Lee 'Scratch' Perry - Rainford (On-U Sound)

No, even after all these years, I'm still not tired of hearing Lee Perry; sspecially when he decides to join forces with Adrian Sherwood again, still my favorite UK producer. The last collaboration with On-U Sound ('The Mighty Upsetter') already dated back to 2008, so high time to renew the relationship. 'Time Boom X The Devil Dead' (1987) and 'From The Secret Laboratory' (1990) now rightly enjoy the status of classic albums. I love Scratch in all his guises, in colabs with Mad Professor, Dubblestandart, The Orb, (certainly) Pura Vida and many others, but I've had a special connection with On-U Sound connection for over 30 years now, and the label's sound has nestled itself deep in my musical consciousness. Please read this review in that benevolent light.

On this record, Adrian Sherwood reconciles the classic Black Ark sound with his own musical universe, like in opening track, 'Crickets on the moon', for example, featuring an irresistible guitar lick and a deep bass line supporting a deliciously cut riddim. Lee Perry excels vocally without saying much. 'Repent', the crickets say: "Repent, mercy gone an' judgement come!", with Perry representing the man on the moon, where the crickets live.

The up-tempo 'Run Evil Spirits' is clearly inspired by an old Black Ark riddim, especially recognizable by the bouncing saxophone. In 'Let It Rain', built over a tight dancehall beat, Scratch not only oracles about the rain he needs to keep his garden flowering, but also drops the names of his heroes: Marcus Garvey, Haile Selassie and Paul McCartney. "On-U Sound is a new sound", he rhymes, his vocals blended with a violin and a choir as instant evidence.

'House Of Angels' is archetypal On-U Sound reggae. Think Dub Syndicate's best work, featuring beautiful horn arrangements, an angelic choir, fine percussion and special effects. "Stop complaining", says Perry to the rich man, the dreadlocks man, the baldhead man and all those other wailers. With 'Makumba Rock' Sherwood explores new horizons. The song is more like a collage of samples with Scratch as MC. We hear birds, jungle sounds, deep black and high voices and exotic drums. A trumpet self-confidently seeks its own way. A haunting bass holds everything together, and in the insane (albeit too short) dub makes it unavoidable: this is one of the highlights of the album, even though Lee Perry's input is limited. Funny tough how he rhymes Negril with Brasil, the country immediately springing to mind when you hear some sounds in this tune.

'African Starship' sounds both ancient and eternally new. Crazy riddim, a kind of reggae with a counter time, embellished with subtle guitar licks, a bit of flute and synth drums, On-U Sound samples and a striking lamenting trumpet, Miles Davis style. The end result is a weird, post-modern song of the genre Sherwood has had a patent on for years.

In 'Kill The Dreams', Scratch rages against the money worshippers who shatter our dreams. He promises black magic, and that they will die. He also sings: "Fingering all night…", but we'll have to ask him one day what exactly he meant there. The music is slightly reminiscent of old Creation Rebel productions, the first On-U Sound studio band. Sherwood lavishly scatters echoes, reverberation and haunted sounds, and throws the vocals into the stereo mix.

'Children Of The Night' could have been on 'Time Boom...', or an album by Dub Syndicate; vintage On-U Sound, once again featuring a great horn arrangement and a lovely choir. The icing on the cake is the melodica. And all the while Lee Perry is talking about vampires, a theme he often broaches. When he refers to Chris Blackwell, for example, the boss of Island Records when Bob Marley ruled there and Scratch also got the chance to release some of his great classics himself.

In the final track of this album, Perry actually makes Blackwell drink chicken blood out of a rum glass. It's one of the many names and events he drops in 'Autobiography Of The Upsetter', the longest track of the album. Born in 1936, the godly baby of a dream marriage, with a freemason for a father. "I am the Upsetter", sings a high voice in the simple chorus. "I come to whipe out wickedness", Scratch responds. And then Bob Marleyis mentioned: "My cup is overflow/I don't know what to do/Can you help me, Mister Perry?" Junior Byles, Susan Cadogan, Max Romeo: they all found salvation at the Black Ark. 'Superape' and 'Blackboard Jungle': Lee Perry knows his own classics. Yes, I burned down the Ark, people said I was crazy. In London I met Adrian, Bim Sherman and Prince Far I. Forward ever, backward never. The devil dead.

The whole story (more than 7 minutes long) is supported by an addictive, Black Ark-like dub, with a characteristic Upsetter chorus. Adrian Sherwood remains as faithful to himself as to his great teacher.