Heaven And Earth Jah Wobble

Jah Wobble Heaven & Earth

Released by Island Records in 1995. 58.26mins. Produced By Bill Laswell and Jah Wobble.

After Jah Wobble left Public Image Ltd he became involved in many projects with numerous musicians but it was his combination with the guitarist Justin Adams to form Invaders Of The Heart that lifted his music to another level. He gave expression to his love of various ethnic music in Rising Above Bedlam and then went through various musical journeys into God. Then a few years later he produced this album. It is one of those so-called “World” music albums that work because the music is always engaging and challenging and drifts, swirls and flies through many scenarios. It is a very ethereal and otherworldly album.
On the opener and title track Jah wobble has several Chinese musicians including Zi Lan Liao, who give it a distinctly Chinese atmosphere. A Love Song opens very quietly almost as if we are in a child’s bedroom, and then the music rises and Natacha’s distinct voice enters. It is a wonderful lullaby.

Dying Over Europe is quite somber and seems to be coming from another place and time. If the first two tracks were Heaven, this is very definitely Earth. Divine Mother is Jah Wobble mostly on Drums and bass and drives along very nicely. The centerpiece of this album is Gone To Croatian, opening with shuffling ascending percussive Gongs which lead into atmospheric swirling flutes of Pharaoh Sanders, then Nicky Skopelitis’ acoustic guitars and then bass and drums start to push it along and turntables announce the bass driving the engine. The turntables seem perfectly in place here, almost as if they were an ethnic instrument. And throughout the mastery of Bernie Worrell is much in evidence. Laswell produced this track and Hit Me which is another bass-driven track that features turntables and Sanders’ Tenor Sax. Om Namah Shiva is a showcase for Natacha Atlas and an uplifting end to the album.

This album and Rising Above Bedlam are both landmarks in World Music.

Roger Adam Smith ©March 12, 2007