Whilst Speakers & Tweeters was a showcase for Terry Hall (and a bit a ‘Greatest Hits’ cover edition), Rum & Coke’s main man is Ashley Slater. The album starts with the single ‘Back To Daylight’ (review HERE with the low-down on Mr. Slater).

His other tracks on here are the ‘Everyday Stranger’ and the closing track, ‘Song For Summer’, this is the Dub Pistols that have gone atmospheric soul ‘n’ strings; not forgetting Ashley’s bone!. Lets hope this mean Ashley is going to be on tour with tham and at all their festival gigs but you’d love to hear ‘Song For Summer’ as the sun sets/rises in the Balerics, Big Chill or Bestival.

And of course, there’s the cool ruler himself, Mr. Gregory Issacs linking up with long time Dub Pistol collaborator, Rodney P with the cautionary tale of ‘Six Months’ (that’s in the nature of Rum & Coke) with an upbeat reggae bounce.

Then there’s Justin Robertson who knows a bit about reggae himself and whilst there’s a 30 year 2-tone revival going on, ‘Keep The Fire Burning’ is on a ska tip al a The Beat tempo whilst Rodney P teams up on the ‘Peace Of Mind’ skank that’s got some great lines for these perilous times. In fact, Mr. P appears on no less than four tracks and he’s got more than a thing or two to get off his chest on ‘Ganja’.
.
No convineced by ‘She Moves’ but TK gets us back on track with ‘Revitalise’ that’s old skool reggae with that ‘bone blowing as if Rico was thirty years younger on stage with The Specials.

You might think that as the Dub Pistols keep digging into the past to work with their musical heros of old that this ablum might sound dated, but if anyone can make a lover rock version of ‘I’m In Love’ (with Beats International’s singer, Lindy Layton) that I’m/you can’t help singing along to, that’s no crime. This is their forth album and a as they sing on ‘Song For Summer’, “It just keeps getting better, on and on in every way” and that’s true of the album.

Reviewed: Dub Pistols - Rum And Coke (Sunday Best Recordings) Cat.No. SBESTCD33 Release date: 15th June 2009
Tracklisting:
1 Back To Daylight featuring Ashley Slater (4:21)
2 I’m In Love featuring Lindy Layton & Rodney P (4:05)
3 Everyday Stranger featuring Ashley Slater & TK (5:01)
4 Revitalise featuring TK (4:20)
5 Ganja featuring Rodney P (3:55)
6 She Moves featuring TK (3:17)
7 Peace Of Mind featuring Red Star Lion & Rodney P (5:00)
8 Keep The Fire Burning featuring Justin Robertson (3:52)
9 Six Months featuring Gregory Isaacs & Rodney P (4:09)
10 Song For Summer featuring Ashley Slater (6:58)

Links:
www.thedubpistols.com
www.myspace.com/thedubpistols
www.myspace.com/biglounger
www.ashleyslater.com
www.myspace.com/gregoryisaacsmon
www.myspace.com/djjustinrobertson
www.myspace.com/robdabank
www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/robdabank
Rob da Bank - A-Z of Festivals: My life of music, mud and mayhem in 26 letters (Published by Boxtree) p192 £9.99. See the fantasitc video ad HERE.
www.myspace.com/sundaybestrecordings
Freakpower featuring Ashley supported by Sonia Dersion aka Cori De Crystal and Yookay “Freak Power were co-founded with Norman Cook, they reached the top in 1995 after their record, ‘Turn On, Tune In, Cop Out’ was used in a Levi Jeans advert. After successful 2008 festival and Jazz Cafe appearances, Ashley brings Freakpower back to London for a special Fank Funk It’s Friday event” www.jazzcafe.co.uk
Doors 8pm tickets £15 on the door or £10 in advance here at Skiddle
www.myspace.com/freakpoweruk
www.myspace.com/soniadersion
www.myspace.com/yookay
www.bestival.net
www.campbestival.net
Camp Bestival - feat PJ Harvey’s exclusive solo show this year, Mercury Rev, Bon Iver, Roy Ayres, Chic, Dan le sac vs. Scroobius Pip, Roots Manuva, Candi Station, Frank Turner , VV Brown, Cuban Brothers, Horace Andy & Dub Asante, Goldie Lookin’ Chain and many more.