Back Off Riddim – Linval Thompson

This is one of Linval Thompson’s leaner early-’80s rub-a-dub productions, and it makes a sharper impression than the bigger showcase sets he cut in the same period. Johnny Osbourne is the anchor here, slipping between the straight “Back Off” cut and the “Ringcraft” version with that easy, no-nonsense delivery he was using so well around 1981, while Papa Tollo’s deejay turn on the 12-inch mix gives the tune its extra bite. The rhythm is all taut drums, dry space, and that hard Roots Radics pull Thompson liked to get out of the band, with the dub take pushing the arrangement deeper into echo and pressure. The set runs five tracks in total, ending with “Craftsman Dub. ”