Dubmones ADD

Review

Album Review: Dubmones - Dubmones

04/30/2025

One of the strangest and most alarming developments of the current AI-hype is AI-generated art. Why would anyone prefer to listen to “music” fabricated by computers if there are so many beautiful, exciting, breathtaking releases out there that one life is not enough to hear all of them? Good thing there are people who bring back some of these treasures to our attention, especially across genres to give access to those who might otherwise miss out.

Having released DubXanne – Police in Dub to great critical acclaim back in 2008, the Hamburg-based label Echo Beach teamed up with André Meyer and Manougazou once more to deliver another masterpiece: Dubmones. This new album can be seen as both an homage and a birthday gift to the US-punk pioneers The Ramones, who would have celebrate their 50^th anniversary in 2024 (RIP Joey, Dee Dee, Johnny and Tommy!) and re-dressed eleven of the band’s most iconic tracks in a reggae-, dub- and rocksteady attire.

Part of the production team were also keyboarder Guido Craveiro, singer and multi-instrumentalist Sebastian Sturm and drummer Raul Pfeffer as well as fourteen fantastic vocalists, many of them esteemed veterans. Even the Ramones themselves are heard in the opening track Pinhead in several snippets taken from interviews in a crazy collage of radio noise, live crowds and dub sirens. “Gabba gabba hey!”

The energetic vibe is kept up in Blitzkrieg Bop (Jamrock Bop), in which we hear a sweet combination of Jamaican singers Susan Cadogan and Welton Irie, their voices oscillating perfectly between crystal-clear singing and rough deejaying. Obviously, this ingenious recipe has informed the choice of all subsequent features. Thus, we hear Susan again on Rock’n’Roll High School (Rocksteady High School), this time alongside the wonderful Ranking Joe, who also joins Sebastian Sturm on Do You Wanna Dance?, both songs definitely highlights of the album. Further dream-teams are Dennis Alcapone (the “grandfather of all singjays”, as the press release puts it) with Keith & Tex on I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend as well as Ranking Ann and Jr Thomas on the critical The KKK Took My Baby Away.

Here, a note on the lyrical content is due. With great diligence and an inventive spirit, the original words of the Ramones were slightly adapted to fit today’s realities, and Jamaican at that. For instance, the Pet Sematary transformed into a Dub Sanctuary in the capable mouths of Shniece McMenamin and Horseman, and Sheena turned from punk rocker to rudie in Sheena Is A Rudie Now, a song that sees a remarkable performance by Alpheus and Ranking Joe once more, including as special treat the sudden switch to dub at 3:40.

Two pieces can be seen as a reflection of the problematic relationship with drugs that caused the death of Ramone's songwriter Dee Dee. On the first, I Wanna Be Sedated (DO watch the original video for this – it’s hilarious!), we hear veteran artist Prince Alla in top form, joined by toasting warrior U Brown. The latter also appears on Now I Wanna Sniff Some Glue, featuring the skilled harmonies of Keith & Tex once more. A final mention deserve Earl 16 and dub poet Oku Onuora, who contributes some of his deep musings to I Believe In Miracles. Six dub versions round off the release, and yes, dear record lovers, you have the chance to get the album on vinyl as well! A must, actually, for off-beat fans and punk rockers alike, as the musical delivery is flawless, the artists invited represent some of the best voices still alive in reggae, and the re-issues are close enough to the Ramones originals to make them enjoyable for virtually everyone. From the initial idea to the details of the cover artwork (see the Red Stripe bottles?), the Dubmones is a unique gem of intelligent and skillful conception, performance and delivery.

There are so many genuine human creations to discover out there, and it is thanks to visionaries such as Echo Beach and the artist collective behind the Dubmones that some of these are brought to our attention again. Thank you, guys