Roots Archives Forum

Since *The Mighty Upsetter* has been discussed in other threads about Lee Perry, I thought I would post this link to my review:

http://www.upsetter.net/scratch/station ... mighty.htm

It really is a great album, the best material that Scratch has done for years, and it's a shame that it didn't get more notice in the wake of the dreadful *Repentance*.

@Mick

Subjectivity aside, can you really say that Scratch has done a "great" LP since "Roast Fish And Cornbread", some 30 years ago?

I saw him on his last tour, and the crowd seemed to respond best when he lit candles, or mugged for the audience. It was like they wanted a freak show, and the music was secondary.
It's great to see him get some attention, but to compare his recent output with the releases when he was actually at his pinnacle of creativity diminishes those works, IMO.

Yes, I can: *The Mighty Upsetter*.

I'm not going to defend too much of Scratch's modern music, as it's erratic and often confusing. But if you think Scratch's current work "diminishes" his earlier works, I don't know what to tell you. Lee Perry doesn't live in a time warp, and neither should reggae fans.

I like the album.
Don't for get the dub version of this album.

Sherwood play some of those track live at his dubshows ina 2007.

And at Reggae Geel this year live on stage Lee Perry and Sherwood at the controltower.

Lion

Dub it.

Mick Sleeper wrote:Yes, I can: The Mighty Upsetter.

I'm not going to defend too much of Scratch's modern music, as it's erratic and often confusing. But if you think Scratch's current work "diminishes" his earlier works, I don't know what to tell you. Lee Perry doesn't live in a time warp, and neither should reggae fans.

Hi Mick

It's nothing to do with diminishing his earlier work, no matter how bad his recent LPs are, much of his previous work will stand tall. It's more about how often reviews of his recent works declare him "great" again as soon as he releases something than isn't as horrible as some of his past releases!

If this one is great, I guess it makes "BB Jungle" and "Cloak And Dagger" "extra great".

As for living in the past...not sure what you mean, but it's an odd comment to post on a board dedicated to music 20+ years old.

Anyway, all ears are different, so we simply agree to disagree on this one.

Mick Sleeper wrote:Yes, I can: The Mighty Upsetter.

I'm not going to defend too much of Scratch's modern music, as it's erratic and often confusing. But if you think Scratch's current work "diminishes" his earlier works, I don't know what to tell you. Lee Perry doesn't live in a time warp, and neither should reggae fans.

I think that there's a tendency amongst most adult music fans, except for perhaps the people who just listen to whatever's currently in the Top 40, to be of the opinion that there was a certain cut-off date in the history of their favourite genre, after which music stopped being good, for whatever reason - and everything ever recorded by anybody since then is complete and utter crap.

Maybe sometimes it's true...

Over the years I've heard people say that reggae 'stopped being good' when:

- Bob Marley died
- Peter Tosh died
- Prince Far I died
- The Black Ark burned down
- UB40 hit no.1 with 'Red Red Wine'
- King Tubby stopped dubbing
- They started using synthesizers
- They started using digital beats
- They started using drum machines
- The 80s began
- The Rastas started singing about girls
- Too many non-Rastas started making reggae
- White people started making reggae
- Women started shaking their booty in reggae music videos
- made a 'crossover' record

etc.

What they're probably all agreed on is that *all* modern reggae sucks. Irredeemably. Even the stuff by singers and bands that they used to love.

Jamaican music evolved gradually, as society and instruments did. There is no denial that a certain "energy" and "sound" from the 70's vanished in the 80's, for another one to gradually take over. So we're left with great music, but almost in different genres:

60's ska
70's reggae
80's reggae / dancehall
etc.

Debating which one is better is pointless, as there is no Truth but ones one, and that dictated by Life and the Universe. My personal favorite period for Jamaican music: 60's, 70's, early 80's. I listen to some stuff from later pn, and today, just noticed I can't spin as much, in general. But sometimes I do spin over and over recent stuff. But never Lee Perry.

"there is no Truth but ones own" is what I meant to write.

About the Dubsetter album :

It might not be stricto sensu the exact counterpart to The Mighty Upsetter, but it is instead more a collaborative effort on based on LSP tracks (mostly The Mighty Upsetter, but also older tracks).

Other than by Adrian Maxwell and LSP, here was input by co-producers Jazzwad, Zilvervurf, a few engineers, Brasilian Alfredo Bello, with some indian moods here and there.

On the whole, it's quite good. Funny to hear those old "Da Ba Da", "Garden Of Life", "Blackboard Jungle Dub" and a few others revamped with new sounds.

N.

The lord works in mysterious ways