“Roast Fish Collie Weed And Corn Bread” by Lee Perry The Upsetter - album review

features in: Album Chart of 1978 ● Album Chart of the Decade: 1970s

Incredibly, this was the 20th new music LP from the prolific producer, and the first which fully featured him on lead vocals on every track. He’s on great form at this time, eccentric to the max lyrically, with some mind-boggling effects and drops ensuring there’s never a dull moment. I presume it’s the Full Experience Girls who provide some sweet backing vocals here and there. On the excellent, “Throw Some Water In” Scratch is imparting nutritional advice about servicing one’s body: “Tune up your system”. The fact that it was probably conceived and executed in the world’s smokiest studio per-square-foot is by-the-by. “Curly Locks”, a version of the song he wrote for Junior Byles, is very nice indeed and comes with the bonkers straight-faced exclamation “your Father is a Pork Chop”. Oink! “Favourite Dish” is a mid-set monster, once again getting all healthy with it: “I’m a working man so I eat up strong”. Quite why we have samples of crying babies and moo-ing cows from start to finish is a mystery which will never be solved and I’m content to revel in the barmy. The rolling rhythm just sets this one off nice, I love it. The cows are back for the album’s mighty clip-clop clippity-clippity-clop closer, “Roast Fish and Cornbread”; the album’s final feeling is heavy dub manners as a result. “Skank it in the backyard, yeah!” Great fun. Forget Jane Fonda and Felicity Kendall, shape up and skank with Lee the Motivator!

The Jukebox Rebel
22–Jul–2007

+ notes

• A great album from the creative days of the Black Ark, and Perry’s only solo album from the period. Sadly, Island refused to release it internationally (despite the title track being one of Chris Blackwell’s favourites), and as a result there have only been poor quality releases over the years. This album definitely deserves better. There is much to like about Roast Fish: the jazzy, haunting "Soul Fire", the health conscious "Throw Some Water In", the wry observations of "Ghetto Sidewalk" and of course the surreal "Roast Fish And Cornbread". The VP CD release has been mastered from a less than perfect vinyl source, but until a cleaner pressing can be made, this one is a must. ~ upsetter.net

Tracklist

A1	[03:54] Lee Perry The Upsetter - Soul Fire (Rainford Hugh Perry) Reggae
A2	[03:45] Lee Perry The Upsetter - Throw Some Water In (Rainford Hugh Perry) Reggae
A3	[03:54] Lee Perry The Upsetter - Evil Tongue (Rainford Hugh Perry) Reggae
A4	[04:06] Lee Perry The Upsetter - Curly Locks (Rainford Hugh Perry) Reggae
A5	[04:19] Lee Perry The Upsetter - Ghetto Sidewalk (Rainford Hugh Perry) Reggae
B1	[03:19] Lee Perry The Upsetter - Favourite Dish (Rainford Hugh Perry) Reggae
B2	[03:41] Lee Perry The Upsetter - Free Up The Weed (Rainford Hugh Perry) Reggae
B3	[03:38] Lee Perry The Upsetter - Big Neck Police (Rainford Hugh Perry) Reggae
B4	[03:54] Lee Perry The Upsetter - Yu Squeeze My Panhandle (Rainford Hugh Perry) Reggae
B5	[03:49] Lee Perry The Upsetter - Roast Fish And Cornbread (Rainford Hugh Perry) Reggae

ratings by TJR