Lee'Scratch' Perry Presents Black Man's Time: The Jamaican Upsetters Singles 1972 Chapter 1

Black Mans Time: The Jamaican Upsetters Singles 1972 - Chapter 1 is another generous two-CD collection of Lee "Scratch" Perry-produced material, originally issued on 7" vinyl singles by the Justice League, Wizzdom, and Upsetter Records labels. Reflecting the evolution of reggae during the era, the set is a mixture of love songs, socially conscious material, and studio experimentation, with nearly every song accompanied by a version or additional part. The compilation opens with the Upsetters "Tipper Special," a fun, freewheeling tune filled with fast-forwarding tape noises, police sirens, ghostly voices, and chugging melodica riffs. Junior Byles & Jah Ts "Informer Men Babylon Chapter 9" incorporates sharp telephone ringing, along with lyrics condemning wickedness and corruption. Max Romeos "Public Enemy No. 1" denounces Satan, and essentially serves as a precursor to "Chase the Devil," one of the highlights from his Perry-produced 1976 masterwork War Ina Babylon. Perry hid cryptic messages in backwards voices during "Hail to Power," a version of Byles "Pharaoh Hiding," while the same artists cover of "Fever" shows that Perry also excelled at producing more pop-oriented material. As Perry was still developing the type of studio trickery that would be the main focus of dub, he was also helping to aid reggae into the dancehall era through his work with deejays such as Big Youth, Dennis Alcapone, and Winston Price, later known as Dr. Alimantado. The final stretch of tracks during the set are pure whimsy, including Byles casual, playful "Da Da" and a related collaboration with Perry called "Come Da Da," plus their respective versions. ~ Paul Simpson