POX: Lee Scratch Perry

Youth has posted about it - he heard via friend who lives in Jamacia.

Ah fuck. :(

RIP

What a life. RIP.

I interviewed him once and it was exactly what you'd expect. One part lucid, one part lunacy that you just kind of went with. The entire time there were parrots squawking in the background.

Modestly disappointed at how he's being presented as a Jamaican music pioneer, which of course he is, but his approach to the studio stretched so much farther than just reggae and dub. The guy really knew how to sculpt space.

absolute legend. among the most innovative of alltime. and prolific — the amount of classic music he's at least partially responsible for, holy hell.

R.I.P., just a titan of sound. Agreed that his influence went way beyond reggae.

Anyone seeking a quick way in should try this compilation from 2007 or so:

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/819Id8LOj6L.jpg

This one, which combines Super Ape, Return of the Super Ape, and Roast Fish, Collie Weed & Cornbread on two CDs, is also great.

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81FzmyNXPhL.jpg

been blasting out that huge Arkology comp from '97 which was the first LSP thing I ever bought.

Damn RIP to a real one

The “Arkology” three disc set has been in my ancient car’s 6 disc changer for literally years now. I never get tired of it

ha xpost

Yeah, that Arkology compilation was revelatory to me at the time in terms of understanding the scope of his recordings and influence. (And it doesn't even touch on his Wailers and other earlier work.)

I'm a big fan of the full albums he produced for others, Max Romeo, Junior Byles, stuff like that.

Heart of the Congos and War Ina Babylon definitely among his most amazing work.

Yeah, Congos OTM. a high water mark in any context.

THere wasa great article in one o9f the first couple of Beastie Boys magazine Grand Royal that i found very useful.
It may be up online somewhere.

yeah I made a single disc comp of my fav arkology tracks and it’s like the best “album” ever

it simply has to include Errol Walker's In These Times!

plz share if possible, brimstead

Roots Train - Junior Murvin/Dillinger is such a banger

xp

here you go, just one human's opinion but these are all beautiful tracks. yes i do love the police and theives/dreadlock in moonlight riddim
The Meditations - Life Is Not Easy
Junior Murvin - Tedious
The Heptones & Jah Lion - Mr. President
Max Romeo - Chase The Devil
Lee Perry - Dreadlocks In Moonlight
Errol Walker - In These Times
Max Romeo & The Upsetters - Norman
Junior Murvin - Police And Thieves
Upsetters - No Peace Dub
The Upsetters - Party Time (Part 2)
Augustus Pablo Meets The Upsetter - Vibrate On
The Upsetters - Vibrator
The Upsetters - Bird In Hand
The Congoes - Congoman
George Faith - To Be A Lover (Have Some Mercy)
Lee Perry - Curly Locks

oops idk about the formatting there, copied it from another thread

RIP u crazy genius, just put Arkology on at floor-shaking volume

I really love The Super Ape album from '76 as well

thanks, brimstead, looks sick

"stand for the right and mash up the wrong"

Don't feel worthy or ready to comment on his passing tbh. 85 is a good age to have reached though!

just put on ape-ology. in terms of reissues, this was probably one of my most anticipated albums of all time.

must concur on heart of the congos, police and thieves, + war ina babylon: all complete and total classics.

if we're repping for personal favorites, i've long had a strong affinity for the late 70s album he produced by seke molenga + kalo kawongolo. very much music of the promised land.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pjj0CE5njfc

yeah got to recommend those Trojan 2cd sets by Perry. Apeology, Dub Triptych, Dubstrumentals, Wonderman Years, I think I'm missing a couple but they mopped up a load of the Material that I'd wanted since getting that Grand Royal piece on him

Disco Devil, The Black Ark Years, Babylon A fall & A Live injection were other titles.
Also the early Wailers set Trenchtown Rock is mainly Perry produced I think. does also include some later 70s Marley stuff with him.

'Super Ape Returns to Conquer' which was between a remix/new album with his last touring band and Adrian Sherwood from 2017 is a really good listen. That one was on my CD player for months.

https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=http%3A%2F%2Fsubatomicsound.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2017%2F09%2FSuperApe-1200x.jpg&f=1&nofb=1

Roots Train - Junior Murvin/Dillinger is such a banger

rip to the only person on this planet who actually knew how to use a computer https://t.co/VPLC1xaERG pic.twitter.com/C8tuSrN0qA

— Kyle McDonald (@kcimc) August 29, 2021

Aw man RIP. The Black Ark stuff is my favorite "sound of a producer" output of any music ever.
2nd the Seke Molenga album.
My favorite unheralded one is Susan Cadogan's Hurt So Good. Prob partially due to featuring female vocals, which is relatively rare for reggae. Just a touch of pop in the tracks but still unmistakably Scratch.
And George Faith for the "Jamaican quiet storm" lazy Sunday afternoon vibe.

Right missed him playing here several times over the last few years. Really should have got it together. Should know it was a possibility that it would be last chance.

Cockamamie proclamation I formed around the turn of the century: you could sum up the changes of 20th century music with two artists: Duke Ellington and Lee Scratch Perry. They get you from stride piano to techno with their genre explorations, and collaborations with Lonnie Johnson, Mingus, the Clash, George Clinton, Beasties, etc will Kevin Bacon you everywhere. Conny Plank is sort of the median. But most of all Ellington exemplifies the idea that with recording you could compose for the timbre and eccentricity of specific musicians, and would compose to the limitations and constraints of specific media, and Perry takes that through to the studio as an instrument and sampling and sequencing.

Wow I've had pretty much that exact thought

Makes sense to me.

extremely otm imo

extremely otm imo

oops sorry

Lee Perry gave the impression of burning very hot for a very long time. Not sure how he managed it. RIP.

I get the sense he could keep the ( literal ) demons at bay by always pushing forward.

My favourite late-era Perry is this one, which on paper should be terrible (dubstep wobbles! Jean-Michel Jarre cover!) but it's totally enjoyable for two hours straight.

Anyone like the 1986 album Battle of Armagideon? Turns out a mate of mine's uncle was a producer on it...I haven't heard it yet, going to make that right today.

Right missed him playing here several times over the last few years. Really should have got it together. Should know it was a possibility that it would be last chance.

― Stevolende, Monday, August 30, 2021 1:18 AM (eleven hours ago)

Curious to hear the stuff he did with Robert Palmer after reading this.

robert palmer, lee perry and a cream cracker pic.twitter.com/7vrbnMoMGA

— cowsarejustfood (@cowsarejustfood) August 29, 2021

I love this.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gp85RALyx4Y

https://www.johnlewisjournalist.co.uk/lee-scratch-perry

interview from 2002 when Lee was curating the meltdown festival.

Battle of Armageddon isn't all bangers, but it does have "Sexy Lady" which would by on my POX for LSP, where the sexy lady may actually be his Echoplex effect.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m00WixmHCHE

delighted to see The Battle for Armageddon reissued as i could never find a decent recording or streaming version of it (for a long time only had it on cassette taped by a friend at school). not a remaster afaict but it sounds good.

https://www.cherryred.co.uk/product/lee-scratch-perry-battle-of-armagideon-2cd-expanded-edition/

The I Am A Madman dub is quite a thing iirc, I also recall lots of mediocrity on that LP though. “Grooving” is probably my favourite.