Perry, Lee “Scratch” – Chicken Scratch
Reviewed by Sadie O., 2/22/08
Very early ska cuts featuring Perry as singer, produced by Coxsone Dodd at Studio One. Some tracks have backing vocals by the Soulettes who feature Rita Marley, one track has the Wailers backing, and one has little-known (in the US) singers the Gaylads. Many tracks have sax solos by Roland Alphonso. Production and backing vocals show how non-professional much great Jamaican music of the 60’s really was.
No FCCs detected, although track 10 is clearly about demanding sex… Track 19 is manna from heaven, track 13 is great, all are great fun.
1. **sprightly midtempo ska. Blatting horn section and sax solo from Roland Alphonso.
2. **swingy downtempo ska sashay. Buttery smooth horn solo, slightly demented lyrics.
3. ***somewhat uptempo classic ska with vocal interplay by the Soulettes.
4. **midtempo, quite cute and juvenile vocals.
5. **big intro, uptempo ska with religious call and response lyrics but more soul than spiritual delivery.
6. ***rather lopsided midtempo ska, fun.
7. **odd female vocal intro, then classic ska, battle of the sexes lyrics.
8. **midtempo classic ska with enthusiastic drummer, extremely early Wailers.
9. ***downtempo ska, call and response with rather “naïve” sounding backup singers.
10. *midtempo syncopated ska, rather alarming tale of punishing a pumpkin thief by raping her… Nice horns, though…
11. ***midtempo, quite soulful vocals.
12. ***midtempo, fun lyrics and chorus, horn flourishes.
13. ****big midtempo ska, soulful vocals. Not a cover of the Ernie-K-Doe hit, but with the same message. Several extra stars for demented screaming at the end!
14. ***swingy downtempo ska with demented lyrics – definitely showing the direction he’d be heading!
15. **midtempo classic ska with message lyrics.
16. **”London bridge” horn line, another message song. Harmonica solo!
17. **swingy ska, lyrics make no sense at all. Fairly wild horn solo.
18. ***downtempo ska, preshadows classic rock steady hits. Perry’s voice is sounding more like what we’re used to from him… Nutty guitar solo. Ends several seconds early.
19. *****crazy spoken intro which continues into midtempo ska number, occasionally making a certain amount of sense, then crazy again. Yay!