The third volume in the Select Cuts From Blood & Fire series follows the precedent established by earlier volumes: classic reggae releases by such legendary artists as Big Youth, Horace Andy, Gregory Isaacs, and Cornel Campbell remixed by contemporary British artists. These remixers -- Fila Brazillia, Black Star Liner, Dreadzone, Smith & Mighty, and more -- most often take the dub route, transforming the canonical recordings into radical, shape-shifting instrumental dubs. The source recordings are undoubtedly excellent -- some of the best reggae ever recorded, in fact -- so these remixers face somewhat of a daunting challenge. They want to respect the original version, no doubt, as well as the many fans of those versions, but also surely want to inject some of their own style. For the most part, the remixes thankfully never veer too far from the original, particularly when it comes to instrumentation, but the vocals are often stripped, generally resulting in dub versions. While most listeners will have no problem with this, and perhaps expect it, some may be disappointed to find the excellent vocals of such songs as "Political Confusion" wildly re-worked or, in cases such as "Ital Vital," mostly removed. Either way, the remixes filling this third volume are generally excellent and on a par with the previous two volumes. They should appeal to those who treasure the Blood & Fire catalog of reissues, as well as those who appreciate modern remix culture as typified by the Select Cuts label. ~ Jason Birchmeier
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