Dub versions of The Clash, Metallica and Ennio Morricone

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album cover for Dub Spencer & Trance Hill's Riding Strange Horses

Going through the piles of promos, I was pleased to stumble across a few dub records. That's when I was smacked in the face with a classic WTF! moment. Or should I say; one of the best moments a pot smoker can have.

That's because the most recent Dub Spencer & Trance Hill record, Riding Strange Horses, features the four Swiss musicians covering some classic cuts, rendered in dub reggae. To quote the press release:

Humor dominates the choice of tracks: monumental pop classics, schamltzy rock-ballads and grimy hits–the stuff that teenage dreams were made of. The tracklist is heavy on school-party classics and cult hits.

Yet while it might seem to be dripping of cheese, it's actually rife with authenticity. Lee “Scratch” Perry helps cover his classic “Blackboard Jungle”, Ken Boothe is on hand to recreate his soul reggae classic “When I Fall In Love” and (ironically?) back after 25 years, The Catch re-do their hit “25 Years”. Get this, it even features William S. Burroughs.

But let's cut to the fun.

They open up the disc covering Ennio Morricone's “The Man With The Harmonica“, before dub-stepping into “London Calling“, “Smoke on the Water” and “Enter Sandman”. And how about Genesis' “Mama” for good measure? We're not sure if this record will raise your hipster cred, but it will up the ante at your next party.

The CD is available in the U.S. on February 2, but you can order the import here.