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The Upsetter Compact Set (Trojan, 1988)

Collecting 3 of the Upsetters' more acclaimed early albums -- Africa's Blood, Rhythm Shower, and Double Seven -- The Upsetter Compact Set is a nice option for Scratch fans who don't want to search for the individual albums (Good luck finding Rhythm Shower anywhere else on CD.).  All released between 1972 and 1973, these albums have a raw late rock steady/early reggae edge that some listeners (including myself) may not get into as much as his later material.  The first two albums -- Africa's Blood and Rhythm Shower -- in particular have a more up-tempo and straight-laced, non-experimental feel than his more popular mid- to late-'70s stuff.   Africa's Blood features a nice instrumental of Bunny Wailer's "Dreamland," for which the Upsetters had been the backing band, along with decent instrumentals "Sawdust," "Go Slow," and "Well Dread," which resembles a dread version of Eric Donaldson's "Cherry Oh Baby."   However, the only real jewel of this, the earliest of the 3 albums, is "Isn't It Wrong," an earnest, well-written tune (with actual singing!) that almost makes Africa's Blood worth the price by itself.  Rhythm Shower, though a critical favorite, is the weakest of this set in my eyes.  The best track on it is "Kuchy Skank," the instrumental version of the Gatherers' classic "Words of My Mouth" (which can be found elsewhere), with "Rumpelsteelkin" and the dub of George Faith's "To Be a Lover" -- titled "Lover Version" -- being alright.  Easily the best of the 3 albums on The Upsetter Compact Set is Double Seven, which settles into a more typical Scratch sound, with slower, funkier, more zany tunes (See the review below.).   

Africa's Blood: 

Rhythm Shower:

Double Seven:

The Upsetter Compact Set: 

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Build the Ark (Trojan, 1990)

The third of Trojan's "Scratch" Perry/Upsetters double CD sets (along with The Upsetter Compact Set and Open the Gate), Build the Ark could be the best of the trio.  Like the other two, Build the Ark provides valuable exposure to some lesser-known Perry-produced tunes not on bigger releases like Island's Arkology box set.  While you may not be as familiar with songs like "Land of Love," "Thanks and Praise," and "Travelling" as you are with "Police & Thieves" and "War ina Babylon," that doesn't make them any less memorable.  Headed by the funky DJ romp "A Wah Dat," the catchy female-led "Travelling," the bouncy "My Little Sandra," the funky "Cross Over," the powerful "Land of Love," the protest song-styled "Freedom Street," the righteous "Brother Noah," and the mellow "Mr. Money Man," Build the Ark is solid throughout and features the funky, bass-driven, original material for which Perry's mid- to late-'70s material is known.

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Return of the Super Ape (VP, 1992 [orig. released 1978])

Like the cover art, the content of this seemingly hurried sequel pales in comparison to the original, and as such, Island chief Chris Blackwell refused to release it on his label. Though the edgy sound is similar, Return lacks the spark, the overall quality of Super Ape. The only tune that lives up to the predecessor's standard is "Bird in Hand," featuring a ghostly Middle Eastern-styled singer (obviously not "Scratch" Perry).  Beyond that, "High Rankin Sammy," the bouncy African feel of "Dyon-Anaswa," the dub "Crab Yars," and the title track are sound, although underwhelming overall. Return of the Super Ape, though, is still not bad -- perhaps a bit underrated -- as it was made in the midst of Perry's creative peak.

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Double Seven (Trojan, 1996 [orig. released 1973])

While there are a few guest vocalists here, it is the Upsetters' marvelous instrumentals that make this album so enjoyable.  Although slower than earlier albums like Africa's Blood and Rhythm Shower, the rhythms here are generally a bit faster than the crawling, bass-heavy tunes that Lee Perry and The Upsetters would put out a bit later (as on Super Ape).  I usually prefer the latter style, but these tracks are so fun and funky, you can't help but groove to them.  Three of the group's (and Perry's) best beats of all time are included: the seminal "Kentucky Skank," with its bouncy bass line, soaring horns, and running water (!), the gorgeous, space-aged synthesizer opus "Long Sentence," and the zany romp "Waap You Waa," where the music pauses occasionally for a grunting "uh-huh" or "mm-hmm."  A couple of strong, almost jazzy instrumentals bolster Double Seven: "In the Iaah" and the horn-filled "Jungle Lion."  The songs with vocals pale in comparison -- David Isaacs' "We Are Neighbours" being the only decent one.  The 3 or 4 DJ tracks take away from the album for me (Fans of old-style DJs might not agree.), but there is a lot of Scratch magic here.