Easy Star All-Stars

Easy Star All-Stars are a reggae group who are signed to their own Easy Star record label, which is based in New York City. They specialize in covering popular albums in a reggae and dub style and have released three cover albums to date. The first, released in 2003, was an interpretation of Pink Floyd’s classic The Dark Side of the Moon entitled Dub Side of the Moon; the second was 2006’s Radiodread, a song-by-song cover of Radiohead’s OK Computer. In March 2008 they released an EP consisting mostly of non-cover material. In April 2009, they released a cover of The Beatles’s Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band entitled Easy Star’s Lonely Hearts Dub Band.

History

In February 2003, Easy Star All-Stars released a cover album of Pink Floyd’s The Dark Side of the Moon entitled Dub Side of the Moon. It features instructions on how to synchronize the record with The Wizard of Oz, referencing the audiovisual pairing sometimes referred to as Dark Side of the Rainbow. The release was followed by Radiodread, a reimagining of Radiohead’s album OK Computer. In March 2008 Easy Star All-Stars released Until that Day, an EP consisting of original material except for «Dubbing Up the Walls», a cover of the Radiohead song «Climbing Up the Walls.»

On January 13, 2009 the Easy Star All-Stars posted a statement on their website that they had completed their next album, a reworking of Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band by The Beatles titled Easy Star’s Lonely Hearts Dub Band, which was released on April 14, 2009. However it was exclusively released on imeem a day prior. Reviews have been favourable. Sydney street press Music Feeds rated the album 10/10.

Victor Axelrod aka Ticklah compiled a dub version of a song by the Iowa reggae band Public Property on an upcoming album Work to Do set for release in July 2009.

Michael Gold Wasser compiled a dub version of the song «Turn & Run» by Umphrey’s McGee.
Easy Star All-Stars are an interesting band. Having formed in 2003, they have since released three albums, all of which are reggae/dub versions of classic albums. Dub Side Of The Moon (2003) is an exceptional take on Pink Floyd’s classic; Radiodread (2006) took OK Computer as its inspiration and provides moments of greatness too. Easy Star’s Lonely Hearts Dub Band has just been released, and tonight, the band showcased some Beatles covers from this new album.

The All-Stars began their set with a few of their own tracks, all of which sounded accomplished and exciting. Then they moved on to tracks from their new album. Their versions of ‘Sgt. Pepper’ and ‘With A Little Help From My Friends’ received a rave response from the inviting crowd, but musically fell a little short in the quality expected from these great musicians.

‘Paranoid Android’ and ‘Airbag’, both ’90s rock classics, are impossible to improve upon but The All-Stars provided memorable versions of these Radiohead songs which brimmed with character and energy.

The quality of the sound which emanated from the group tonight was second to none, but their material is of such a high standard that it would be difficult not to sound good. The Pink Floyd covers worked best, with ‘Breathe’ and ‘Money’ highlights of the set. The Radiohead covers were massive crowd-pleasers, and rightly so because they allowed the band to show off their bundles of talent and energy.

However, the new Beatles tracks fell short of the mark and were often a little embarrassing. For example, the singalong to ‘When I’m 64’ would surely have had reggae enthusiasts tearing out their dreadlocks with mortification.

Easy Star All-Stars are at their best when they are jamming amongst themselves in an atmospheric, low-key reggae tone. Their own material shone through tonight, but there were some great covers of classic songs too. Leaving this gig, one felt that the All-Stars need to stand on their own feet now. They have established themselves as an effective reggae band, but now they need to build on their initial success and progress into a band which can create as well as replicate.
Current line-up

Listed in the order and as they appear in the liner notes accompanying Dub Side of the Moon:

* Michael Goldwasser
* Victor Axelrod aka Ticklah
* Patrick Dougher
* Victor Rice
* Dub Side of the Moon - (2003)
* Radiodread - (2006)
* Until that Day EP - (2008)
* Easy Star’s Lonely Hearts Dub Band - (2009)