There is a period in Jamaican producer
Lee "Scratch" Perry's long recording history that often gets overlooked simply because of where it falls, and that interval, the so-called "Wonderman" years (from the advent of his innovative work with
the Wailers in 1969 through the very early years of his Black Ark recording studio), is covered in this collection. There is wonderful stuff here, with some of
Perry's best and most classic rhythms presented in song, dub, and DJ versions. The Wailers are represented by
Bob Marley's famous take on
Richie Havens' "African Herbsman" and one of
Peter Tosh's finest songs, "Brand New Second Hand," but there are many other highlights, including three wonderful tracks ("Beat Down Babylon," "A Place Called Africa," "Fever") done by
Junior Byles and the striking, oddball "Mighty Clouds of Joy" by
Lloyd Parks.
Perry had a special touch with vocal trios, and in addition to
the Wailers tracks, there are fine cuts here from
the Stingers ("Give Me Power," "Preacher Man"), the Willows ("Cool Iron"), and the Gatherers ("Start Over," "Words of My Mouth"). This two-disc set is probably not the place to start if you are new to
Perry's work, but if you're a fan, it is close to essential. ~ Steve Leggett