-minded and adventurous dub and techno fans will likely find it to be an enjoyable head-trip.


No beat wonder   May 21, 2003
 1 out of 17 found this review helpful

Dreamy- stoned out- beaded curtain- hooka -paisly music if you like that sort of thing.


Beyond reggae   April 14, 2003
 6 out of 10 found this review helpful

Reggae is addictive, but is it limited in style by its roots in Bob Marley and the other greats of Reggae? And where can it go from here?

Alan Sherwood shows what you can do with "dub reggae" and his own original style of music. It's not exactly reggae, and it's well mixed with world sounds, but the reggae roots are there.

If you are a reggae fan and are looking for something that tastes different, this CD may shake up your taste buds. I certainly found it piquant, to say the least. Recommended for Reggae and World Music afficionados who want something more and something new.