Valley of Jehosaphat

Augustus Pablo | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (March 23, 1999)
• Original Release Date: March 23, 1999
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Sanctuary Records
• ASIN: B00000I8Z8
• In-Print Editions: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #454,592 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Augustus Pablo certainly made better records than Valley of Jehosaphat, but chances are he never made a record that sounded this good. Production values aside, there is some excellent, high-quality dub to be found here. Unfortunately, there are also some cheesy, uninspired moments of aimless noodling. But when Pablo's singular sound, the reedy, wavering melodica, creeps through the hazy tangle of bass and drum, we see again, for a few moments at least, his peaceful vision. --S. Duda

Product Description

This may be tantamount to sacrilege in roots reggae circles, but really, don't Augustus Pablo's albums all pretty much sound alike? There's no denying his historical importance as a musician and producer for bringing in the melodica and popularizing, if not introducing, dub techniques into the music. Certainly King Tubby Meets Rockers Uptown and probably East of the River Nile belong in any serious reggae collection for their crucial musical innovations in mid- and late-'70s Jamaican music. But the fact is, you know what you're going to get on any Pablo disc -- melodica instrumentals with a basic backing band, some dub touches -- and there's only so much mileage you can get out of that combination. There are some different twists on Valley of Jehosaphat, like the dischords Pablo throws into his soloing on "Lymphatic Time" or the blend of British and Jamaican veterans backing him. So is the vibes/celeste sound beneath the melodica and the forceful rhythm of "Kushites" and "Kushites Dub," which are pretty hard to tell apart -- you know, what exactly is the difference between a regular Pablo track and its dub? -- except the vibes/celesta sound rings through a bit more clearly on the latter. Now, "Chalawa" combines a jaunty, dubbed-out rhythm with mournful melody and a few uncharacteristic swooshes. It sounds like a programmed backing track, but it's a very good, interesting song that transcends the usual Pablo-ness. But mostly you note which tracks have a stronger nyabinghi feel ("Sky Gazer," "Ethiopian Binghi Drums"), bass (the title track), or bass keyboard ("Internal Struggle") foundation, or are unusually skanking ("Omega Africa") or softer and gentler ("Sleeping Chariots," "Jah Express") within the general framework of Pablo-ness. That's not to denigrate the craft and effort Pablo and his musicians undoubtedly put into the music on his releases, but it's really just nicely grooving reggae background music when you get down to it. That also means Valley of Jehosaphat, quite probably the last disc of fresh music Pablo recorded, is both nothing special and perfectly representative of the latter phase of the late melodica man's career. ~ Don Snowden, All Music Guide --This text refers to an alternate Audio CD edition.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Augustus Pablo, November 18, 1999

By 

Luciano (Santa Monica, Aztlan) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Valley of Jehosaphat (Audio CD)

Pablo has given us an entire history of African struggle and resistance in Rastafari Faith through this album. Through this majestic achievement his melodica and superb production technique shine through... Tracks like Omega Africa, Jah Express and Sleeping Chariots show his mastery of the creative jamaican sound engineering known to the world as "DUB". This is an essential collection for any fan of Augustus Pablo's dub. His memory will live on after his premature departure. A gem on this album is the track "Ethiopian Binghi Drums" which brings together traditional Rastafari drumming with Pablo's excellent production technique.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Mind-blowing, January 6, 2000

By 

Brent Dougherty - See all my reviews

This review is from: Valley of Jehosaphat (Audio CD)

This was the perfect final album for Mr. Pablo. He shows that, even in his last year of life, he could give the music a sense of space and atmosphere, and improvise like no one else. This album will leave your speakers, dance with you, and transport you to a universe of unequaled depth and wonder. I love this man =)

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Star gazer, January 2, 2000

By 

jay (J'ville North Carolina) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Valley of Jehosaphat (Audio CD)

Pablo is one of the greatest istrumentalist that I have ever, followed . Since my youth Pablo, has always had a captivating sound. Valley of Jehosaphat is just another compliment to any Pablo collectors collection.