funky nassau - the compass point story
Grace Jones strikes a pose
Here’s one that disappeared into the hell of a mess I call my desk. Funky Nassau: The Compass Point Story 1980 - 1986 is an album that provides a decent but limited overview of some of the artists who recorded at the studio and the influence that reggae culture had on those recordings. Compass Point Studios is one of a handful of studios owned by Island Records chief, Chris Blackwell. The opening track from Grace Jones, ‘My Jamaican Guy’ is a reminder of how the NY club scene and Nassau intertwined. Jones’ the New York-based, Jamaican born model, singer and actress intones rather than sings as the celebrated Jamaican rhythm section of drummer Sly Dunbar and bassist Robbie Shakespeare lay down a crisp, bottom heavy groove.
Unfortunately the Jones’ cut is about as good as it gets as this collection is not really a reflection of true Jamaican dub and reggae culture. The 80’s was a cruel period for sound recording due to the over use of outboard effects that added nothing to the mix, some of which you can hear in the Grace Jones track. And the grooves often feel stilted and miles away from the ganja-influenced fluidity of true reggae. Listening to some of these tracks today makes me realize that in the 80’s NYC club culture’s drug of choice was cocaine and maybe that influence is what makes these tracks sound too uptight.
Genius of Love from Tom Tom Club, the band formed by the former Talking Heads rhythm section of drummer Chris Franz and his bass playing wife Tina Weymouth, takes us immediately in the wrong direction - white folks trying to be funky. They are followed by the cockney singer Ian Dury of all people and then a cut from his producer and co-musician Chaz Jankel who offers up a bland song that includes Tina Weymouth’s sister, Laura.
Even Sly Dunbar’s ‘River Niger’ can’t save the day as he manages to lay down the stiffest reggae groove I’ve ever heard. After listening to this album I’m left with the feeling that there must be many superior dub and reggae recordings lurking in the vaults at Compass Point and if not that’s a shame because it means that Compass Point was really just a playground for white rock musicians who wanted to ‘bond’ with reggae musicians. For the real deal one only has to turn to Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry and the recordings he made in his Black Ark Studios, where he turned The Congos album, Heart of The Congos, into a reggae masterpiece.
The Congos - Fisherman (produced by Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry)
April 16th, 2008 at 4:35 am
My own two cents:
King Tubby’s “Wreck Up A Version” on Dub Gone Crazy has been playing endlessly on my speakers for the last ten years. As has “War and Friction” by I Roy. Can’t stop listening to that…..