VA - Chapter 2 of "Words" - Lee Perry & Friends (Trojan)

The 22 tracks on Chapter 2 of "Words" all date from 1972-1973, a period when Lee "Scratch" Perry was a sort of nomad, recording tracks at various studios and mixing them at King Tubby's. The music reflects this, varying widely in sound and feel, from the traditional to the far-out, from the heartfelt to the downright goofy. This lack of cohesion prevents Chapter 2 of "Words" from being completely satisfying, but the same can be said of many attempts to chronicle Perry's career, which has been as chaotic and confusing as it has been brilliant and prolific. Scratch devotees will be particularly interested in the link Chapter 2 of "Words" provides between his Upsetter Records era (circa 1970) and the rise of the Black Ark (1975). While Scratch still employs some of the basic techniques of his earlier records (in fact, I. Roy's "Dr. Who" is simply a DJ version of the 1969 Upsetters release "Medical Operation"), he exploits improving sound quality to put more emphasis on the bass and drums. This in turn permits him to drop other instruments out of the mix, rely less on vocals, and experiment with tape manipulations and sound effects, beginning his journey into the uncharted territory of dub. For a quick reminder of just how far ahead of his time Perry was, check out "Station Underground News," which employs both pseudo-rapping and a "sample" from the Chi-Lites' "(For God's Sake) Give More Power to the People," or the aptly named "Space Flight," with vocals by Scratch and I. Roy over a bed of hard rhythm and futuristic synth effects.

Chapter 2 Of Words is an absolutely upsetting collection (if you ignore the awful cover art). Featuring versions of such classic rhythms as "Words Of My Mouth" and "Curly Locks" as well as some of Scratch's wildest productions, Chapter 2 is out of sight. Motorycles sampled on "Forward Up", fire engines on "Sunshine Showdown Version", ravers by Dave Barker and I Roy as well as many other upsetting touches will leave you reeling. However, there are also less manic songs like "Silver Locks" by The Upsetters (a very nice acoustic guitar version of "Curly Locks") to cool things down. This one is a must!


Tracklist:

01. Words (Intro) - Lee Perry
02. Forward Up - The Stingers
03. Forward Version - The Upsetters
04. Nebuchadnezzer - The Upsetters
05. Peace - Chenley Duffus & The Soul Avengers
06. Peace Version - The Upsetters
07. Three Blind Mice - Leo Graham
08. Mice Skank - The Upsetters
09. Station Underground News - Lee Perry
10. Sunshine Showdown - Lee Perry
11. Sunshine Showdown Version - The Upsetters
12. Dr. Who - I Roy
13. Sunshine Rock - The Upsetters
14. Rasta Dub - Dennis Alcapone
15. Rasta Version - The Upsetters
16. Space Flight - I Roy & Lee Perry
17. Burning Wire - Jerry Lewis & Lee Perry
18. Militant Rock - Lee Perry
19. Silver Locks - The Upsetters
20. Words - Lee Perry
21. Little Flute Chant - The Upsetters
22. Hot Tip - Prince Django

VA - Chapter 2 of "Words" - Lee Perry & Friends (Trojan)

(320 kbps, cover art included)