Lee "Scratch" Perry: Back on the Controls

It's tragic. Whenever I get a new one Lee Perry-Album flutters on the table, I feel more duty than pleasure to listen to it. Lee Perry was once THE innovator of reggae. The originator of a fantastically complex, magical and absolutely unique sound, born from the happy encounter between analog studio equipment, gifted musicians, a lot of marijuana and even more rum with a very special genius that resides in Lee Perry's head (still this side of the border to madness) was. Towards the end of the 1970s, genius crossed this line and Perry became the quirky, babbling owl whose monotonous monologues have since been heard on countless albums by third-rate reggae bands. Bands trying to capitalize on Perry's legendary name to this day. What a crash, what a tragic fate. Now a new attempt: Daniel Boyle - a little-known British reggae producer - had been working with the Madman on a new album for around a year. Before that, he had meticulously bought the equipment from Perry's Black Ark studio and experimented with it until he finally succeeded in what no one had ever done before: reproducing the legendary sound from Perry's prime. Now the new work is available, to which Perry not only contributed the (let's call it) vocals, but which he allegedly co-produced: Lee "Scratch" Perry: Back on the Controls. It's a double showcase album with 11 vocal tunes and 11 DubVersions and, thanks to a successful Kickstarter campaign, is also being released as a CD and beautifully illustrated double vinyl edition. Top or flop? No doubt about it: It catapults itself to the rank of probably the best Perry album of the modern age - a rank, however, which it ranks with Adrian Sherwood's "Dub Setter ”album from 2010. Daniel Boyle (who I hadn't seen before) and Perry have created an official masterpiece here by copying the Black Ark sound, but fortunately foregoing (with one exception) re-brewing the old pieces. Instead, the two of them go their own way, present strong, independent rhythms interspersed with warm brass sections, dose Lee Perry's babbling very appropriately, even elicit some good melodies from him and also offer fantastic melodies as a bonus DubVersions. Perry also seems to have recognized that he has something very special in his hands, which is why he decided to revive his honorable upset label to offer the album a worthy home. Welcome back, Mr. Perry.