JAH WOBBLE

HEAVEN AND EARTH

  1/  Heaven & Earth                             (Wobble,Liao,Liao,Ferda)      8.41
  2/  A Love Song                                (Wobble,Atlas)                7.23
  3/  Dying Over Europe                          (Wobble)                      3.11
  4/  Divine Mother                              (Wobble)                      11.12
  5/  Gone To Croatan                            (JW,Laswell,Sanders,NS,AD)    15.30
  6/  Hit Me                                     (Wobble,BL,Sanders,Showard)   7.42
  7/  Om Namah Shiva                             (Wobble,Akhtar,Adams)         4.47

          Recorded at Greenhouse, Sonica and 30 Hertz Studios
          Tracks 5 and 6 recorded at Greenpoint Studios, Brooklyn, New York
          Mixed at Greenhouse, Sonica and 30 Hertz Studios
          Tracks 5 and 6 mixed at Greenpoint
          Engineered by Mark Ferda
          Tracks 5 and 6 engineered by Robert Musso
          Assistant engineer on tracks 5 and 6 : Jean Pierre Sluys
          Assistance on tracks 5 and 6 : Layng Martine
          Produced by Jah Wobble
          Assistant Producer : Mark Ferda
          Tracks 5 and 6 produced by Bill Laswell and Jah Wobble
          Mastered by Noel at Transfermation
(1) Zi Lan Liao : vocals, ku cheng; Kui Hsuing Li : er-hu, don shui, bamboo flute; Neville Murray : congas, bell; Mark Ferda : keyboards; Jah Wobble : bass, drums, gong; (2) Natacha Atlas : vocals; Justin Adams : guitar; Jah Wobble : bass, drums, keyboards; (3) Jah Wobble : orchestration; (4) Jah Wobble : bass, drums, orchestration; (5,6) Pharoah Sanders : soprano sax, flute; Aiyb Dieng : chatan, gongs, congas; Bernie Worrell : keyboards; DJ Rob Swift : turntables; Nicky Skopelitis : guitar, acoustic guitar; Jerome “Bigfoot” Brailey : drums; Jah Wobble : bass; DXT (6 only) : turntables; (7) Najma Akhtar : vocals; Inder “Goldfinger” Matharu : tablas; Justin Adams : guitar, backing vocals; Mark Ferda : backing vocals, drum programming; Jah Wobble : bass, percussion, keyboards.

          1995  -  Island (USA),  162-531 050-2  (CD)
Note : Bill Laswell does not play on this album.

REVIEWS :

Fusing Eastern and Western classical influences with elements of ambient, dub and hip-hop, Jah Wobble has created a truly brilliant pancultural concept album. The title track opens the LP with a near-orchestral range of dynamic emotions centered around Zi Lan Liao's vocals and violin, Kui Hsuing Li's soaring bamboo flute, and Wobble's percolating tribal drums. "A Love Song" is a hypnotic dub track showcasing the vocal talents of Natacha Atlas, whose Middle Eastern melody lends a sultry feel perfectly matched by the sensual bassline. Bill Laswell lends his distinctive touch "Gone to Croatan" and "Hit Me", which perfectly match hip-hop beats and turntable wizardry provided by DJs DXT and Rob Swift with Pharoah Sanders' mind-bending flute and horn solos and Bernie Worrell's synth textures. But the piece de resistance is "Om Namah Shiva", which combines Najma Akhtar's nimble vocal calisthenics and Inder Matharu's dazzling tabla rhythms with programmed percussion and Wobble's botton-end bass wallop to create highly effective world/dance track. Laswell himself calls Heaven & Earth "the best thing Jah Wobble has ever recorded. Who are we to argue?

4 1/2 stars out of 5

Bret Love (courtesy of the All Music Guide website)