The Upsetter: A Musical Retread

Monster SoundsThe tautology inherent in my writing has grown tiresome even to me by this point. But at the very least, it points at an overarching consistency that’s undeniable. With Lee Perry his assemblage of players that functioned under the name of the Upsetters created a pretty scattered discography with the single being the main form of disseminating songs for a great deal of music’s history. It wasn’t until the ‘60s in the States that this changed, but in JA it would be even later.

At the time that The Return of Django came out Perry was the island’s undisputed champion of sounds. After the disc things wouldn’t change, of course. But the slew of albums that followed from the Black Ark did result in some combo deals and eventual reissues. And even before the overwhelming confusion that versions would create soon, Perry had amassed such a substantial catalog which included backing tracks that were revitialized, replete with new titles and vocals. The frustrating thing about all of this isn’t the fact that there was too much music to get through – I’m grateful for that everyday. But on occasion, I’ll pick up or snag a disc that I think is gonna yield some new musical high only to be disappointed at recognizing some of the songs.

The Upsetter, with that cover beckoning, got me. And while the music on here is obviously just boss sounds, you can find some of these elsewhere. “Night Doctor,” while sporting that champion sound from the late ‘60s with its pervasive organ and tinny guitar rhythm was released on the aforementioned Django – just like “Soulful I” a few tracks on. And even if the historical importance of that early instrumental reggae (or rock steady) track can’t be denied, I don’t need a repeat of it. Dang.

There are a few pieces from The Upsetter, though, that I’ve not come across before – or at least don’t recall hearing. Busty Brown’s cover of “To Love Somebody” does come off better than one would expect. And even amidst that all too familiar chorus, the combination of his tenor with the Upsetter band behind him makes a classic track even better. It might not be the reason to hunt the disc down, but it’s a step above “Crying About You,” again from Brown, which is the last vocal track on the disc.

I can’t claim to recognize every instrumental on here and “Big Noise” sounds new to me, but that doesn’t mean it’s not compiled somewhere else. Perry and company go in over a mid paced track featuring a pretty melodic, yet hefty, sax solo. It’s not revelatory, but could easily have sat on either of the first two discs from the Upsetters.

There’s really no disposable Lee Perry from this period in his career, so if that cover looks good enough to cop, get hip to this fast. The summer’ll be over eventually and you won’t be able to dance to  it outside any more….unless you have snow shows or a heavy jacket.