Customer Reviews

Rising Above Bedlam

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Fusing the sensibilities of Experimental Rock (Dub-Bass guitar, Asian percussion), with the broad appeal of localised Pop/Rock (European singers, sampling, keyboards). Jah Wobble has in one fell stroke blurred the lines between World Music & Alternative Pop/Rock was a deft brilliance in two genres not normally considered compatible. "Visions of You" featured `Sinéad O'Connor' delivering a performance worthy of anything she's done before, with hand drums, lead Guitar's & percussion leading a sublime Eastern instruments coupled with Sinéad's western singing. "Everyman's an island" features `Justin Adams' on vocals duties & layering Spanish Guitar beautifully for a western equivalent of the trance-like state, that Eastern music can produce. World Music purists may sneer at the integration of western influences, but there is no denying that very few (if any), have combined both elements as expertly as this.

Probalbly one of the only artists that actually deserves the tag "World Music". This title is usually used as either a lazy way of grouping together disparite traditional music from the far flung corners of the World, or for any form of ethnic music that's been reduced to MOR mush for liberal yuppies. Jah Wobble music however is genuine melting pot styles the only consistent element being a reliance on rythm. Blending Dub, spanish guitar, and arabic sounds , along with voices of amongst others Sinead O'connor. Rising above Bedlam is tour of various patrs of the World as well as Jah's head that is spiritual, funky, at times maybe a little self important but never never dull.

This was an important album for Jah Wobble, because it was his comeback. He had been the bassist for Public Image Limited in the late 1970s and early 1980s, doing a fantastic job, and he released a solo album in 1980, but after that he spent most of the 1980s out of the music scene entirely. Rising Above Bedlam sounds a little old-fashioned at times, and is a mixed bag. When it works, it's an excellent reminder of the kind of world techno which Wobble influenced. When it doesn't work it's lousy.

"Visions of You" was one of the singles, and remains Wobble's most distinctive and memorable track. It has Sinead O'Connor doing guest vocals, and everybody who has heard the song likes it. It's one of those universally admired singles, like "Heroes" or "Good Vibrations", that everybody likes and enjoys. There is a simple chorus which goes round in a circle, and it is the only track where Jah Wobble's vocals work; the his gravelly tones contrast well with Sinead's voice. "Bomba" was the other single, and is the other stand out, although it sounds dated, in a mid-1990s ambient-ethnic-world-techno way. It has vocals by Natacha Atlas, who was to early-1990s ambient ethnic techno as Bjork and Elizabeth Fraser were to drum'n'bass a couple of years later.

The rest of the album doesn't match these two songs. It's as if Wobble was unsure of the ethno-ambient stuff and wanted to write some fairly conventional pop/rock songs. Also, Wobble is not a naturally gifted singer, and he often sounds tuneless. "Relight the Flame" is a plodding ballad, "Ungodly Kingdom" is a frantic mistake. A lot of the songs are also brought down by old-fashioned, 80s-style drum machines. Wobble's talents lie in his rock-solid dub bass and his avuncularity, in that he is easygoing and can bring a lot of different people into the mix. He's like Ringo Starr in that respect, more of a foundation than a front man.

The title track is an odd throwback to Public Image Limited, a spoken monologue over bass guitar. However the album picks up immediately, with "Erzulie", which also has Natacha Atlas on it and is superb, haunting and distant, at least in the verses. The choruses are ruined by a brassy part that sounds like the verse from Iron Maiden's "Run to the Hills". "Everyman's an Island" is a skippable twangy dance track, i.e. it feels good to skip past it to the next track, "Soledad", which has Natacha Atlas on it again, sounding a bit like Bjork. It's a slow, moody ballad, and I wish that Wobble had hired Atlas for the whole album, and written more songs in the same style.

"Sweet Divinity" is ruined totally by a poor-quality synth brass arrangement, "Wonderful World" is just poor and both tracks have Jah Wobble singing on them, a bad thing.

So then, "Bomba", "Visions of You" - an all-time classic - "Soledad" and "Erzulie", oddly enough all the ones with women on, are good. And the rest is not good and you will listen to half of each track, once. That's about sixteen minutes of good stuff and a lot of filler; Wobble got better over time.

Great cast - Wobble, Natacha Atlas, Sinead O'Connor, and The Invaders make for a handful of great tracks with an eclectic world-beat feel.

World music mixed with ethnic pop dub and ambient elements .A unique recording where musicality has the first word . Warm full and excellent extensive and detailed bass playing from Jah Wobble .The real star is actually NATASHA ATLAS with her fascinating vocals here and not sinnead o conor.RISING ABOVE BEDLAM is perhaps his most completed work .

After all these years, I still think this is a wonderful album. Actually, just "Visions of You" with Sinead O'Connor's legendary vocals is reason enough to buy this album. I have to admit however that I do skip some tracks, I do not find the whole album equally enjoyable, therefore 4 instead of 5 stars. However Jah Wobble's unique sound is fully worth it.

I have had this cd for about 6 years. I bought it while living in New Zealand. I still love to turn people on to this cd. If you want to hear something different, interesting and just plain great, get this cd.

Mr. Wobble again lets us witness his unique take on dub & all things divine. Again he has let us partake in his obsession with driving woofers to their breaking point. Great grooves, chants, sinead o'connor & spoken word to boot--a great place to start in your wobble obsession-essential listening for world beat fans---when are they going name an airport after him?

I originally found and bought this cd after hearing the song "visions of you" with Sinade O'connor on vocals. The song is beautifully done. To my suprise and delight track 3"Bomba" became my favorite Jaw Wobble song. It has this dreamy intro followed by a heavy bass drum hit that sounds amazing on a good sound system. A spanish guitar proceeds a womens beautiful voice, singing angelic in spanish. Every time I play this song it reminds me of some mysterious place, or travel to a far off place. You must get this album! Play this song during a great dinner with friends, or on a long roadtrip to somewhere vast and distant. Then you will understand. Enjoy!

Loved it in the 80's and it's still just as good now. Timeless...
Sound quality of the cd is exactly how I remember it.