Although credited to Lee Perry & the Upsetters, this is in fact a various-artists compilation assembling 20 of Perry's productions from 1968-1973; only one cut is by Lee Perry, and only a couple are ascribed to the Upsetters. It's a solid, if not stunning, overview of some of Perry's early work, much of which is pretty obscure even to reggae fans. This includes quite a few vocal groups, like the Mellotones, the Blecchers, and the Inspirations, as well as soloists like Dillinger. It's pretty respectable rocksteady, and ...
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Although credited to Lee Perry & the Upsetters, this is in fact a various-artists compilation assembling 20 of Perry's productions from 1968-1973; only one cut is by Lee Perry, and only a couple are ascribed to the Upsetters. It's a solid, if not stunning, overview of some of Perry's early work, much of which is pretty obscure even to reggae fans. This includes quite a few vocal groups, like the Mellotones, the Blecchers, and the Inspirations, as well as soloists like Dillinger. It's pretty respectable rocksteady, and sounds better than many similar anthologies since it was taken from the master tapes. However, there's not much of the weirdness that Perry is most renowned for; at this point he was still a producer serving the artist and the song, not casting as dominant a figure over proceedings as he would in the future. There are some eccentric moments, though, like the Mellotones' "Uncle Charlie," with its squeaky hook and coughing and retching during the instrumental break, and Pat Satchmo, who sounds like a reggae Louis Armstrong on "Can't Take It Anymore." The Upsetters' own "Creation" is an atypical outing that finds them getting into Booker T. & the MGs-style instrumental soul, with a reggae tinge to the beat. Perry's influence seems entirely absent from the rehearsal tape of the Silvertones covering "Sweets for My Sweet." This charming relic has acoustic guitar and light percussion, the lack of accompaniment allowing reggae vocal harmonies to stand in bold relief. ~ Richie Unterberger, Rovi
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Add this copy of The Upsetter Shop, V. 2; 1969 to 1973 to cart. $5.50, like new condition, Sold by Streetlight_Records rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Santa Cruz, CA, UNITED STATES, published 1999 by Heartbeat / Pgd.
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