Roots Archives Forum

Just got my copy, seems like another good Lee Perry release from Pressure Sounds, great Ethiopians track.

Good mix of early Perry instrumentals and vocal productions

"A Big Joke" is a great mellow track with the cheese organ nice and low in the mix.

I feel like so many of Perry's early instrumnetals would have been so much more enjoyable if he'd only mixed the cheese organ down lower rather than sitting on top of the mix. There's a laughing sample in this track that I recognise from one of the Aquarius instrumnetals, that tape with the laugh on must have been doing the rounds of the Kingston recording studios.

Certainly worth any Perry fan buying this

The sound your talking about is a joke " set of teeth " that can still be found in joke shops

As for the cheesy organ , I love it . That was the Upsetters sound in the 69/70`s , it certainly sold records back in the day !

Btw , I also got the four 7"`s that have been released as well . Some of these were originally released as blanks , etc. Hard to find ...

Again , well done to Pressure Sounds for all these re-releases . (tu)

Pressure Sounds is the wickedest label. The only one left, as a matter of fact...

I find this one rather boring compared to the latest Trojan "Black Ark era" release. Talking about Candy McKenzie of course.

AnorakTrev wrote:The sound your talking about is a joke " set of teeth " that can still be found in joke shops.

Didn't know that, thanks makes more sense than my sample tape theory.

I might be tempted to get the Ethiopians 7" to get version side dunno yet though.

Don't get me wrong some of those organ tracks were great but I do find the sound a little dated now, I think they would be a little easier on the ears if they were a bit more mellow like these high plains tracks.

Pressure sounds are kicking butt.... As they always have to be fair

Are the 4 7" tracks not included on the CD then. Sorry haven't got it yet...

ras_savitri wrote:Are the 4 7" tracks not included on the CD then. Sorry haven't got it yet...

The a sides are, but the versions are not.... As is my understanding

Yes, nice work by Pressure Sounds again!

Though this is not as rootsy and interesting as the recent Sound System Scratch releases... Too much soul/"pop", and some instrumentals that are not that exciting.
Which is somewhat to be expected from this period (1968-1973, according to the sleeve - although I don´t really hear any 1973-sounding tracks...).

There are a few standout tracks of course:
Awake (Israel) - The Ethiopians (finally I get to hear/have this!)
Iniquity Workers - The Faithfull Brothers
Thanks We Get - The Versatiles (the earlist version)
Val Blows In - Val Bennett (nice version of Django Shoots First/Bronco)
A Big Joke - Lee Perry/Upsetters (wicked - based on Duppy Conqueror)

Those are my favourites, anyway!:D

I like *High Plains Drifter*, but none of the songs really stand out for me. There are much cooler and groovier Upsetters instrumentals from that era that have already been compiled. And the one sore spot for me is that "Man With No Name" is a Lloyd Charmers Hippy Boys number, not the Upsetters.

A review on my Scratch website:
www.upsetter.net/scratch

congo bunny wrote:Just got my copy, seems like another good Lee Perry release from Pressure Sounds, great Ethiopians track.

Good mix of early Perry instrumentals and vocal productions

"A Big Joke" is a great mellow track with the cheese organ nice and low in the mix.

I feel like so many of Perry's early instrumnetals would have been so much more enjoyable if he'd only mixed the cheese organ down lower rather than sitting on top of the mix. There's a laughing sample in this track that I recognise from one of the Aquarius instrumnetals, that tape with the laugh on must have been doing the rounds of the Kingston recording studios.

Certainly worth any Perry fan buying this

To me the track A Big Joke, sounds remarkably like the Joe Gibbs version Ghost capturer, perhaps that was the joke perry nicked the track back and added the laughing.
Nick