ESSENTIAL LEE "SCRATCH" PERRY

Who is Lee "Scratch" Perry? He is a magician who was born 80 years ago in Jamaica. He is one of the most important musician of our times, a brave music innovator. He started his career working for the legendary Jamaican producer Clement Coxsone Dodd's label Studio One but he didn't last there long time. Then he worked with  another important musician/producer Joe Gibbs.  He built his famous studio "Black Ark" in 1973 and produced very successful records with musicians like Bob Marley,Junior Byles,Congos,Max Romeo,Junior Murvin...Since Lee Perry has so many albums and some of these compilations are not so great, I decided to select some of his best records. Now crank the volume up and listen some good reggae!

Ras Michael & The Sons of Negus - Love Thy Neighbour [1979] 

One of my favorite album of all times, very easy to say this is also Ras Michael and The Sons of Negus' best album. A perfect combination of  Nyabingi drums and magic of Lee "Scratch" Perry created this amazing psychedelic reggae album.

The Upsetters - Super Ape [1976] 

One of the most popular Lee Perry & The Upsetters album  and it deserves all the attention but I strongly recommend the follow up album Return of the Super Ape as well.

The Upsetters - Return of the Super Ape [1978]

Junior Murvin - Police and Thieves [1977]

Very influential and important record. Same year the song "Police and Thieves" was covered by The Clash on their debut album.

Max Romeo & The Upsetters - War ina Babylon [1976]

Another 5 star album from The Upsetters, this time Max Romeo is leading. Classics like "War Ina Babylon" and "I Chase The Devil"..

The Upsetters - Upsetters 14 Dub Blackboard Jungle / Blackboard Jungle Dub [1973]

Lee "Scratch" Perry & The Upsetters - Kung Fu Meets the Dragon [1975]

The Congos - Heart of the Congos [1977]

One of the finest roots/reggae album you can get, Heart Of the Congos is Lee Perry's master piece... Every song in this album is great! Superb singing by Ashanti Roy & Cedric Myron. 

Lee "Scratch" Perry - Return of Pipecock Jackxon [1980]

Various Artists - Lee Perry & his Upsetters present Roaring Lion [2013] 

A compilation of various bands & singers produced by Lee Perry & The Upsetters. One of the best compilation out there!

Junior Byles - Beat Down Babylon: The Upsetter Years [1997] 

JAH LION - COLOMBIA COLLY

Susan Cadogan - Hurt so Good [1975]

Lee Perry - Roast Fish, Collie Weed, & Corn Bread [1978]

Various Artists - Lee Perry and The Upsetters - High Plains Drifter: Jamaican 45's 1968-73 [2012]

Various Artists - The Sound Doctor (Lee Perry and the Sufferers' Black Ark Singles and Dub Plates 1972-1978)

Various Artists - Cutting Razor (Rare Cuts from The Black Ark)

Deakin - Sleep Cycle

Deakin (aka Josh Dibb), the mysterious member of famous art-pop band Animal Collective, finished his long waiting solo debut. I said long, because he started the album about 7 years ago.

He also had a weird kickstarter story, funding him to go Mali to play in a concert, in a non-profit concert. But I really don’t wanna go in the details of that, because there is no fraud(or any other bad intentions), I don’t have to even care. He is a musician who tried a kickstarter and it did not work very well overall. But he is a musician and that’s why I’m writing about him.

Sleep Cycle is a short album, it’s only 6 songs under 35 minutes. I have the web version with 2 bonus songs, they are both live from Tomboctou and I have to admit, they are amazing.

Sleep Cycle is a great album, a perfect example of neo-psychedelica. I also read that Sonic Boom involved in mixing. I wanna say few things about Mr. Sonic boom’s career. He was the co-founder of most famous/underground psychedelic rock duo Spacemen 3. He made amazing albums with his own band Spectrum. As a producer , he worked with MGMT,Panda Bear.

The opening song Golden Chords is giving us the directions in this eclectic album. The beginning is amazing, and then around the first minute the guitar kicks in. Now you are in the sleep cycle of Deakin in Mali.

Mali is a beautiful place. Mali is a musical place. And Deakin didn’t go there for vacation. He wanted to be there to make this album, and it’s a beautiful homage to Mali.

Golden Chords is beautiful in a lyrical way too.Deakin sings : “Please stop repeating your terror you choose what you see It's always "what if?" and "why not?" Man you gotta just be Simplify define your goals and watch them grow Be your own true self the you that I know” . Or the second song of the album “Just Am”-has also the first video from this album-  says almost like what he did there :

 “ Standing in the desert, faces stare back from the dunes

Brought here by courage or delusion, I won’t stop but I feel ripping mad

So I am crying words that don’t make sense to me or them

But I am singing, I am singing, beams the child inside then disappears again”

But also now he knows and understands himself :

“ When I let go, I just am

Conjured back to myself I just am

In holding on I’ve grown too tight

My joints are cracked my eyes gone white

Stop holding “.

The album ends with an epic song, Good House, mixed by Sonic Boom. Deakin is brave and mature now, he understands things better compare to beginning;

“Too bright

But then too dim

You always find reasons you’re frightened

So frightened

That you won’t go in” .

“ Breathe in with all

Spit out all that rage

You're safe now, don’t fight

Your body’s engaged

Just flow and get right

Like following angels

You're following angels “.

The bonus song , number 7 is called Super Khoumeissa is almost 14 minutes of African Psychedelica. The last song ,which is number 8 called Khaira Arby is a little under 13 minutes. These two songs are live in Tomboctou(Timbuktu), both has local instruments. Although Khaira Arby is more like a Afro-Rock jam rather than weird,psychedelic Super Khoumeissa. But you have to hear those local drums at this song.

Deakin made us wait for 7 years, so I’m hoping we won’t have to wait this long for his next album because this is really a great album…

BEST SONGS OF 2015

A very interesing and fun year for music lovers... Many new names,debuts and young musicians like Ibeyi,Jamie XX,Kamasi Washington etc... It's also the year of Afro-Americans...Kamasi, Thundercat,Vince Staples,Kendrick,D'Angelo and Vanguards,Erykah Badu...

35 beautiful songs from year 2015...

35-Iberia - River

34-Suns and Jerusalem In My Heart - Self

33-Battles - The Yabba

Very cool video by Battles...( Click ! )

 32- Godspeed You! Black Emperor -Asunder, Sweet

31-Arca - Vanity

30-Aphex Twin - DISKREPT 4

29-Tame Impala - Let It Happen

28-Omar Souleyman - Mahal Menzai

I was at the local record store on Boxing Day and the staff did choose this song to play, everybody had a smile on their face. Produced by Four Tet...

27- Thundercat - Song for the Dead

26-Panda Bear - Boys Latin

25-Viet Cong - Continental Shelf

24- The Internet - Just Sayin/I Tried

23- Colleen - Soul Alphabet

Here is beautiful live performance by Colleen 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R1FF9kAl6D8

22-Colin Stetson & Sarah Neufeld- And Still They Move

21-Courtney Barnett - Elevator Operator

20- Julia Holter - Sea Calls Me Home

19- FKA twigs - I’m Your Doll

18- Owing Sigma Band - I made You / You Made Me

17- Deerhunter - Snakeskin

16- Erykah Badu - Cel U Lar Device

15- D’Angelo And The Vanguard - 1000 Deaths

14-Owing Sigma Band - Odour Won Gembe

Amazing African sound... Great album by British&Kenyan musicians .

https://owinysigomaband.bandcamp.com/album/i-made-you-you-made-me

13-Jamie XX - I Know There’s Gonna Be (Good Times)(ft. Young Thug and Popcaan)

12- Erykah Badu - Hello

11- Kendrick Lamar - How Much A Dollar Cost

Obama's favorite song of the year 2015... The hippest president but then they have Trump as a candidate :-(

http://pitchfork.com/news/62469-president-obama-says-kendrick-lamars-how-much-a-dollar-cost-was-his-favorite-song-of-2015/

10- Kamasi Washington - The Rhythm Changes

It's sooo good

9-  Bjork - Lionsong

I knew this from very beginning but if you watch the video of this song you will understand the difference between Bjork and us(humans)...

8-Vince Staples - Lift Me Up

Vince has brutal lyrics...

"Hey, I'm just a nigga until I fill my pockets

And then I'm Mr. Nigga, they follow me while shoppin'
I feel like Mick and Richards, they feel like Muddy Waters
So tell me what's the difference, so tell me what's the difference?"

or

"I never vote for presidents, the presidents that change the hood
Is dead and green"

7-Thundercat - Them Changes

6-Panda Bear - Mr. Noah

5-D’Angelo And The Vanguard- Ain’t That Easy

His first album after 14 years. I read that he plays all the instruments except the drums...

Listen here

4- Kendrick Lamar - I

Amazing lyrics. I played this song to a 4 yold and 7 year old in the car, even they get crazy, for couple of hours they were screaming " I love myself" at random times... I love the album version but this one is pretty good too!

The link for the video 

3- Jamie XX - Loud Places (feat. Romy)

The first full album by Jamie XX has some amazing songs. Years later when we talk about 2015, we will remember this album and its moments...

2- Kamasi Washington - Askim

Even if he didn't make this album, we will probably know as "the crazy saxophonist at Kendrick Lamar's album or Thundercat's ". What a start to a career! I mean I'm sure he worked very hard but what a official start to music career ?

Amazing song

1 - Kendrick Lamar - Blacker The Berry

If I live in the States, I would play this song in my car very loud whenever I see ...

"So why did I weep when Trayvon Martin was in the street when gang banging make me kill a nigga blacker than me?
Hypocrite!"

"You vandalize my perception but can't take style from me

And this is more than confession
I mean I might press the button just so you know my discretion
I'm guardin' my feelings, I know that you feel it
You sabotage my community, makin' a killin'
You made me a killer, emancipation of a real nigga"

You can listen the song from this link